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!

No laser for me


Guest SusanB

Recommended Posts

Guest SusanB

Seems i'm not a good candidate for laser hair removal, too much gray in the beard.

Asked about the carbon dye and she said it wouldn't get down the hair shaft far enough to help much.

Guess i had better start shopping for electrolisis

Link to comment
Guest kelise

electrolysis is more permanantly effective anyway. If I could go back in time, I'd tell myself to forget laser and just do all electro. Then again, if I could go back in time....

Link to comment
Guest Ney'ite

Electrolysis is considered the "Gold Standard" and laser is considered the "Silver Standard." And Kelise is right, electrolysis is permanent for most of one's hair follicles . . . very few survive being zapped. It may trigger other follicles now and then, but eventually, it pretty much stops. :)

Link to comment
Guest SusanB

Mostly laser would have just been handier for me 5 min drive versus 1 hour for electrolysis

Looks like i'm going to be doing a lot of driving for my transition

That means i better start doing some car shopping, my old Jeep does not like the interstate

At least my GT is close

Link to comment
  • Forum Moderator

I'll be doing electrolysis after a period of HRT. Can't wait to not have to shave!

Hugs,

Charlie

Link to comment
Guest SusanB

Must remember not to rush things, this is gonna be a long ride

Saw another post to wait and see what effect HRT had on facial hair

Guess it thins it out for some

Link to comment
Guest Ney'ite

...

Saw another post to wait and see what effect HRT had on facial hair

Guess it thins it out for some

Actually, HRT will not diminish facial hair, only body hair and how much of that depends on many factors, the biggest one being one's genetics. HRT may soften facial hair, which is why some electrologists suggest a few months on HRT before starting electrolysis, but that is about it. Skin softening has also caused some members to experience more ingrown facial hairs as they have been softened to the point of being unable to get through the skin to the surface.

Link to comment
Guest zippityzap

Could someone explain this a bit more? Specifically, why is laser not an option if you have too much grey? I've been looking at laser and electrolysis info, and I'd never seen that before.

Link to comment
Guest SusanB

Could someone explain this a bit more? Specifically, why is laser not an option if you have too much grey? I've been looking at laser and electrolysis info, and I'd never seen that before.

Seems to work best with black or brown hair

Doesn't work with gray blonde or red hair

Laser goes after the dark pigmented hair

Lighter hair the laser thinks it's skin

I'm sure it's much more technical than that but that's how i took it

Link to comment
Guest Ney'ite

You're full of good news LOL

Hehe - I think it may come from a "been there done that?" 106.gif

But in all seriousness, I do try my best to make sure I do not steer our members astray and if a member has an idea that may need a little tweaking, I offer what I know. :)

Link to comment

Ever wear black on a bright sunny day? That's the basic principle. Ideal candidates for laser are light-skin, dark hair. The result of this is that the laser light will be reflected by the white skin, but absorbed by the black hair. Once the light energy is absorbed by the hair, it converts to heat, causing the hair to suddenly heat WAAAY up, essentially becoming it's own electrolysis probe. The hair itself burns the roots and cauterizes the blood supply, "permanently" killing the hair. Problem with that is you're relying a lot on chance that each and every hair will heat to just the right temperature, for just the right amount of time, to do the job to a degree it cannot repair itself. Probability low, even in ideal conditions.

If the hair is light, blonde or white, it will reflect too much light energy to get hot enough, and thus won't work. Conversely, those with dark skin are at risk of burns when the skin itself absorbs too much laser energy.

Electrolysis uses a metal probe to go in and get the job done first hand. It relys on experience and skill of the technician doing the work to make sure it's set to the right temp and that it's inserted at the right angle/position/depth and for a long enough time to kill the hair, but not long enough to burn or scar the skin. It takes a lot longer, but the odds are higher that each zap will kill the hair.

Link to comment

You're full of good news LOL

Hehe - I think it may come from a "been there done that?" 106.gif

But in all seriousness, I do try my best to make sure I do not steer our members astray and if a member has an idea that may need a little tweaking, I offer what I know. :)

Was just kidding, that was something i didn't know. Every little bit of information helps on this journey.

