Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Liz gets laser


Guest Lizzie McTrucker

Recommended Posts

Guest Lizzie McTrucker

Okay so I'm thinking I should share my laser hair removal experience with the class.

I just had my first session of LHR with Karen Marlise Cowles over in Seminole FL. Wait, maybe it's Largo. It's one of those two. Eh you can find her through google.

My experience in a nut shell: IT HURT!

..mind you that's after the emla cream.

So the day started off like any other day. Actually no it didn't. I had been on the road and finally got home at 5am (that's eastern time). My LHR appointment is at noon. After unpacking and moving stuff from the truck, into the car, and into the house, I was one tired little princess. (I'm too young to be a queen, despite turning 36 yesterday) After doing some things around the house...see..some people have 'Honey-Do' lists...we have 'Lizzie-Do' lists. So yeah, after doing a couple things around the house it was about 10am so I hopped in the shower and enjoyed a shower that I didn't have to pay $12 for or get free with a minimum 50 gallon fuel purchase. Omg and my Axe dual-action loofah/scrubber. I could feel the dead skin scrubbing off my body in the shower, it was wonderful.

But I digress, around 11a I started putting on the EMLA cream. I didn't see the part about the dressing until we were in the car but I don't think it really mattered at this point. So I put it on and started rubbing it in. Wait, do I rub it in like lotion or apply it topically like liquid foundation? Well Karen said by the time she sees me, she should see white, so I'm guessing it's topically. Okay, we'll need to put more on then. Don't be stingy with the EMLA, Liz! Generous, Liz, generous. Be as generous with the cream as you are in tipping waitresses. (side note, I'm a good tipper, and I'm not talking canoes)

3 applications (note: not tubes, just applying it 3 times) and now thanks to being a little too generous, I can't feel my top lip. I can still feel some of my face though. Well, since mom's driving I'll put on a 4th coat when we're half way there. Oh another side note, I really wanted to put on some big sunglasses, a scarf and sit in the back seat, out of view from everyone but there's more leg room up front, not to mention the A/C vents. Alright, I'll deal with looking like I'm on the way to a clown audition today.

So we get to Karen's office and she's happy to see me. She looks at my face and is happy with the results. She then tells me to go ahead and wash the cream off which is kind of like trying to wash iodine off your skin. You can scrub and rub and soap and whatnot but it always feels like it's still on. Well anyway, I get the top layer of cream washed off and we go to "The Room" and I sit down on the chair. She gives me the ultra-hip red glasses to wear, while she puts on the green ones. How festive, I love Christmas! Wait, it's August. Nevermind.

We wait a few more minutes for the laser to get warmed up and charged up (Star Trek fans know this is never a good sign when you're about to enter battle and your lasers aren't ready). Karen turns my head to the side and begins to zap away.

Ow..ow..ow..omg that smell...ow..ow..wait that's the smell of my hairs!...ow..ow..this actually kinda hurts..ow..ow..ow..

..omg she's half way through the face..ow..ow..come on, Liz, be a trooper!..ow..ow..grit your teeth, girl..ow..muscle through the pain!

ow..ow...oh...meh..hmm..that part of the neck isn't that sensitive..oh..ow..ow..ok that part is..ow..ow..meh..okay no-pain area again..

Alright, we're done! Oh, wait, hold on. Close your eyes really tight. zap.. right between the eyebrows. since you're going for lady arches we don't want you to ever get a unibrow. (for the record, I never had nor ever intend to get a unibrow, but hey, a free shot of laser in an area I didn't pay for) Oh and before I forget, let's get that area right below your nose because it looks like a hard spot to get with the laser. zap..zap..zap..

..and done. Okay now sit here, I'm going to go get you an ice pack to put on your face. So she comes back with that blue gel ice pack thing that goes in the freezer. Omg it felt soooooo nice against my skin. My skin was red and hot and I probably could have cut a glacier in half with my cheek. So I sat there for what felt like forever just moving the ice pack around my face, cooling everything off and trying to cut down on the redness.

While I was busy installing a sunroof on an igloo with my face, Karen ran my payment and set me up for another appointment in 6 weeks. She told me the first session is on the lowest setting because of the hair density. As the sessions progress and there's less and less hairs, she will increase the intensity to really get those stubborn hairs. All I could think of was "That was the lowest setting?!" shortly followed later with "It's going to get worse from here?!"

Maybe next time I'll do a couple shots right before I go in.

Oh I meant tequila, not basketball.

The End.

p.s. ow.

Link to comment
Guest Miss_Construe

Lizzy,

Congratulations!!!

also, with less hair it hurts less. Or course the increase in power makes it hurt about the same.

Still, awesome

April

Link to comment
Guest NatashaJade

Like I said on FB, it's a walk in the park compared to electrolysis. I am nothing but happy I did a year and a half of laser first. It's interesting because my laser tech always used the little eye blockers they give you when you tan. They collected my tears fairly efficiently, not but as efficiently as the ones my electrologist uses.

Egad! All this hair removal is torture designed to test us.

