plucking problem - Hair Problems Message Board

skybornmusic · 08-23-2003, 06:41 PM

Here's something I have noticed for a long time and never been able to explain. I regularly tweeze my eyebrows a little to keep them from getting too bushy. I have never experienced any irritation from doing this. However, I frequently find that a few teeny droplets of a clear fluid are sitting on the skin in the area that I pluck. This does not only happen immediately after plucking -- I notice it all the time -- but it is always in that one area, so it seems that it must be related. If I leave the fluid there until it dries (which happens often, since I usually don't notice that it has appeared there), it leaves a small amount of salty white residue. Does anyone else experience this, or know what it might be or how to make it stop? I hate walking into the bathroom and realizing that there has been this white residue sitting under my eyebrows for who knows how long.

cookiepls · 08-24-2003, 07:52 AM

Oil glands(sebaceous glands) are located close beneath the surface of the skin over the entire body but a lot of them are concentrated in the facial area. The sebaceous glands are not always attached to a follicle but when they are, you may see some of the sebum after plucking. The oily material secreted is called sebum. There may be more than one gland attached to the follicle. Sebum lubricates the hair shaft and the skin. Just wait a few minutes after plucking, and then wash the area.

just_imagine · 08-24-2003, 11:25 PM

I've experienced this before so I know what you're talking about! It's annoying, isn't it. What I do is just pay attention to the area for a while after plucking and just make sure it's all wiped away, to avoid embarrassing wetness under my eyebrows, haha...I don't think there's much more you can do!

skybornmusic · 08-25-2003, 12:13 PM

The sebum theory sounds about right, but I don't think just washing after plucking gets rid of the problem. This is something I experience all the time, not just right after plucking -- even many showers and face-washes later. Maybe plucking the hair leaves behind a larger-than-usual pore which just can't keep the sebum from oozing out onto the surface of my skin. Is there some way to stop that area from producing so much sebum?