Consult Result

[LeaP]

Electrolysis consult. Pace was good, pain was very tolerable, and my face is red! She had the time, I liked how things were going, so I turned it from a consult to a full appointment of about an hour and a quarter. I will go with her.

I also took a recent suggestion to suggest short-notice, fill-in appointments for a discounted cost. She is amenable and I'm trying to see if I can carve out time as soon as tomorrow (she has a cancellation).

Although we tried out several areas at my request so that I could see how it was going to be, I didn't really notice much difference. The most pain turned out to at the back of my jaw and not my upper lip. Turning it to a regular session, she started work on the right side of my face. Although amenable to other approaches, she prefers to start in an area, then revisit it and extend it in subsequent appointments. By doing that, she says she gets (after a few appointments) to a much higher percentage of actively growing hairs and a better kill rate.

What else? I have average hair thickness and BELOW average density (Yay - I win for once!). She said my pain tolerance is very high (which I knew), though she warned me that it would go down the longer I'm on hormones. But for now, I see no need for painkillers. 75% of her clients are trans and she chatted while working about local groups and activities.

I don't recall seeing a lot of electo pictures, so snapped the attached about a half-hour after my appointment.

Another beginning.

[Kathryn Martin]

oh my god Lea, just you wait Lea P just you wait..... when I went for the consult it didn't hurt much either. The back of the jaw is a sensitive spot because it is just skin over bone, but it was bearable. Fast forward a year later when she started the upper lip. At first it was ok but after 40 minutes I would have enough, so I added emla cream a topical anesthetic, that got me to 50 minutes, then I added 4 Tylenol #1 one hour before the appointment, it got me to 60 minutes. It's like touching an electric fence, when you touch for the 12th time your hand just wont follow your motor commands anymore.

The photo, at least you can save on blush (although not sure about the jaw line).:D

[Angela Campbell]

Wow you are much much more red than I get. I only have a few blotches that are gone the next morning, and I do 4 to 5 hrs each week. (clear face and neck each visit) Nothing at all like that. Did they recommend to use anything afterward? Aloe or something? My electrologist uses witch hazel before and after and it is very soothing to me. More soothing is putting the makeup on after a few days of hair on my face.

Yes it hurts worse after the hormones have been working. I can attest to that. Some days worse than others, sometimes not so bad. It takes a long time but it is worth it. Good for you for starting!

[LeaP]

She said it looks worse than it is. My skin has red undertones. There is more reaction on my neck than my cheeks, but doesn't show up so red. It was almost all gone in 3 hours. Still feels a little warm to the touch, though.

She used Aloe afterwards.

Kathryn, don't scare me!

[Angela Campbell]

Thats good Lea, I also feel it to be warm and sometimes a little tender for a few hours afterward. But the smooth face is worth every tear.

As I was told....this is where we separate the boys from the girls!

[stefan37]

You should be very afraid, nah just kidding. I am finding my neck area to be the most painful. I absolutely hated my lip area especially the upper lip and do not mention directly below the nose, Gawd !!!
I do it without painkillers, but that is the masochist in me, and I have a high tolerance for pain. The thing is it takes tremendous dedication and financial resources. It is a tedious process. What scares me is the thought of going for the rest of my life, geesh does it ever end?

Good luck, as you get cleared you will feel so much better.,

[Sara Jessica]

Very cool Lea, I'm glad you found someone who meets your needs on the first try. Also great that your tech is open to the "opportunity cost" idea. It makes way too much sense.

I totally agree with your tech wanting to work on particular areas for a better kill rate. Mine would prefer to do the same thing which is what we did for my cheeks (99% baby soft clear now, usually she'll zap a few stragglers at the start of each session). However, my chin and upper lip are being done in more of a random approach because I'm trying to make this look gradual to the Muggles in my life. Probably a bit less effective but it is what it is.

As for your redness and/or irritation afterwards, aloe is nice (mine uses it too, right afterwards) but my fav is to cleanse my face shortly after I return home. I then apply Clinique's "Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief" which is a gel-like moisturizer that is simply luxurious on the skin. I don't know if this helps with the redness (mine usually goes away in about 12 hours) but it sure is soothing like nothing else I've tried.

I do it without painkillers, but that is the masochist in me, and I have a high tolerance for pain.

Me too, and I wouldn't give myself any points for having a particularly high tolerance for pain. Instead, I somehow manage to get myself in the moment and relish each and every stab-&-torch of an individual fur follicle as one less that will give me trouble in the future.

[LeaP]

Thanks, SJ - I had forgotten who made the suggestion. You will save me a lot with that one! Starting today, in fact, as I'm able to carve out an hour at 2:30.

[Jonianne]

Congratulations Lea. I started a year and a half ago and my electrolysis started with the front of my face first, although she would hit many of the other areas in random. The random was good in that it was preparing me for those areas. She would hit areas like the neck more and more often in preperation to going full on there so that I was somewhat prepared, sensitivity wise. I have one, one hour session every week and that is enough.

