Electrolysis

[Anonymous]

Hi Erika,

Mine normally takes 2 – 3 days for about 80% of the swelling to go down. Ice packs help a little but not much. The last of the swelling lasts around 4-6 days. I used to worry about how I looked at work, but I have found that nobody really notices much and if they do I have an excuse ready about allergic reaction, etc. I should qualify that by saying I work in an office of mostly guys. They seem more concerned with my pink phone cover and my bracelet than my swollen face with patchy regrowth

Regards,
Alison

[Anonymous]

I have been getting electro since February (weekly) starting at the neck and going up clearing as we go. I have also started my top lip. A new area takes a few days to settle down but it is usually no more than about 36 hours for follow ups. Top lip today is clear in the middle but quite dark on either side – very odd looking “shaving choice”!! My top lip was very reactive this week (swelling and skin condition) as last Saturday was an intensive session on a small area. However, nobody seems to care or if they do notice, they are too polite to comment – even my wife declined to mention my “scabrous skin” as she put it a few days later!. I shave up to and on Wednesday each week and then leave it to grow and have never had a comment on that either.

Factors to consider are your physical reaction , type of electro, power settings and scatter v clearance so there are a few variables there. If you don’t like the reaction, ask to vary the treatment to see if you can get a better reaction. Sooner or later though you will probably go “stuff it” and just get it done regardless!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all that info girls, much appreciated. I have found that since last Weds my swelling has gone down (today is Saturday). I am so glad for the hormones including Androcur as it seems to take a long time for me to grow enough for them to work on and is proving much easier to remove as compared to before hormones, particularly the androgen blocker. Also, as the oestradiol levels increase, the greater lasting and better effect of hair removal I find, ( in my case). I think the most painful thing is the cost. As an aside, I think it would be appropriate for this to covered by private insurance for transsexuals as this is for psychological reasons, not merely cosmetic. What do others think? (must update my photo)

[Anonymous]

Hi Gemma,

I have seen someplace but I have forgotten where that it can take up to 200 hours to remove a male beard using electrolysis. This time would obviously vary a lot between different people.

I think It has been around a year now since I started electrolysis. I usually go once a week for 1 hour and to be honest this is about the maximum I can tolerate financially and emotionally. Personally I find it is something that I both look forward to and dread at the same time and for me personally I sometimes end up a bit teary after an hour of zapping as each individual zap is tolerable but it kind of accumulates.

That said I think electrolysis is well worth it and is the only proven permanent method of hair removal. I’m sure someone will disagree and say laser works, but for me I have tried both and I will continue with electro. As for the reduction of hair my beard is very thin now, but its different to what I initially expected. The hairs get zapped,but then you get regrowth in the same spot but with each treatment it gets thinner and weaker and eventually doesn’t come back. Also the dark beard shadow color under my skin is mostly gone now. For areas not being treated I wax.

this seems to be a topic everybody has a differing opinion on and I’m sure others will have other suggestions, this is just my individual experience and I hope it is helpful for someone considering electrolysis.

Allie

[Anonymous]

Hi, Thanks for the response.
I had twelve months of laser which got rid of the ‘shade’ within about two to three months. However the blond hairs continued and that is when I turned to electrolysis.
I have reached the stage where the hairs are difficult to see and for many of them the electrolysist needs to feel for them to find them. If I use a magnifying mirror I can see them easily. I am sure these fine hairs will persist for some time. As for the upper lip and chin and peri buccal area, including the chin I wonder now why I even bother to look for them because I can’t see them. To achieve this it took three hour sessions about two to three times a week for about two weeks and then an hour to two hours each week since then with good results. Based on what I read, a person is making it very expensive for themselves if they start facial hair removal before starting on androgen blockers at least. I myself found that when had my dose of oestrogen (E2 level 680pmol/L) increased it became very hard to grow enough hairs for the electrolysist to zap. These days I stop shaving all together after the Wednesday token shave and by Friday I am worried whether there will be enough to be zapped by Saturday. I would say that I have at least another six months to go with electrolysis which will make it twelve months with laser and twelve months with electrolysis. However I think this is being very optimistic as those fine hairs are persistent little buggers.
Based only on my experience, hair removal works best when there decent levels of hormones in circulation and there is a high voltage with the electrolysis. But I have been told many different tales about hair removal. I do know of one person who had been going for electrolysis years even after SRS. Among other things, the time scale and cost is something they don’t tell you about at the gender clinics.
For those who still battle with the shade, try a beard hide concealer before using a foundation base then powder.
( oh yeah, I have sobbed on one occassion during a session, both laser and electrolysis – not sure what caused it – hormones I guess)