Finally electrolysis!

[Devi SM]

I had my first electrolysis session.
Some backup a guy me before so you can see if my experience would apply to you:

Most of the hair in my face is white except in the middle of the chin and down about the neck, the upperlip is really black.
I was plucking for almost 2 years the upper lip. I know outch! But it wasn't so bad. I did it in phases from up going down in several days, after 2 weeks I saw new hair growing again but thinner and now, it wasn't the same pain it discomfort to plucked it out.
One month ago I was approved by health insurance for 2 weekly hours for a year.
Last Monday I had the first session.
Pic #1 same morning before electro, 1A in between electrolysis, third after with a healing cream, #2 next morning before shave and #3 after shaving.
#5, 2 days after before 2nd session and after.

Even thought it's been just two sessions and it's the beginning and if you see redness and swallowing now I feel more confident.
It needs some concealer and makeup and I look better.
Last week with wife we went to a Ulta beauty to buy some stuff for her hair and a cosmetologist did a skin match concealer and I like it.

In a comment I post a pic of the "final product" with make up after 2 sessions.

[Devi SM]

The final product:

[Jin Xer]

Devi,
You look great and are very brave. I've been putting this off for too long, but I hear it's painful and I'm a wuss. :(
How long between treatments and how long did your hair need to grow before having another session?

[Eemz]

Yay!! That's great Devi. It has made a big difference to me, I feel like I'm doing something positive for myself every week and it's worth the temporary discomfort. I wouldn't have thought that the upper lip area had such an effect but I don't worry so much about beard shadow any more. My next session is tomorrow.

@jinny yes it hurts, but it's totally worth it. Take <your favorite brand of> painkillers beforehand.

[Joanne Curl]

Devi, thank you for the pictures-they’re very revealing. As I always say, every picture you post is better than the last. You’re well on the way to being your authentic self. I love following your progress.

[Devi SM]

You all are very nice and the reason for posting is to help others to get the courage and pursuit their happiness and real you...


Devi,
You look great and are very brave. I've been putting this off for too long, but I hear it's painful and I'm a wuss. :(
How long between treatments and how long did your hair need to grow before having another session?

Before answer you I need to add something about pain.
I was referred my PCP to this Trans wellnes center in Cathedral city, they have technicians, therapists and doctors there. It was a long drive from home to them to do the initial evaluation and submit for approval again to insurance. At the same time they prescribed a cream with lidocaine and other "caine" fornthe pain.
They told me to use on the area to treat 45 minutes before and keep it wet, do not let it dry, so while driving to Murrieta, 35 minutes from home, I was reapplying cream to the upper lip.
There was immediately a numbness sensation as when you go to the dentist.
There was a tolerable while electricity is applied to "boil" the folicle.

Before the second session I read the cream instructions and says apply o e hour before. I did it and keep wet and there was minimum pain.

They approved 90 sessions. I was referred to a near home location.
I'm not clear yet how many weeks but we'll be doing 2 weekly hours. If it's not fully done, I have to request more sessions.

To start this has given en me an extra feeling of confide ce. Less concealer is needed and being there between just women, because is a salon with around 30 suites for differe.t hair, nails, etc treatments, I used the restroom for finish shaving and make up before leavi g to work as an Uber driver and everybody was nice. I say this because interactions with health workers is always nice but with women, no trans, that are there for different reasons could be difficult but everybody was nice.

Pain is not a big deal. I recommend to everybody to do it.

[Katya@]

HI Devi,
I never heard of Insurance covering the electrolysis. I believe you are in the US. What Insurance do you have and what did you have to do to get the approval? Could you choose the electrologist?
I am about 110 hours in on my face and 25 on a chest. After first few full clearances, I stopped taking Ibuprofen and can tolerate the pain without. My Insurance covers all the hormones and bloodwork but I never even looked at the coverage for electrolysis.
Katya

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P.S. I was told the national average is about 200 hours to clear facial hair completely.

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At this point, my cheeks are clean. Some hair occasionally in side burns, upper lip has been recleared like 15 times and still more growing. Neck is the last major thing we are working on now.