Now for all you geeks in the house, to paraphrase Dune:

We Transwomen have a saying: God created hair removal to test the Commited. One cannot go against the word of God.

xoxo

Link to comment
  • Admin

Lizzie, I've said it before and I'll say it again; you really know how to tell a story! That was a hoot and a half, girl.

It actually does get easier, except for the upper lip, which for me never got one dang bit easier. But I always told the tech, give me "ludicrous speed" because I can take it.

It really is worth it, hon. Someday you're going to look at yourself in the mirror, run your fingers over your smooth face, and go, "Yeeaaaahhh!"

HUGs

Carolyn Marie

Link to comment
Guest Maria_B

Lizzy, you are a fantastic writer.

Hilarity comes down to an art, and girl, you da Van Gogh of the Hilarity world.

I'm glad you didn't shrivel up and die, oh, and that those hairs are gonna die.

Love ya.

Link to comment
Guest Lacey Lynne

Lizzie:

You are The Bomb! How I LOVE your posts. Rock on!

Heck, now I'm SCARED to have laser treatments ... coming up in the autumn for me.

By the way, miss Florida sometimes! Oh, belatedly, Happy Birthday! Princess? You? Heck, yeah!

Peace :thumbsup: Lacey

Link to comment
Guest Lizzie McTrucker

Okay so it's been 3 days so I decided to shave.

Now even after shaving it doesn't even feel like I shaved.

How long is this stubbly feeling going to last before I'm back to my soft smooth skin again?

Link to comment
Guest Sarah Michelle

I missed this one but wanted to say Congrats to you Lizzie on starting laser on your face. It really does hurt but it is well worth it. I have mine done without any numbing cream. I tried the cream twice and really didn't notice any difference. Congrats again and keep the pain coming. LOL

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Who's Online   3 Members, 0 Anonymous, 180 Guests (See full list)

    • RaineOnYourParade
    • Abigail Genevieve
    • SamC
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      769.1k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,049
    • Most Online
      8,356

    LostAndForgotten
    Newest Member
    LostAndForgotten
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Adamtoeve
      Adamtoeve
      (38 years old)
    2. Andy C.
      Andy C.
      (22 years old)
    3. Asher the Enby Goddex
      Asher the Enby Goddex
      (23 years old)
    4. camerashy
      camerashy
      (52 years old)
    5. Stacy S.
      Stacy S.
      (55 years old)
  • Posts

