Full time before finishing electrolysis?

[kathtx]

Question for those who are full time: did you finish electrolysis first? If not, how did you deal with the need to grow out a few days before each session?

I started electro 2 1/2 years ago, and while my facial hair is much reduced and there's almost no shadow, I still have a way to go. My plan has been to go full time this summer, and I'd hoped to have electro done by then.

How did finishing electro work with the transition to full time?

[Peggie Lee]

I started 2 months before going full time, I was doing electro once a week shave on Monday then electro on wednesday.
I just use a lot of makeup to hide the shadow, also would shave and leave a patch untouched to be worked on so the majority of my face was clean. It's been 2 years now and still need a lot of work.

[Angela Campbell]

No way I could have waited until I was done. Not a problem still doing electrolysis and I've been full time for over two years.

[I Am Paula]

I went full time before starting HRT. Hair removal came later.
You have to create your own time line. No rules, no boundries.

[Emjay]

I've got quite a bit of time in too but am far from finishing up.

Currently I work an overnight shift, when I get off Friday morning is the start of my weekend. Usually I'll shave for that last day at work (Thursday night) and have electro scheduled for that Saturday.

[Rachel Smith]

I am coming up on 3 years fulltime and have yet to be even close to finished. I used laser to get rid of the dark hairs. Then had about 22 hours of electro. I went to Ulta with the growth I was gonna need to hide and the beauty tech fixed me up with a shade of Dermablend that matched my skin tones pretty well and it covers the growth great. I work 6 days a week I would shave on Friday then use the Dermablend leg and body cover with Intense Powder Camo over it for Saturday then I would go for electro on Sunday afternoon. I still use the aforementioned products to this day. Only drawback is I have to shave in the morning and again in the evening if I am going out somewhere.

[karenpayneoregon]

Personally speaking I could not go full time without completing electrolysis and is what I did. Waited until completed my face. Prior to this one shaving I’d get red marks from razors or shavers and not one for wearing makeup. Pre-op and pre-electrolysis I could not handle shaving and going out full time. I was finished with electrolysis for my real-life test and so happy for it as there are bigger things to be concerned with then 5 O' clock shadow. Right now it's been 10 years since any need for shaving which includes two years post-op.

[PretzelGirl]

Electrolysis is the gift that keeps giving. I started early enough in that I had no shadow. As far as growing hair, my tech only needed one day's growth, so I skipped on Thursday and went in on Friday. The amount of hair just didn't attract attention.

[Suzanne F]

I am full time with no end in sight for electrolysis. I have to get ready for SRS so now some of time has to be used for genital area. I did laser to get rid of dark hairs first and then started electrolysis. I use derma blend foundation but no cover up now. It is still a little heavy but it works and looks ok. I just have to keep at it!
Suzanne

[Nigella]

Electrolysis is a long term, expensive treatment, that many of us do not think about the time it will take from realising it is what we need to do, to the time when we are full time.

One constant message on this board is, when you KNOW you are TS, start electrolysis, it is never too early. I had been full time for about 3 years before even accepting I was TS, 3 wasted years in some respects as this would have help on the electroysis, then once I accepted being TS, other issues that this brought to the fore put electrolysis to the back of my mind.

2 1/2 years on from SRS and like many others here, I am a long way from even having occasional "top ups".

One final comment, remember it is a hair by hair removal system, it comes at a £/$ price, some will say it can be almost or even more expensive than SRS.

[CostaRicaRachel]

I've already had 140 hours of electrolysis, but I still have a fair amount of
facial hair. I was planning on waiting until the beard is completely gone,
but I'm getting impatient. I think I may not wait any longer. Maybe in
July, just come out, facial hair or no facial hair.

[Frances]

I had not finished electro, but I had finished laser. I only had white hairs left, and mainly only on my neck at that point. The overlap (after full-time) until I stopped shaving anything was about 6 months. After that, I still did electro, but did not have to shave anymore. It took about 5 years or so to finish completely. It could have been faster if my first electrologyst had had more experience with trans people (or better equipment).

[kathtx]

Thanks for all the feedback!

[AlyssaT]

This is a really great thread!

It's so easy to find excuses to not move forward with what we want--especially transitioning. And we assume that everybody else just has it better or has their stuff together. It's refreshing and empowering to see that in fact, people are moving forward despite all kinds of imperfect situations. It's not about waiting until everything is perfect. It's about making a decision to move forward, no matter what. It's a lesson I need to take to heart.

Thanks, ladies!