[Devi SM]

Katya,
I didn't know either that the insurance would cover it. I don't remember exactly how I knew. I think I was looking for a local electrologist and came for details about what health insurer cover and found it.
My insurance is local. IEHP for inland empire health program. It's one of the options we can use when approved by Medical (medicine or Medicare from California)
You need to be under some levels of poverty.
I'm happy because I'd never had to pay a copayment or deductible for anything, includes medicine, exams, labs, surgeries, mental and physical therapy, etc.
What I did need for the electro approval was the referral letter from my PCP and my therapist, that is an amazing guy and transgender as well, and to had been in HRT for at least a year.

[Vickie_CDTV]

The upper lip usually takes the longest to finish, the hair on the upper lip will keep coming and coming and coming. I had mine cleared about 25 times and I still have some hair there and some shadow (but my beard is an extreme one and my case isn't typical; still it finishes last for most.) Cheeks finish first and are very easy to do for both the operator and client.

If one can do long and costly initial clearances of the whole beard upfront the job will finish faster. If time is of the essence and spending a lot of money upfront is not an issue it is the best way to go, but this is obviously not for everyone.

[Devi SM]

Thanks vickie for your comment.
Technician told me that the easiest part for me will be the upper lip, because I was doing plucking (which some people recommend me to stop it not do it) I was more tolerant with the pain and the follicles were weaker than other areas but it would take at least a year to finish the face with sessions if 2 hours weekly, so 104 hours but it eventually would need to redo some parts.

We'll see. I'll try to keep all you posted of the progress.

[Aunt Kelly]

Thanks vickie for your comment.
Technician told me that the easiest part for me will be the upper lip, because I was doing plucking (which some people recommend me to stop it not do it) I was more tolerant with the pain and the follicles were weaker than other areas but it would take at least a year to finish the face with sessions if 2 hours weekly, so 104 hours but it eventually would need to redo some parts.

We'll see.

Indeed we shall. I defer to your tech's experience and knowledge, but I am here to tell you that the upper lip is unbelievably sensitive. Even with the strongest topical anesthetic preparation available, it was all I could do to get through that first round in that area. Good luck to you.

[Devi SM]

Thanks for your comments Aunt Kelly, as you can see in the original post, she had worked just the upper lip, for my request. She worked one hour each side and told me that's "ping pong" leaving some hair a for next session so skin doesn't irritate too much.
This coming Friday she will "end" with the upper lip and continue around the mouth, to the chin and under a toyal session of 2 hours. I'll post pics after that.
I know, she told me, that for some people is needed several sessions, in my case, she said with 3 or 4 in the upper lip will be enought.
Regarding pain, one of the reasons on my post is to clarify that did help had been plucking the upper lip and with the cream applied one hour before the pain is minimum.
I know the past because last time she worked and are where I didn't applied the cream and the pain, even was bearable but really strong and longer.
So far this is my experience.
At the bottom of the day, for me worths because just with 2 session my confidence change. Have you heard about placebos and nocebos?

[Eemz]

People vary a lot. I had my chest waxed once and it nearly killed me. Other people do it all the time. On the other hand I've had several 1 hour electrolysis sessions on my lip, no numbing cream, and I found that OK. Don't get me wrong; it's unpleasant and I'm damn glad when the session is over. But I go back every week, whereas I'll never wax my chest again. Anyway. My point is - people vary.

[Devi SM]

Ok, today third session. No upperlip but down and chin.
I confirm my post that had being plucking the upperlip helped to make thinner hair regrow and tolerate more the pain.
Today there were thick hairs and the pain was bigger. I found that while trying to do pictures I get distracted and forgot the pain.
So here 3 pics.

[Macey]

Keep posting, Devi! Very informative! How long for the swelling and redness to go down?

[Eemz]

Distraction is good. I basically talk non-stop right through the session and it helps take my mind off it. The poor electrolysis technicians know my life story by now.

[Devi SM]

Keep posting, Devi! Very informative! How long for the swelling and redness to go down?

Macey, it's 7.30 PM. Session today ended at 11 am so 8 and a half hours after.
The general redness dissapear around day 4 after but the second day is unnoticeable for most people that could see me without make up that's at night at home or some weekends.
Judge by yourself.

