Hair removal 2: Electro boogaloo

[whowhatwhen]

I was looking in a picture taken earlier this evening and noticed that my facial hair has been reduced to only a few areas.
Laser has worked incredibly well but unfortunately the time draws near where I'll have to take the needle again.

Not just the needle, but the dreaded upper lip needle!
The sides of my upper lip are mostly clear but I have a dense patch in the middle and if you think about it you can see why this is a pretty bad thing lol.

I weep for the upcoming days of wrapping my face in plastic wrap while the emla kicks in.
Now I'm just curious, what is the state of everyone's hair removal?

e:
Wrong section I guess, sorry :P

[Suzanne F]

I have completed 2 rounds of laser treatment on my face. I am excited so far about the results. There is however, a fair amount of white beard left. I will start laser treatment after 4 more treatments.
Suzanne

[Eryn]

You might consult a dermatologist about a stronger numbing gel. The one I'm currently using is 23% lidocaine, 7% tetracaine in a glycol base. It works better than EMLA. Nothing makes it pain-free short of injections, and the injections are no picnic either.

I get very little regrowth these days. My electrologist takes care of a week's worth in about 30-45 minutes and she really has to hunt for the hairs. There are still some stubborn hairs on my lips because there was a limit to what I could handle earlier in the process.

I actually found that my lower lip was more sensitive than the upper. Everyone seems to be different.

[whowhatwhen]

I asked her once and she suggested 5% maxilene, it's really expensive though so I'll have to grab a small tube and see how it goes.
The one immediate benefit is that it doesn't need occlusion to work and that's gold right there.

[sandra-leigh]

I did laser about 2 1/2 years ago, and that did help but was not enough; in particular one of my anti-androgens kicked up production of facial hair while reducing hair in the rest of my body. I started electrolysis with occasional laser earlier this year, and it is proceeding well on my face. I have had a number of sessions, so I would not consider it to be a "fast" process. It did seem to me that there was a turning point a couple of months ago after which the thicker hairs mostly seemed to give up. The hangers-on are mostly at the junction of my neck and throat.

My electrologist has been booking me for 45 minute appointments every two weeks, but still consistently uses closer to 1 hour. The fine little hairs above and below the center portions of my lips keep growing -- not nearly as visible as they once were, and not very visible, but that area is pretty dense in hairs. Also, she has been working on my lower sideburns, which are coming in white as I age which calls attention to the area.

[LeaP]

I'm about 90 hours in. I haven't used a painkiller yet, aside from some Advil if I know we're doing the upper lip and I remember to take it. I've had only one really uncomfortable session. I'm not sure what was going on that day, but it bordered on being traumatizing. The others have been mostly non-events with the odd zinger here and there, literally a zap or three that might really smart during a session. I sometimes fall asleep.

Avoid coffee the day of a session and be well-hydrated.

[Dianne S]

I've had 10 laser sessions. I'm probably going to have another 10 because I still have some stubborn dark hair and I'm determined to get or weaken as much of it as possible with laser before contemplating electrolysis. I have a friend who had 36 laser sessions and is almost free of facial hair; she has not had any electrolysis, she says.

I will need electrolysis to get rid of white hairs, but those are much less of a problem... if I shave, they are not very noticeable and certainly don't cause any beard shadow, so if it takes a couple or three years to zap them, that's fine.

[Keri L]

I have had six laser sessions on my face, but I have some gray/lighter hairs that the laser will not remove. Can someone tell me how long you have to let your hairs grow out for electrolysis?

[whowhatwhen]

I needed about 3 days worth of growth to have enough for the electrologist to work with, then again that was a long time ago and pre-hrt.

I had previously done 20 hours of electro before laser and even taking codeine tabs it was still unbearably painful.
Often I'd be close to or at tears.

[Eryn]

...Can someone tell me how long you have to let your hairs grow out for electrolysis?

This varies. Basically, they have to be long enough to grasp with tweezers so the hair can be removed after it is treated. For normal hair this is two or three days, but as treatment progresses and the stubborn ones are recurring it might be a week.

When I started electro I set my appointments on Tuesday afternoons and didn't shave after Sunday morning. I usually didn't go out on Monday so I'd put up with the stubble for that day and have a happy electrologist on Tuesday. That way I could comfortably go out Tuesday through Sunday. As my treatment progressed the emerging hairs became fewer and finer so I could go out any day and now I can even go two weeks without shaving and still go out. There will be a few hairs on my lips but most GGs my age have the same so it does not bother me.

[LeaP]

My tech seems to prefer 3 days. She can work with two, if necessary. If I have to reschedule near my original date, moving an appointment out a few days, I will use a clipper with a plastic comb on it to reduce to about the 3-day length.

With regular electro, you walk around unshaven a lot ... very unpleasant.

[whowhatwhen]

Has anyone tried Maxilene vs Emla?
Maxiline is like incredibly more expensive but if I'm not going to be reduced to a sack of tears then it's a win-win.

I'm probably going to need to start at 30min/week though for financial and pain reasons lol.
:)

e:
Also, booo on everyone for not noticing my clever title.

[Eryn]

I've no experience with Maxilene, but looking it up I find that it is 5% lidocaine. EMLA is 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine so it doesn't seem much weaker. At $2.25/gm it seems pretty pricey.

The formulated 23% lidocaine, 7% tetracaine gel I got from a dermatologist costs about $1.00 a gram. You don't use very much of it if you confine it to the really sensitive areas so the cost is minimal compared to the cost of the electrolysis.