For me, in my upper lip area, I would not let her work too much in the same area exclusivly, more than one week in a row. I would give my upper lip a rest the following week and back to it, the next. Trust your feelings and dont be afraid to speak out.

The first few months, my neck and lip areas swelled up nicely for a couple days after the one hour treatment, but now, I no longer have any swelling to speak of. Pain wise, it sometimes comes and goes, sometimes good days of treatment with very bearable pain (still always painfull) and sometimes almost unbearable, although I have never asked her to stop.

The worse pain so far is on the jaw line back to the jugler vein (up and down) area. That is where I am at now.

[LeaP]

Another hour today. Both sides done to the same extent. Looking at the first site closely, I can see how much was done – there is a line right where she stopped.

I continue to be fortunate with providers. She's only 2 or 3 miles away.

As I get into the reality of this, though, I'm realizing the real world implications . It completely sucks to be unshaven for so long! And I do mean it sucks. I also am not shaving today!! Yikes! And then it occurred to me – how the heck am I going to do skincare?

[Rogina B]

Lea,a "purist"[SJ lol ]may argue for quality,but I am living proof of quantity..Moisturizer that is..Dollar Tree Cocoa Butter,Aloe,etc slathered on many times a day will make huge difference to anyone's skin. The aloe is good whether it is electrolysis or laser..it is still a lot of energy applied to a tin spot...When you get up in the middle of the night ,slather it on as you lay back down.. No BS,It makes a huge difference toward softening your skin and healing it.

[Sara Jessica]

Thanks, SJ - I had forgotten who made the suggestion. You will save me a lot with that one! Starting today, in fact, as I'm able to carve out an hour at 2:30.

Hey, I was glad to share the concept and if it catches fire, all the better!!!

I do stand by one of my points in your original post, that I think you were over-thinking the whole thing *. I'm truly glad that it's working out.

* Then again, if this turned out to be a disaster, then I'd be eating a healthy portion of crow right about now.

Lea,a "purist"[SJ lol ]may argue for quality,but I am living proof of quantity..Moisturizer that is.

Oh, I see that my reputation precedes me. Hey, whatever works. But I still recommend Clinique in this moment. The stuff is absolute heaven.

[Debglam]

Oh mama! :-( I'm starting in the Fall and that is a scary photo!

[Rogina B]

You will look like a boiled lobster!! LOL ! Think how red that is!!!

[arbon]

Congrats on starting hair removal, it is a slow painful process but so worth it.

[LeaP]

This will be my last post in this thread, as I don't intend to make it a journal. But I thought it would be useful to someone else starting to describe the first few sessions.

Today's session was an hour and a half and it was a return to, and extension of the work she did on the right side of my face a week ago. In this session she cleared down to my jawline, behind the upper back area of the jaw, and over nearly to the corner of my lip. She shifted to a smaller probe and slightly lower setting. The reaction was less, though some hairs took a few zaps. There is a difference in sensitivity depending on the length of the session! Still quite tolerable, but it does become more sensitive as the session wears on.

Next week's session is 2 hours, so it will be "interesting" to see just how bad it gets. It's as hard on the back after a while as on the face, though. I think I'll bring a pillow for under my knees next time. I can't imagine the marathon sessions some people do, like 6 to 8 hours.

I can see that a perceptive electrologist can read skin like a book. She commented today on differences in my skin from the last session. I was more dehydrated and she could tell at a glance that I had not been using as much moisturizer. (I hadn't because of the skin reaction in the first session.) In turn, that affected how the follicles reacted and she had to adjust accordingly. So the drill is going to be to avoid coffee the morning of a session, and drink plenty of water a few hours prior. Plus I washed my face normally (if gently) tonight, and used my normal moisturizer. So back to basic skin care, which answers a point I raised earlier in the thread.

My skin already feels better. I shaved tonight and the difference between the areas that have been treated and those that have not is already noticable. Even with the bit of remaining roughness from today's session, the treated area lacks the "drag" of the other areas of my face when I touch it.

I'll be counting the hours until the first full clearance.

[MysticLady]

Electrolysis consult. Pace was good, pain was very tolerable, and my face is red! She had the time, I liked how things were going, so I turned it from a consult to a full appointment of about an hour and a quarter. I will go with her.

I must say Lea, you're a trooper.

[Angela Campbell]

Since caffeine is a stimulant it will make the skin more sensitive and more painful. I avoid it on the day I go in. Yes someone skilled can sense the changes in the skin and can sense the pain you are enduring and can adjust somewhat to that too. (moving to another area ) The girl I go to has pillows for under the knees or back for long sessions. Two hours will not be too bad, it doesn't really get bad until around the fourth hour.

Sometimes when I look in the mirror and see new hairs on my upper lip near the nose I cry knowing what is coming.