[Devi SM]

Macey,
Today is Sunday morning and this is how it look.
You can see a lot of red/yellow spots after like scars. They will dissapear around day 6.
No problem shaving on them though.

[Macey]

Six days? That seems long for the red marks, no?

[Devi SM]

Macey, I can't tell you if 6 days is too long because it's the first time with a bigger area. The first two sessions she worked smaller areas upper lip.
Btw, health insurer doesn't pay in sessions 2 hours done before the week has passed, so that, for me, means it's the time for healing before working on the same area again.
I could do more hours per week if I pay by my own but the time to heal is the same but e everybody is different. I guess the flhealing is faster in younger people
I'm 60 on september.
So far I'm satisfied with the advance it would be good to have pics and references from someone else but ot just a mere opinion.

[Vickie_CDTV]

The red spots in of themselves are not terrible, though the connecting red spots are a little concerning (it could, potentially, result in scarring, not normally but connecting red spots should be avoided.) Would be better for her to work on a different area of the face, and once the original area is healed go back to it then. I wouldn't work on the area with the red spots until the red spots fully clear up. Or, instead of a whole first clearance of a given area, thin it out first, then come back a couple weeks later. It would help avoid the connecting red dots.

As you continue treatment, see if the spots should occur less often and get smaller.

[Devi SM]

The red spots in of themselves are not terrible, though the connecting red spots are a little concerning (it could, potentially, result in scarring, not normally but connecting red spots should be avoided.) Would be better for her to work on a different area of the face, and once the original area is healed go back to it then. I wouldn't work on the area with the red spots until the red spots fully clear up. Or, instead of a whole first clearance of a given area, thin it out first, then come back a couple weeks later. It would help avoid the connecting red dots.

As you continue treatment, see if the spots should occur less often and get smaller.

Thanks Vickie for your conncerns.
Have you gotten electrolysis? What's your experience on it?

I.dont think I could go and tell a certified electrologist, approved by a health insurer to do her job, how to do her job even is my face. For me is like go to a surgery and tell the surgeon how to do the procedure.

Anyway, I post a picture of the same area treated last Friday, under the mouth and chin as well a pic from the upperlip that was treated two fridays ago.

Exactly what you say regarding don't work the same are too soon is what she said, so didn't touch the upperlip, for sure
This week she won't work on the last week area but upperlip.

[Eemz]

I've been chatting Devi about this, and I had a session myself today so I thought I'd contribute some pictures to her thread. Today was 1.25 hours, all on the top lip. But we've been over that area a couple of times already and the first "assault" on each hair is the toughest so it's not too bad at this stage and doesn't hurt quite as much.

The first is me just outside the door of the place. I hadn't shaved for two days in preparation; they need a bit of growth to work with. The red mark on the right hand side was an ingrown hair that they had to dig out.

306790

Then maybe an hour later at home after shaving, antiseptic cream and moisturizer.

306791

I don't know if it's clear here - the redness has gone down but my top lip is a bit swollen, especially right under my nose which is the most sensitive part.

[Macey]

Looking good, Eemz. How many hours have you been through?

[Vickie_CDTV]

Thanks Vickie for your conncerns.
Have you gotten electrolysis? What's your experience on it?

I.dont think I could go and tell a certified electrologist, approved by a health insurer to do her job, how to do her job even is my face. For me is like go to a surgery and tell the surgeon how to do the procedure.


I am an electrologist myself.

I wouldn't tell her how to do it of course. But if one is ever concerned,you have a right to tell her to thin out (not clear) an area, or work on a given area and not another.

[vickybird]

OH! the dreaded upper lip and central under the nose bit OUCH! its a real white Knuckle and toe curling experiance ,
Ami glad thats all over and done with for me , till have the nightmares though . lol,

[Devi SM]

I am an electrologist myself.

I wouldn't tell her how to do it of course. But if one is ever concerned,you have a right to tell her to thin out (not clear) an area, or work on a given area and not another.

I'll take what you say but thw first session she worked one side of the upper lip one hour, then 2 days later the other side.
The following, week she told me to let that area healing and worked on the chin and under lip for two hours.