    • RaineOnYourParade
      While I agree with a lot of the campaign personally, I don't think a government-mandated reduction in childbirth is really necessary. As a young person, I hardly know anyone who wants to be a parent in the future. I think a lot of people will either be waiting a while or not having kids at all, meaning that the number of kids being born will probably decrease. Overcrowding's also mostly an urban issue -- plenty of places in rural America have plenty of space for both people and growing food.    Of course, everyone sees things differently, so I won't necessarily say you're wrong. I just think my generation is a lot less inclined to the family mindset than some that came before us. 
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      To me, it sounds like a solution searching for a problem.  I believe in the Russian perspective, that oil is abiotic and likely under every part of the Earth's surface.  There's plenty.  "Peak oil" and "climate" are excuses for government control.   As for roads, we use asphalt because tar and bitumen are a byproduct of fuel production, not the other way around.  Asphalt is not a great material, really.  It can also be recycled somewhat and used again.  Notice how road crews grind down existing asphalt into powder? Concrete is a better material for roads.  But in areas like where I live, very little of our roads are paved.  Gravel is a luxury, and a lot of roads are mud.  Same in many "developing" nations.  Pavement is better for transport, but its not like we would die without it.  Lack of pavement might actually be a good thing, as people might stay home more and food might be grown locally instead of relying on transportation.  It would stop this wacky idea of growing everything in California.     I believe the big crisis we face is globalism and government control.  Proposing some scheme to control our families? That's just more of the same.  Even if folks managed to get enough votes (or rig enough elections) to get the power to do that, it won't be as VP or president of the USA in its current 50-state form.  
    • VickySGV
      The months of June has already been planned out for me with only minimal time for sleep between the Trans Chorus Of Los Angeles and the various communities around me that are in the service area of the LGBTQ  Center I was on the Board of Directors of that are having Pride Events, both LGBTQ Pride and Trans Pride stand alone events.
    • Justine76
      Very cool. I've been clumsily navigating the world of makeup so this may help. Some of the tutorials on YouTube are so advanced, they may as well be speaking Klingon :P  
    • Lydia_R
      I've realized that our laptops are using much less plastic than they used to.  They are smaller devices that use less raw materials and are easier to ship and hold up better in shipping than bigger computers with removable parts.  They seem to have gotten rid of the overheating/fan problem for the most part, but there is a performance hit for that.  I use a 10yo desktop computer with a moderate level gaming video card to run 3 monitors.  I'm a producer though and most consumers have no need for that.   I really haven't watched TV since the 80's.  I spend some time researching on the internet and then I spend a lot of time meditating on the objects in my environment and on the streets.  From living on the streets for a year, I've learned that people can say anything and can control you, but the laws of physics and mathematics are outside of that and really even transcend time itself.  After people would not support my music, I built my life as a software engineer based on mathematics and engineering.  I've had a moderately successful career with that and have written code for many different industries.   The problem with stopping oil usage is that if we still need the bitumen to pave our roads and shingle our houses, then what do we do with the gas when we refine it?  There are natural deposits of bitumen, but you know, with so many people out there, demand is huge and we are using this stuff up.  If you grow corn for corn syrup, then what do you do with the cobs?  We've shipped coffee and bananas all over the world.  We took material from those environments.  What do we do now?  How long can it last?
    • Mmindy
      @Lydia_R I know you're doing the best you can, and I wish you the best.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Ashley0616
      I think that threats that can be proven should be incarcerated for half the sentence of the one they would commit if carried out.  Lies unfortunately are just words unless as you stated if not under oath. 
    • Ivy
      I think it depends on where and how it's happening. We also need safe places where, the perhaps more easily intimidated, can feel free to express themselves.     And what about threats of violence?  Can this lead to a place where only the violent can have this freedom?  Is it "free speech" to threaten and intimidate opposing views into silence?  I mean maybe, if I can say anything - "if you don't shut up I'll kill you."   Or spreading lies?  (perhaps about an election). Lying is okay, unless you're under oath - for what that's worth.   Censoring books in schools?  That was fine until the bible was included.  (there is some nasty stuff in there) Then, there's what used to be that free speech birdie place.  You can denigrate queer people all you want, but "cis" is a slur, and prohibited?  Free speech as long as I like it? And let's not go into court cases and gag orders. Porn?
    • Ashley0616
      I have noticed when anyone speaks against their though process they don't like it no matter what sided. Republicans are quick to defend Trump when he's not professional and treats his employees like crap. One employee didn't get paid at all and then he had the nerve to say that he would sue the worker. He already has a model as his wife and still goes after other women. Biden gets lost quicker than a 2nd Lieutenant gets lost at land navigation. Not to mention his open border policy which is flooding the country and can't even take care of the American citizens that we have now. I could go on about both sides. I personally don't get mad at anything someone says to me. I know it's not true so I'm over it before it even starts. You have to have thick skin.
    • RaineOnYourParade
      That's really cool, actually, and I don't even wear make-up :o 
    • RaineOnYourParade
      That sounds like something I would do, lol, thanks <3   A lot of my classes have a lot of smaller, busy-work types of assignments, so it really added up O~O
    • Jet McCartney
      If it makes you feel better, I had a 41 2 weeks before I graduated highschool, and ended up getting honours because my teacher was awesome and let me turn in everything I was missing in one night. I believe in you!
    • Abigail Genevieve
      For some people, diversity of thought is okay as long as you agree with them.  I have noticed this on both sides.  Yesterday I got cussed out on FB for advocating the rule of law, which I thought an innocuous thing to advocate, because the danger a certain alleged totalitarian poses to our country.  So we should throw out the law to protect the law in the view of this person.  For that I was greeted with a long stream of obscenity.  The cussing poster claims to be Republican, which is supposed to be all MAGA and right wing and all and law and order.  Strange.   I don't think I have been cussed out by someone on the left.  I have been insulted in knowledge and intelligence and worship of Trump (which is false) but not directly cussed out.  And they get bent out of shape badly if you disagree with them, typically. Come to think of it, I have been.  Disagreeing with someone apparently is the worst thing you can do to them, invalidating their identity or something.   There is REAL diversity on this forum, and for the most part we get along.  Even if I were not dealing with trans stuff, it would be attractive that way.
    • April Marie
      I was using an off the shelf product but happened to get an ad for Hims. Checked it out and found their prescription version was a little stronger so thought I'd try. It has worked very well for me.
    • Lydia_R
      I put out an ad on Indeed for a campaign manager in January.  I got 435 responses and had meetings with 2 of them every day for a month.  No one was willing to donate enough time to my campaign to jump start donations so that I could pay them a salary.  Reposting is an excellent idea.  I don't have the time for it.  I'd love it if people would just make creative clones of my website like in the old css zen garden days 20 years ago.  I have $26.50 in my bank account today and need to sell my fancy, almost mint condition, Specialized M2 bicycle for less than $200 to buy food.   Stepping into this executive level role like I have is very intense work and I've been sleeping 4 hours a night for the last two months to stay in character.  In other words, I could use some help.  I've had 3 Gen Z transwoman musicians living with me this year and all 5 of us that have lived in my house this year have significant time living in cars and the streets.  My first wife is a symphony conductor, arranger, bass trombonist and carpenter who used to do concrete work on the freeway.  I have a picture of her on a private plane with Yo-Yo Ma from almost a quarter century ago.  I'm not just some crazy street person with $26.50 in my bank account.  I've played music for Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and I played a gig with Ray Charles in 1995.  And that is just the beginning of my story.  It's not easy to change the reproductive habits of 8 billion people.
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...