I'd recommend that you talk to your electrologist or perhaps a laser or dermatology clinic to see if they can provide a similar gel. We have "Medi-spas" around here that provide laser and minor cosmetic procedures and are under the supervision of a doctor so they can sell these prescription gels to their customers to go with their laser treatments. Many of them aren't too picky about if you are an actual laser patient or not.

[Angela Campbell]

I noticed it....(the title) ...for me though it is more like St Vitus dance.

I manage to keep my head still but my body is jumping all over that table.

[MarieTS]

Thanks, "Whom", lol -- this thread answered many questions Making appointment to start Laser this week then moving on to electro as needed. Great answers,especially the nuggets regarding pain managment ointments, thanks!

[Barbara Ella]

I have had three sessions of full facial removal, and go in for my forth in three weeks using flash thermolysis. two techs working, first 24 yours, second 19 hrs, and third 16. Numbing cream, and lidocane injections for nerve block (which hurt worse than the electro). My electro wants 6 days growth, and has asked for 10 next time. I am seeing considerable thinning.

The recovery after a session is a bit lengthy, takes about two weeks before shaving and makeup, but being retired I have no where to be so I can live with it. Am older, 68, and the hairs need a bit more aggressive treatment than younger ones.

Barbara

[whowhatwhen]

I'm afraid of having too much growth on my upper lip.
Unfortunately the only remaining hair will grow into the same style as a certain historical figure who I'm pretty sure I can't name.
O_O

[MarieTS]

Wow, Barb, way to attack the problem. I never heard of thermyolysis but will try and check it out because I want to start this year (2014) :heehee:
And who would ever think the lip could generate such pain? Ouch! But in the end it will be so nice not to shave, and even a very close shave still can leave a touch of shadow making the whole cosmetic thing more complicated and time consuming. I just wonder how difficult and painful the pireneal hair removal will be, going to need that prior to grs, fortunately there is not a great deal there, but even a little needs to be removed in that crtical area--certainly dont want weeds sprouting in my new garden! :eek:

[Angela Campbell]

the area ..."down there" is a little painful but nothing compared to under the nose. Good thing is there is less dense growth there than the face so it doesn't take too long.

[whowhatwhen]

Mine is a literal jungle down there and I'm not comfortable with anyone going there.
It's still full of life and randomness and I'd be mortified if it embarrassed me with the electrologist since she's awesome.

[PretzelGirl]

I am finally getting to where it feels like I am decreasing. 18 months of once a month laser and then started electro. Two years and about 110 hours later.... I have been doing once a month for about 4-5 months because it took that long to get the growth in. Last time she bagged in 1 1/2 hours in for lack of work. It is now 2 1/2 weeks later and I have been forgetting to shave on a few occasions and noticing it much later. Really have been scraping a few spots, so it probably can't be called shaving. A great Christmas present.

I have been pretty consistent on how I prepared for pain. I have a weak lidocaine cream to apply. Otherwise I avoid caffiene, hydrate, and take a few iboprofen. With every tear from the upper lip, I just sit there thinking about to goal. Like Angela, I work on keeping the head still and the rest is like a beached flounder. My electro gets the laugh anyway. Now I have to go to one for the nether region. My usual electro does't do that. This pain I fear.

[Eryn]

...Now I have to go to one for the nether region. My usual electro does't do that....

Yes, that is fairly common. My electrologist is excellent but she doesn't work "below the belt" on genetic males. She was up-front about this and I respect her boundaries.

Looking at it, electrology seems like a pretty good profession if one is willing to spend hours doing very precise work! My electrologist is booked weeks in advance, mostly with GG clients.

[IngeInCO]

Just shave

[Eryn]

If you are referring to the face, Inge, you probably haven't seen the results of having the hair truly gone. Beyond the obvious advantage of not having to shave, we also lose the bluish beard shadow caused by the roots showing through the skin and also lose much of the "male prominence" on the lips that is caused by the dense hair follicles. The skin is considerably softer than it can be even with the closest shave.

If you are speaking of "down below," electrolysis is often required before bottom surgery.

[IngeInCO]

Yes Eryn I was projecting my situation on you, sorry. Happy New Year!

[whowhatwhen]

Just shave

I'm very light skinned with very dark beard hair.
Even the hair that's still under the skin is visible in most conditions and I'm not one to wear makeup.

On the nether area:
My tech does it, I think most of her clients are trans though so there's that.
She waxed my butt a few times no big deal lol.

[sandra-leigh]

I haven't asked about "down below".

I was a bit hesitant about asking about working on the hairs near my nipples, but it turned out to be no issue at all, and I didn't feel at all awkward having her see and work on my breasts.

[whowhatwhen]

I asked for a quote for lasering my chest and she just said "wow, you've had a lot of breast growth".
:P

Too expensive though, I'll stick to epilatin'

[MarieTS]

At least there is one less complication about "down below", we dont have to worry about not shaving to get a few days growth for the technition like we do for our faces!

[Jeri Ann]

I completed electrolysis 34 years ago.
It was expensive and horribly painful.
I do not regret it because it is wonderful having a smooth feminine face.
Here are the other benefits:
Over 12,000 days I have not had to shave.
If shaving everyday takes 5 minutes then 1000 hours have been saved.
If shaving only cost $5 a week then $8,840 can be spent on something else.
Not to mention never having to worry about beard cover.

[MarieTS]

Texgirl, you had me at "do not regret it"! Thanks for the insights and for bolstering my determination. I never thought of the pain issue until the last week or so. I cant believe with all our health~care related scientific advances we cant find a more pleasant way of dealing with unwanted fur :-(