Hair Removal

[Sephina]

Wondering when i should start doing hair removal and where all i should have hair removed i am currently 2 sessions into therapy and i was thinking that i should start hair removal during HRT as the idea that i am getting is that while it is a long and painful process i was thinking that it would be a ood idea to begin HRT before any kind of hair removal as i figured hormones would help soften the hair and make it a little less noticeable. However i am starting to see that there are some out there that think itsa better idea to start removal before therapy and / or HRT. Second part im wondering about is where all to have hair removed besides the obvious places. Face and genitals, chest how about arms and or legs i mean i know i can shave but i was thinking hair is SO thick that wondering if it wouldnt be more effective to just have hair removal done everywhere.

[stefan37]

While you may experience some slowing of facial hair growth while on hrt, In my experience it has not made a difference. I started electrolysis 5 months before I started HRT. I have been going for 15 months avg 3 hours /week. I have 190+ hours and still have my lower neck and small strips of sideburns to initially clear. I am 3 weeks shy of 12 months on hrt.

I would not worry too much about body hair. I had a very hairy chest and stomach. My chest hair used to grow in so fast. If I waxed or eplilated it would be back with a vengeance in 2 weeks with many ingrown hairs. Now I have barely any chest or stomach hair. I can epilate and not worry for at least 4 weeks. My leg hair and arm hair is finer.

Facial hair removal is such an important part of transitioning and it will take much longer than you think. It is expensive, tedious, time consuming and it has to grow for the tech to treat and remove the hairs. It will be hard to go full time with facial hair growth long enough for the tech to treat and not feel self conscious about being a woman with a beard. Hormones will eliminate or make body hair fine enough it is easy to control. Facial hair on the other hand will not respond in kind to hrt. If you are lucky and have dark black hair, Laser may be more cost effective to get the bulk, then finish with electrolysis. I started late in life and my beard was white, so no laser for me. Even at a younger age I had lots of brown and red hairs, so again laser would not have been effective.

[laurie01]

Best advice is to start getting hair removal treatments at least 6 months before HRT. HRT does not eliminate facial hair. It might thin it a little. Having facial hair will make people confused about your gender identity and that's not a good thing. Getting all your hair removed at once is way too expensive. The best areas to start is your face, neck, chest, and abs. That is what I am doing. Arms and leg hair is usually thinner and could wait. It takes a while to start seeing results but it is definitely worth the wait.

[Sephina]

Thanks girls im going to see about getting an appointment to start hair removal sometime this week then i think. i figure i have at least 6 months before therapist will recommend HRT and im fairly positive he will judging on the 1st 2 sessions however i cant say for sure i dont have a whole lot of thick shaggy facial hair ive got a small thin goatee and some random loose hairs everywhere so not everywhere on my face hoping that speeds up the process some due to the fact that i dont have much facial hair.

[punkypunk]

I'm a pale caucasian with a thick black beard, perfect for laser. After 2 appts significant reduction. Now very patchy but super pleased. Doc reckons 2 more n all i should need is a yearly, mayb 6 monthly touch up. Rest I'm waitin to see how hormones effect.

[Jhustagurl]

The rule on facial hair is to start yesterday. HRT makes little, if any difference on facial hair growth. As Stefan rightly indicated, you really want it gone, if you can, before you transition. I started electrolysis 2.5 yrs go, have over 300 hrs in (you can figure out how much that cost!) and am not done yet. I had fully planned on being done before transition (FFS in 10 days), but i am not there yet. My remaining facial hair is almost white and there isnt much left. I can go 4 days in boy mode (i rarely have to spend that long in boy mode) without shaving. For the last year I have been going to Phoenix to Senzo Pela for multi-day, multi-tech clearings with injection anesthesia. It is pricey all at once, but in the long run probably cheaper. As Stefan also indicated, dont worry much about chest and back hair. I used to look like a wooly mammoth but, within 6 mos of starting hrt it was almost completely gone. I havent waxed my back in over a year, and i shave my chest every 2 wks just to get rid of the peach fuzz. Good luck!

