Laser?

[girlyj]

Im very seriously considering laser for my face as a means of really discovering how i feel about permanent removal, knowing full well that eventually it will all grow back. What i want to know is who has been through this and what did you learn from the experience? Did it make you want to do the electro even more? What happened when it grew back? Was it the same? Fuller, thinner, different color, etc.??? I have a pretty dark, coarse and fast growing situation myself, which is why i want to do this in the first place. Im finding that im getting an encyclopedia of different answers from the technicians i talk to. Thanks, ladies!

-J

[gretchen2]

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[Stephenie S]

I fail to see your point.

Do you, or do you not, want to shave your face for the rest of your life? Simple.

Spend the money on laser? Go ahead. But most who do end up with electrolysis after all.

S

[thechic]

I found laser great for me it got rid of 70% of my facial hair,i just carried on with electro to get rid of the remaining hair.I do get touch ups every so often.to me its money well spent if you want that fem looking face.you must remember it takes a long time to get rid of the hair,as it has so meany cycles.
remember laser only gets rid of dark hair and light skin.

[Aprilrain]

It may not grow back! for most people its a disappointing waste of money but since your doing it as an experiment "knowing full well it will all grow back" Murphy's law almost guarantee’s that it will be permanent for you ; )

Why would you want the hair? I say don't waste your money and go with the electro right off the bat.

[Frances]

Getting rid of hair is a serious commitment. I did a lot of laser and a lot of electrolysis. I have put more than twenty thousand dollars on hair removal. Both worked great on different things (laser for dark hairs, electro for blond/white/gray). My hair does not grow back. The laser I used was LightShear. Do both.

[Melody Moore]

One thing is I have found is that there are people out there offering laser hair removal that have very
little or no knowledge of understanding about the technical side of laser units and their effectiveness.
And this is why you will hear the occasional report that it was a waste of time & money. Laser will only
deal with darker hair follicles and not light coloured hairs such as blonde or greys. So if you have a lot
of dark hair, then laser is the way to go because it is cheaper and faster than electrolyses. Mop up
any light hairs using electrolyses if you have any hairs to still clean up laser - this will save you time
and money if you chose a reputable operator who has the best equipment.

[ameliabee]

I'm going the laser route (had my first session three hours ago), but I have pale skin and dark brown hair. First six sessions are going to cost me $1250.

I think you should see this thread - this is why finding an experienced laser hair removal technician is imperative. http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?127984-***WARNING***my-first-laser-treatment-observation-results-(Toronto)&highlight=laser+hair+removal

[abigailf]

FYI
I started laser last March (2010) and finished regular monthly sessions in October (2010). I scheduled a 6 month follow up for maintenance. In October (2010) I started electrolysis to focus on the grey.

Currently, I have more than 90% of my dark hair on my face removed. I had a few hairs on the cheek, chin and around the lips to pop up 6 to 8 weeks after my last session. After about three months I went in for maintenance. After another ten weeks I went in to maintain only around the lips. Eight weeks after that I had the full beard done again. That was a month ago.

Currently I have a spattering of dark hair on one side of the chin. A hair popping up in a couple of places around the face. Everything else is gray and saved for electrolysis. I shave once a week, unless I am going out, then I may shave again.

I am scheduled for a 6 month laser session, but I may go next month if I get enough growth around the lips. Each time I go it gets thinner, but there is a point of diminishing returns where I will just focus most of my time on electrolysis.

Remeber, Laser is permanent hair reduction (not removal). Meaning that it will not remove all the hair permanently, but will remove a lot of it.

About my characteristics:
I have dark hair with light olive skin. I take vitamin E on top of one-a-days daily and do not tan my face and use lotions to prevent spots and to keep the skin healthy.

I do not have a lot of hair on my body (it all went to the head and brows). I did not shave my mustache until my early 20's and it was thin and cheesy making me look like a teen. It was more problematic getting into bars having it, so I shaved it. I never shaved daily as it was too short to shave with out scarring my face up. I typically shaved every other day, sometimes every third before it got itchy and annoying. A slight shadow would form after a day.

[Hope]

One thing is I have found is that there are people out there offering laser hair removal that have very
little or no knowledge of understanding about the technical side of laser units and their effectiveness.
And this is why you will hear the occasional report that it was a waste of time & money. Laser will only
deal with darker hair follicles and not light coloured hairs such as blonde or greys. So if you have a lot
of dark hair, then laser is the way to go because it is cheaper and faster than electrolyses. Mop up
any light hairs using electrolyses if you have any hairs to still clean up laser - this will save you time
and money if you chose a reputable operator who has the best equipment.

This. 1000 time THIS.