Last Friday, she worked on the whole upperlip area but didn't finish, so much thick hair that would cause a damage to do closer spots.

For some reasons for health insurance guidelines she can't work sooner than a week and this week, on friday, I won't be on the city so the following week we start every Monday for 2 hours.

I guess this time she will work upperlip again, that's my main concern of darkness yet that I'm needing ward concealer, the rest of the face with a match skin tone
concealer, everything look great.

[Eemz]

This is me just now, Tuesday evening, 3 days later. This is bare face no makeup, just moisturizer after shaving this morning as usual. There's still a red dot where they were digging for that ingrown hair but otherwise ok, just a slight color difference. To be fair it was starting to get a few spots last night so I exfoliated big time and that sorted it out.
306881

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@macey I've been doing an hour a week since Nov, minus the holidays. Initially chest only, then mixed in the face from about Feb. We now do one week face, one week chest, alternating to let the skin rest in between. Focus is mostly the top lip and the "soul patch" just under the bottom lip which was quite dark but is now pretty much gone. Next will be the two triangles out from the corners of the lip. You can see them starting to darken already in that photo even though I shaved this morning.

[Devi SM]

Hi ladies,
I hope I can keep their thread open up to the end of the treatment so others can see how it works.

At the beginning I thought it would be faster. It could be but my health insurance allows just 6 months before approve another 6 and etc. So we're doing 2 hours weekly and began on first week of August. There had been a couple of weeks we have to skip so it's not been continuous (that's going to stretch more and delay the process).
Yesterday I had a 2 hours session where she worked upperlip for 3rd time, and some area of the chin, leaving some weeks not touching the upper lip to let healing and hair grows again. Mostly the upperlip has been done one half one week, then the other half next weeek to allow it heals.

I'm very happy because it has given me more confident and my make up now covers any trait of black hair there. In the rest of the face, hair is mostly whit so not dark spots that I even not use any make up.

See attached pics and get your own conclusions.
First is today, a day after, after shaving, the one with blue top is yesterday after treatment with make up, the light blue dress is last Friday after 2 weeks no treatment with light male.up.

[Devi SM]

An update at around 3 months of treatment, every Monday, 2 hours but two of those monday we skipped the session.
Check by yourself.
I'm happy because, even thought some dark shade can be seen, it's easy to achieve a nice natural make up with minimum products.
A pic from today after shave, the areas treated are upper lip, around the mouth and under the mouth and some area of the chin others areas hasn't been touched yet) no make up, no filters, and from yesterday, some light make up.

[Genifer Teal]

Keep a close watch on skin damage. Those little red bumps that don't go away. I saw it happening to me and stopped I've seen it happen to many other people. I think though I don't have all the experience I think the trick is to use lower power settings which may not kill the follicle but still damage it then the next time it might get killed with another low-powered zap. You have to be really careful in this area assuming it matters to you and why wouldn't it? Congratulations though I'm taking this big step just be careful.

[Devi SM]

Thanks for you comment Genifer.
I just post at the beginning that I appreciate all comments but regarding to tell an electrologist with more than 20 years of experience, approved by the insurance company, how to do her job is not something I'd do. I just rest and trust in all said. In the past I had worse red bumps and the skin has healed.

[Eemz]

I had a strange and nice experience today where for the first time there was very little to do on the top lip and we were wondering what will we do today. Not so long ago the moustache area was so dense you can spend the entire hour on an area the size of a 1c coin and now we’re wondering what should we do next :)

[Devi SM]

Update: 3/26/2020, last session on 3/16/2020.

See attached pics from today one after shave and other with make up. The number one was before the first session.
She had been mainly working my upperlip because it was very abundant on dark and thick hairs. I was for two years before plucking the upperlip that was probably a difficult that extend more than the normal time.
Today I applied very few make up, no beard concealer needed.
Pain, as it's been said is intense in the upperlip. After she works in the upper lip, that every time takes less time, she works around and under the mouth. When she works on the areas near the jaw I experience a sensation that I related with the pain in the funny bone. I feel some itching near the ear and a couple.of times one if my legs has jumped, funny.