[celeste26]

Just to emphasize you have to let your beard grow usually for 3-4 days so that the tech can do electrolysis. OH also you should never add makeup on a newly zapped face either. And letting it grow is tough when you are trying to look feminine. It means that the vast majority of every week is filled with a beard or cant put on makeup . So go out now and start it immediately.

If anything the "trial" of electrolysis is a grueling test to see just how much you want to transition. Almost more than all the rest of the process put together.

[josee]

I recommend starting with laser if you can. You go to a laser session with a shaved face, the closer shave the better. It will clear your face the fastest and cause the hair to be finer and slower growing. Shop around and check Groupon. I found a deal for $149.00 for 6 sessions. After laser then do electrolysis. Electrolysis is very tedious and time consuming and also more painful than laser. I compare laser to fire bombing and electrolysis is electrocuting each hair follicle one hair at a time.

The only reason you have to get your crotch area cleared is pre-grs.

[KellyJameson]

If you see FFS in your future having no hair at the jawline and upper lip will assist in healing and most likely leave a thinner scar.

[Angela Campbell]

I have heard conflicting advice on when to start electrolysis. My electrologist tells me it is better once on HRT because the lower testosterone levels aren't trying so hard to replace the hairs removed with new ones. I would say start as soon as possible because it takes a long time. It is a good test because if you cannot take the electro you are going to have a hard time with everything else. It will separate the girls from the boys.

[CharleneT]

Start today ! The only factor to consider is whether you think you will transition someday. If you are pretty sure I'd get started with facial hair removal immediately. It takes longer than you planned - regardless of how long you planned (ask anyone who is "done" about that prediction....). Figure, even with sparse hair, at least 2 years. The hair grows in cycles, so they cannot ever "get it all" in one session. Many have luck getting started with laser. It might even do most of the work, there is a lot of variation in lasers success rate. Laser removal isn't always permanent - your experience may vary. For me a fair bit of the laser removed hair came back a year or so later. Sadly HRT has no affect on facial hair, but many people report that electrolysis is a little more painful after HRT starts. That was true for me. Good luck !

[Eryn]

Just to emphasize you have to let your beard grow usually for 3-4 days so that the tech can do electrolysis. OH also you should never add makeup on a newly zapped face either. And letting it grow is tough when you are trying to look feminine. It means that the vast majority of every week is filled with a beard or cant put on makeup . So go out now and start it immediately.

If anything the "trial" of electrolysis is a grueling test to see just how much you want to transition. Almost more than all the rest of the process put together.

Just to give the idea, I get weekly treatments on Tuesday. In order to provide enough growth for my electrologist I can't shave after Saturday which means that I'm stuck in male mode Monday, and Tuesday. I have gone out Tuesday evening right after my treatment and the makeup doesn't seem to harm anything though I prefer to let things heal for a day.

The advice to get facial hair removal done ASAP is sound. If you are fair skinned and dark haired you might consider laser to start, but you will eventually be doing electrolysis since laser doesn't do as thorough a job as the clinics would like you to believe. Still, it is a way to get the "low hanging fruit" before you switch to electrolysis.

I can't speak to using electrolysis as a "test" to see how much you want to transition. It's not pleasant, but even though I don't feel that I'm TS I am very happy to be doing it. It makes me look better and younger in both modes.

[mary something]

Another good reason to try laser first before hrt is because while hrt will have very little effect on your beard it can lighten some of the hairs. The more dark hairs that laser gets rid of is less electrolysys later.

[Vickie_CDTV]

Start as soon as possible, and as much as money will allow (doing full clearances each time is ideal, if one can afford to do that.)

Some of my clients report electrolysis after HRT is easier, but the majority feel it sensitized them and made it more painful than pre-HRT.

You will only need genital electrolysis if you are going to have SRS and the surgeon requires it (you can still have it done if you are non-op and having no hair down there if that is your preference of course.) After you are on HRT for a while, you may find most of your body hair has thinned and slowed enough to the point where you don't want to have it removed; if there is still hair on your tummy, legs etc. and you want it removed, that is certainly doable (I have had my legs done and I am a cis male.)