You MUST find a tech who knows what they are doing. If it isn't excruciatingly painful, your tech is waisting your time.

If you have light hair, you are waisting your time with laser.

If you have dark skin, you are waisting your time with laser.

But if you have the magic combination of light skin, dark hair, and a tech who loves the screaming... the hair that gets zapped will be permanently gone. And if you do, laser is WAY cheeper, and much faster than electro. Which isn't to say you won't need some electro too... you will, to round up the stragglers, and to get rid of whatever grey you have developed, but laser can save you a boat-load of time and $$$ IF you meet the right qualifications.

[MillaMarie]

Disagree re the necessity of having treatment be "Excruciatingly Painful" to be effective. An excellent technician with a high end machine with great cryogenics can be very effective with only moderate discomfort. I realize people vary greatly in pain tolerance, just don't think severe pain is a criteria for effective treatment.

[Stephanie-L]

I too disagree about the pain. I experience only a little pain and have had a significant reduction in my beard. I love getting the treatments, it means another step along the road to femininity for me.......Stephanie

[Melody Moore]

BLT Cream (http://compound-pharmacy.com/123/b-l-t-cream-compound-an-exclusive-anaesthetic-cream-compound/) is also often use to numb the face before laser treatment.

[Hope]

Disagree re the necessity of having treatment be "Excruciatingly Painful" to be effective. An excellent technician with a high end machine with great cryogenics can be very effective with only moderate discomfort. I realize people vary greatly in pain tolerance, just don't think severe pain is a criteria for effective treatment.

Ok.

I will respect your view, but, I have to say I don't share it. There is just no way that bombarding a hair shaft with enough laser energy to cause it to heat to such a point that it super-heats the surrounding liquid to the point where it flash-boils and shoots the hair out of your face is going to be non-painful. Especially when that is being done to 30+ hair shafts at a time. Cryogenics or no...

Of course, if your tech isn't administering enough energy to heat the hair shaft enough to heat the surrounding structures sufficiently... it won't hurt... but it probably won't be permanent either.

Now maybe your tech IS using sufficient energy to get the job done, and you just have a higher pain tolerance than I do... but this is just about the most painful thing I have ever done... and that is with the topical lidocaine...

[Kaitlyn Michele]

I have laser to be very tolerable. Pain yes, but nothing to fear.....it works seemingly when it feels like it...one laser to my armpits and I have barely shaved again...it also worked wonders on my legs and back.. It did nothing for the dark hairs on my face. I tried three different techs...only the electrolysis worked.

[Regina]

Started out a mixture of Dark and Grey. Laser cleared all of the darks and a few did grow back but i was left with the grey..the only way to rid yourself of light colored hair is Electrolysis.

I now go weekly for Electrolysis and every 4-5 visits.. Laser the few darks that remain.

If you need a Trans friendly place to go in Central Ohio let me know.

Regina

[girlyj]

Thanks for all the awesome advice everyone! I will be sure and report in if and when I take this step!

[Melody Moore]

People can differ greatly when it comes to tolerance of pain and yes, laser treatment can sting a bit.
It is true it is more effective when it does feel the most painful because the laser is penetrating right
to the bottom of your hair follicles which can be 8mm or so under the skin. My doctor uses BLT cream
and even then every now and again you still feel it tickle because of the depth of laser penetration.

[NathalieX66]

From my personal experience, and other transgedered girls, and transsexuals, permanent hair removal is a way of life.
i have a blonde friend that has spent close to $15,000 on electrolysis.

I've done $700 selective electrolysis ( blend, and thermolysis methods) over the last six months thinking this was going to thin me out so I don't have to wear makeup.....and it all grew back. I'm going to my second beard laser session in six days, and I've yet to get to session 8 or 9.
I would expect to grow back again. It will all gradually thin out after each session, with some touch ups every now and then, I figure. .....it helps to be a pessimist.

Hair removal is a constant ongoing process....not like getting FFS or SRS, where it's done and done.
Some people are more luckier thanothers.....that's jsut the way it is.

once you know your body and how it reacts to laser & electro, you know the path your'e on.

[Aprilrain]

I've done $700 selective electrolysis ( blend, and thermolysis methods) over the last six months thinking this was going to thin me out so I don't have to wear makeup.....and it all grew back.

At most that is like 10 ish sessions which isn't even enough to put a dent in it! It grew back because you were not done!
Each time they stick the needle in there and electrocute the hair they kill SOME of the cells that are responsible for growing the hair. If your hair is thick like mine the more times they will have to do it. EVENTUALLY this process will PERMANENTLY eradicate the hair but it takes forever. Also if you're not consistent about going it will be far less effective.
$700 worth of electro ain't nothin!