I feel more confident now and I can go without make up, just eyeliner, lipstick and brows, some blush. I know some people read me and others call me mom. I don't know to say when I misgendered but I'm ok with that.

[Lana Mae]

Slow but steady wins the race! You are getting there! Elbow Bump Lana Mae

[Devi SM]

Another picture from today, before shaving, last session of two hours was 2 days ago.
I'm happy that the dark shadow of dark roots or follicles is almost gone.....

[MarieTS]

Congrats, Devi. You've come a long way. I always said facial hair removal was job #1. And you've proven it. Way to go, girl!

[Devi SM]

An update:
This thread started on August 7th 2019.
I'd been in weekly sessions of 2 hours with two interruptions of no more than a month each one for delay in the renewal authorization from insurance (I'm lucky, they pay everything) around November last year and other interruption around 3 weeks from COVID-19 on March this year, salon was closed.
Yesterday I had a regular session of two hours. In this session I used another numbness cream because the previous one make an allergy and for all this time i didn't know it (there's another thread about it) so I mention it because in the pic from today you can see some redness that still from that allergy but now sessions are a lot less painful and less skin damage.

I'm so happy because I want to go open without make up, just the minimum as eyelinner, brow liner (my eyebrows are weird that grow really in all directions so I keep them very short), some blush and of course lipstick but I want avoid concealers, foundation, contour powder etc. So now very few make up is needed, just a contour powder to cover the redness and translucent powder for blend everything and after just setting spray.

So one pic for the face today after shaving, you can see some redness and swollen partially forbthe allergy and treatment from today, but the important , for me is no visible darkness of the 5 pm shave.
Another pic from yesterday after session with minimum make up.

I just decided to add one more pic from today with some make up, the one with yellow tshirt, you can see the skin imperfections...

If you want to see more pics about this process check my daily posts in the social.media mentioned below.

Devi

[AllieSF]

Looking very good Devi. I can see your face looks more feminine and comfortable!

[Acastina]

I'm super fortunate to have had very little facial and body hair to begin with. I had maybe 15 hours back in the 1980s, then about a half-dozen more about 20 years ago. I maintain with daily plucking in front of a lighted makeup mirror. Some mornings it's as little as eight or ten, then there are days when there seems to be some kind of growth spurt and I might have 40 or 50 for a clean sweep. Mostly upper lip and chin a few on the neck. I never did have more than a few strays on my cheeks, no sideburns, again the occasional stray in front of the ears.

I know, don't brag and don't pluck. I can't imagine having to undergo hundreds of sessions, so I admire your, um, pluck in slogging through.

I like plucking because it allows me to leave the vellus hair unshaved. The fuzz is a tiny but significant detail.

I usually run a cotton ball with alcohol around wherever I've plucked, and I rarely get infections. I do get an ingrown hair a few times a year, but I recognize them and have learned how to tease them out over a few days. I do get what my first electrologist called tombstones, little residual bits of pigment that look like blackheads or a close-shaved dark whisker; they're pretty easy to squeeze out.

If I'm pressed for time, I run a Norelco shaver over it for the day, and the same once in a while on my cheeks if the vellus gets a little thick.

We all have our blessings and curses in our physical features, and, from what I hear from others, this is definitely a big blessing. I wish I had more left up top, and I seem to have reached the stage of life that I'm getting those old-people hairs growing out of my ears.

One tip I do want to pass on: if you have a cooperative dentist, s/he can numb the upper-lip nerves on your way to the electrologist. Lasts for several hours and does the trick.

Hang in there, Devi. Really good progress.

[MarieTS]

Hello Acastina!
It sounds like you might possibly be a good candidate for one of the new laser personal hand-held hair removers. Check them out. You might be pleasantly surprised!

[manemami]

I am lucky my hairs In beard area are thin and easily get clean with threading and I found that area smooth for 20 days time

[Jeri Ann]

This thread was about Devi?s transition and experience with electrolysis. It has getting off track with plucking, shaving and threading which are not TS specific issues. New threads can be started in appropriate sections to discuss non TS topics.
Thread closed.