Most of all, get a variety of consultations and sample treatments (usually free) from a variety of electrologists, if you are fortunate enough to have multiple electrologists in your area. Before you invest a great deal of money in one electrologist, make sure you are going to the best available to you. A well-equipped electrologist with a surgical microscope can work on most people with 2 days of growth or possibly even less (36 hours is usually enough for me to see.)

[Sephina]

Thanks everyone for the sound advise I do appreciate it. I have golden blond to reddish hair with fair/pale skin so I guess I'll do some checking around in my area when I get
Back home and try to get started right away as far as transition goes I'm sure its much easier to say then do but I'm at the point I have to transition I can't live this way anymore my dad and step mom aren't wild about having a daughter but I have to live for myself not anyone elsw

[Stephanie-L]

Sephina, Everyone has given you good advice. I do not know if laser will be of any benefit to you, with the blond hair you are going to need electrolysis. I would not worry about anything at this point except your face. The chest and back will be much more affected by HRT than your face will. In fact I had 2 laser treatments on my back, and upped my hormones, and have had no growth in over a year. The growth on my chest is a little more stubborn, I am continuing laser on it, but I really only have to shave it about every 2-3 weeks. As for the genitals, some surgeons want you clean, some don't. So wait until you are thinking about that part of things before you make that decision. Like everyone else said, electrolysis is expensive, painful and time consuming, so the sooner you start, the sooner you get done. Good luck to you.................Stephanie

[Sephina]

HRT will affect hair on back and body but not face? hmm interesting so definitely start facial electro as soon as possible and dont worry about hair back and chest so much? ( im not a gorilla but moderate hair )
i anticipate at least 6 months before my therapist will recomend HRT (if he does at all) im only going to my 3rd session on June 10th, he has told me that in his opinion i do have GI how far he believes i should go i guess is technically up to him? if he doesnt recommend me going forward i dont know where ill be cause as far as i know there are only 2 Gender therapists where i am at and they are married to each other. so not likely that ill be able to recieve a hig 2nd opinion, anyways that speculation and who can say just hope it goes well from here on out but yea i do anticipate at least 6 months going by the rate that he sees me. 20-30 minutes once a day every 3 weeks ...

[Eryn]

...I have golden blond to reddish hair with fair/pale skin...

Red/blonde hair pretty much rules out laser, though some laser places will be happy to take your money anyway. Buyer beware! Remember that the bulk of the laser business is GGs with relatively minor hair growth and who might be satisfied with less-than-perfect results. We're quite a bit pickier than that!

It pays to select your electrologist carefully. Hairs per dollar is much more important than dollars per hour. You want someone who works fast and without interruption.

You will develop a close working relationship with your electrologist. Don't be afraid to tell her when you can't feel the zaps or when they are too intense. The higher the power level, short of "popping," the better the results. The better the feedback you provide the fewer treatments you will need.

[Stephanie-L]

One thing I forgot to respond to earlier, I would think 6 months before a recommendation for HRT is a bit excessive. Some therapists will write the letter after 1 visit, this is a bit too fast, but 6 months, unless you are only doing 1 visit a month, is too long. Both of the therapists I have been to offered a letter at about 3 months, and I could have had it earlier if I had pushed.......Stephanie

[I Am Paula]

Both my endo, and therapist agreed that one session was enough. They both said the biggest factor was I'd been full time over a year.

[SilkenPrincess]

I began electrolysis in March 2010, one hour each week. I began HRT in December 2011. I have completed a little over 3 years of electro and probably have another year to go. The only virgin hairs I have are a small patch on my neck, but they are very light colored and hardly show. Starting sometime this fall, I'll probably switch to sessions every 2 weeks instead of every week. What regrowth I do get is gotten slow in coming in, and by this fall I probably won't have enough new hairs in a week's time to require a whole hour of electro. One other thing to consider is something I had found on the web while researching transition a few years ago. Some have reported having a lowered tolerance to pain after beginning HRT, which makes electrolysis even harder to tolerate. In my own case, I believe that it is a bit more painful now than it was when I began. However, that may be a factor of what areas on my face I am now having treated as compared to where we were working on at the start. At any rate, as has been stated, electrolysis will take a lot longer than you may anticipate, and you will find yourself getting impatient with it often. But going fulltime while still needing to shave every day is not a good idea. Especially since electrolysis requires that you cease shaving for a minimum of 2 days before a session, and it's advised that you not shave for a day afterwards to keep from scarring yourself.
Steph

