Is electrolysis really worth it?

[emmicd]

Has anybody done electrolysis for their leg, body and facial hair?

Is it worth doing?

How painful is it?

Is the pain worth enduring to get the look you wish for?

Emmi

[ronna]

No, no, no, Emmi.
You don't want to do that.
You don't want a hot wax job either.
No, you just keep doing what you have been doing and that is fine.

[emmicd]

Thanks Rona!

I appreciate your honesty!

I could never do it but just was curious about it.

Emmi

[Rachel Morley]

There was a thread on facial hair removal last month. There were some good points made. Take a look and see if this helps. I found it interesting.

http://crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10837&highlight=electrolysis

[ronna]

Emmi, dear, my advice is based on experience:
I haven't tried it either (any of the above)

[gender_blender]

Has anybody done electrolysis for their leg, body and facial hair?
Is it worth doing?
How painful is it?
Is the pain worth enduring to get the look you wish for?
Emmi
I have. I 've had my sideburns and chest hair removed via electrolysis. It's worth it if you don't have much to remove, but plan on going back a few times to get the same area done. It's extremely painful. TG Author Jennifer Boylan describes it very well in her book "She's Not There", p.141.


Charlie

[Stlalice]

As someone who has put in over forty hours so far on electrolysis in the last couple of years perhaps I can shed some light on the why and how. First off, electrolysis is still the only permenent way of removing facial hair - laser while good still has problems with regrowth and hair color issues. For a start, remember that the average male beard has from thirty to fifty THOUSAND individual hairs that must in electrolysis be zapped - ONE AT A TIME ! This can take from 150 to 300 hours to do. Each time a folicle dies is like an insect sting/bite. A transwoman friend of mine maintains that the willingness to put up with this is one of the things that separates a truly serious transwoman from the wannabe's. It is quite common to spend more on electrolysis than you do on SRS. Current rates are about $65.00/hr where I live - for a licenced electrolygist. If you try someone who is not licenced or worse use one of the home electrolysis kits you can do real damage to your face. Enough of the downside - what can you do to make it more tolerable ? First, schedule sessions when you are well rested - being tired increases sensitivity to pain. Most electrolygists sell a numbing cream/ointment to apply before a session - USE IT! Avoid caffine before a session. Use an OTC pain med before a session. Start a session by having the most sensitive areas of the face worked on FIRST. This is usually the upper lip/chin goatee area. When that gets to be too much go to the cheeks/beard line area to thin/blur the beard line - this will ease the problems with makeup a lot. If you can find a cooperative dentist have him numb your face before a session. After a session your face will be red and swollen - this will take a couple of days to go away - avoid the sun and use sunscreen if you must be outside. Also use a good moisturizer on your skin - using Bactine as a post treatment rub helps too. Strangely enough most people that see you after a session will not think of electrolysis - they will assume an allergy or the like. Hope this helps. :eek: :eek:

[Sigrid]

Are you kidding me? And pass up a perfectly good excuse to smear shaving creams and lotions all over your legs and body?

ooops... sorry, wrong forum.

[DanaJ]

Stlalice and Charlie - thanks for a very informative post! It is good to get first hand experiences :thumbsup:

DanaJ

[TammyB]

I've seen ALOT of recommendations for Lightsheer laser (It must be Lightsheer, as its far better than other lasers). It wont take as long as electro and will be cheaper. Wont work on lighter hairs, electro may be the best way to get rid of those. As for regrowth, I've read that there should be little to none with lightsheer as it permanently nukes the follicles like electro does (which other lasers do not, they simply damage/irritate the follicles).

Many who are going fulltime/transition go for electro because they dont want to risk the regrowth so its a safer bet.

I've not had any laser or electro, so I cant say from expirence, but there is plenty of info on the web.

[Stlalice]

Most of what you find on the web in regards to hair removal by laser will be in the nature of advertising - but if your hair and skin type are right laser will remove a lot of hair quickly. Some girls have used laser as a first clearing operation then gone to electrolysis to take care of regrowth or stubborn hair that the laser just doesn't take care of. I have been advised by several laser providers that the sensation during treatment is like having a rubber band snapped agianst your skin each time a folicle dies - maybe a large one depending on how sensitve the area of your face is. For myself - I'm sticking with electrolysis - slow and at times painful - but effective. For all other areas of the body I shave - if you go on HRT you will find that body hair growth tends to slow way down or stop depending on location. Facial hair is the only area that does not respond to hormone treatments hence the need for electrolysis or the like. :eek:

[Natalie x]

I'm currently undergoing electrolysis and agree with everything Alice has said, including the comparison of the pain to an insect bite, that's a good description.

I am starting with my top lip. I need that cleared first because the blue shadow, even just after shaving, is showing through my concealer and foundation. My facial hair has had 45 years of shaving to get nicely toughened up, so it takes a fairly hefty current to kill each follicle, and it does hurt. My treatment is in half-hour sessions at £14 per half hour. So far, two hours of treatment have cleared about three quarters of my top lip. At this rate, I reckon it will take about 30 to 40 hours to clear my whole face, not counting any re-treatment on hairs that have grown back.

Yes, it's worth the pain and the cost, every bit of it. Without it, I will never be able to create a reasonable feminine appearance, and that is very important to me. After this, its (probably) surgery on my nose, for the same reason.

[Clare]

Some girls have used laser as a first clearing operation then gone to electrolysis to take care of regrowth or stubborn hair that the laser just doesn't take care of.
I was always under the impression laser was the ultimate way of removing hair permantly, but it seems for most people, a combination of methods to completely eliminating hair regrowth is required.

I have been considering laser treatment within the next year for all parts of my body. Looks like i need to do more investigations on the issue.

Thanks girls for your advice.

Christine