[Sephina]

wow i had no idea how much of a pain in the rump facial hair really is, if i had any idea id haveat least started uears ago, just getting rid of random hairs throughout my face and neck my hair isnt think its concentrated in mainly a goatee so i guess in that aspect im lucky i dont hacve a full beard and moustache

[Kalista Drake]

Just to give the idea, I get weekly treatments on Tuesday. In order to provide enough growth for my electrologist I can't shave after Saturday which means that I'm stuck in male mode Monday, and Tuesday. I have gone out Tuesday evening right after my treatment and the makeup doesn't seem to harm anything though I prefer to let things heal for a day.

The advice to get facial hair removal done ASAP is sound. If you are fair skinned and dark haired you might consider laser to start, but you will eventually be doing electrolysis since laser doesn't do as thorough a job as the clinics would like you to believe. Still, it is a way to get the "low hanging fruit" before you switch to electrolysis.

I can't speak to using electrolysis as a "test" to see how much you want to transition. It's not pleasant, but even though I don't feel that I'm TS I am very happy to be doing it. It makes me look better and younger in both modes.

Wow! That is my treatment schedule too! Same days and everything! It is too bad that I can't leave the house from Sunday till Tuesday (when I HAVE to for treatment)!

That is also my advice - get it ASAP! I have heard that only Electrolysis is permanent and Lasered hair grows back eventually,
like after a year or two.

It takes years to complete but, once it's done you'll be so much happier! I know I will be! I get a little happier just seeing my 'Electro - Lady' each week!

Good luck!

[Jorja]

he has told me that in his opinion i do have GI how far he believes i should go i guess is technically up to him? if he doesnt recommend me going forward i dont know where ill be cause as far as i know there are only 2 Gender therapists where i am at and they are married to each other. so not likely that ill be able to recieve a hig 2nd opinion, anyways that speculation and who can say just hope it goes well from here on out but yea i do anticipate at least 6 months going by the rate that he sees me. 20-30 minutes once a day every 3 weeks ...

Excuse me for being off topic here but something you said in post #17 tweaked my "Trans senses" (kinda like Spidey senses). Your therapist does not and should not make the decision as to whether or not you should continue. That decision is yours and only yours. A therapist is there to help you discover, suggest, and help you understand not to be the iron fist that rules. If this is the game your therapist is playing, move on and find a good therapist with experience in Trans issues.

Oh by the way, start hair removal yesterday!

[CharleneT]

With your description of your facial hair I have the lousy job of telling you that laser is not likely to help much ... sorry. Definitely try it, but also expect that those hairs it gets rid of may (likely will) come back later. Start electrolysis now ... even if you also do laser. Just have the tech work on light hairs. DO NOT bother with body hair until you have been on HRT for a couple of years. Really, most will be turned into "velus" hair and look/feel quite natural. HRT will not affect facial hair, sorry.


Do understand that electrolysis works, with is grand. BUT it *will* take longer than you think ... really. Regardless of how long you estimate at first.

Yes, electrolysis hurts, especially on the upper lip. Get some numbing cream. There is a generic version. The stuff is pricey but very helpful !!

This post was edited (by moderators) because I used a trade name... fact is that trade name (although still active) is used generically. By taking out that name, you will no longer be able to tell what cream actually will help here. There are several available, some with lidocaine, some with other things. The concentrations vary too. Only one actually will work well for electrolysis. You can send me PM, and thru that venue, I can tell you what is recommended by pharmacists/pharmacies for this purpose. {Full disclosure, I am a Cert. (read licensed) Pharmacy Tech who works in a hospital where we use these things daily in the care of our Pediatric patients - who need it due to being stuck with needles all day long}

ppss... the comment below telling you why this post was moderated states that the concern is that OTC stuff can have side effects. While this is true, it is also true that ALL numbing creams are OTC and the side effects are rather well documented and on the label. I DO recommend you read the label of any OTC drug you take or use. This comment has my name on it, but that is due to a quark in the system, I did not make that comment.