Sometimes feel like an idiot with how little i do know but i seem to learn something new every day here

Link to comment
Guest Ney'ite

Was just kidding, that was something i didn't know. Every little bit of information helps on this journey.

Sometimes feel like an idiot with how little i do know but i seem to learn something new every day here

No worries I knew you were just kidding. ;)

Omg you are so not alone in learning something new every day! Believe me when I say that it does not matter if someone is just beginning their research, just starting to transition, in the middle of their transition, if they are done transitioning, or have been done for years, there is always something new to learn, some angle on a topic never even considered. And the coolest part is that new thought can come from a veteran or a newbie! :D

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

One thing I did learn from Bette is caffeine is a no no. I've been caffeine free the past 4 weeks on the day of electrolysis. This week I had 4 glasses of ice tea at lunch, we were enjoying ourselves and just talking and OMG big time. Do not drink anything with caffeine, repeat, do not drink anything with caffeine in it. The pain is much, much worse.

Also, since I am totally blond, I cannot use laser. It won't work and all it will do for you is empty your wallet. FYI, expect anywhere from 100 to 200 hours of electrolysis to finish removing all of your facial hair. Ice paks afterwards helps to keep down the swelling so bring one with you in a plastic bag so you don't transfer bacteria and possibly infect your face.

Start facial clearing as soon as you can because when the HRT starts, soon you are going to absolutely hate a three day growth of facial hair. Facial hair is going to delay transitioning and it becomes a slow torture. Think creatively. Removing facial hair is extremely expensive whether you use laser or electrolysis. Electrolysis will cost on average $55 to $75 an hour. Mine is $60.00 an hour. Laser is also very expensive.

Enjoy

Kathryn

Link to comment
Guest LizMarie

My electrologist told me I'd be "mostly" clear in 18 months but that I'd need followup work for another year probably every other week instead of every week. Total time for me is expected to be in the 100-125 hour range and I had a thin beard everywhere except the chin and upper lip to start.

I also cannot emphasize this enough - facial hair and voice seem to be two of the largest factors (after self-confidence) in passing. Get rid of that beard! You will thank yourself for having done so. :)

Link to comment
Guest CindyLouCovington

Electrolysis 3000 in Dallas,TX is great.At least it was for me.Since they deaden your face with lidocane,you don't feel it.Except for the injections.Only really painful injections are in the chin and especially the upper lip(OUCH!).Other than that it is a breeze.Since they can work on you for hours at a time they get a lot done,and apparently much less regrowth than ordinary electro. While there we stayed at Super 8 motel at the Galleria on Ridgeway & Midway. Close to Electro 3000 and inexpensive, clean and decent.Micro,Fridge,TV hairdryer, Ironing board and iron complimentary buffet continental breakfast in office,all that you can eat.

Link to comment
Guest CindyLouCovington

I think that it was around $2200 for the treatment,and a little over $500 in expenses. Of course we drove up from New Orleans,which was cheaper than a plane and rental car.And of course the first session is always the longest.Sorry for the delay in reply.I use a library computer and cannot get here as often as I want.

Link to comment
Guest (Lightsider)

My experience with laser since 1998. I had my first treatment in about 1998. Over all I am pleased with the results. However every few years I will have to get a touch up done. For me where I live I pay maybe $50.00 for a touch up. Not bad. I go in there and it takes them less than 2 minutes then I am clear again. But my hair is near black in color so it works real well. My initial cost up front cost in 1998 for 8 treatments was about $2000.00. Would I do it again over electrolysis? I would because it worked for me.

Even with some regrowth I have had, it was not a game ender because the hair is so fine. Just annoying.

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, 119 Guests (See full list)

    • Carolyn Marie
    • Evelyn J
    • Miss Cormac
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.5k
    • Total Posts
      767.2k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      11,942
    • Most Online
      8,356

    taxicab
    Newest Member
    taxicab
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. Amyjay
      Amyjay
      (58 years old)
    2. bettyjean
      bettyjean
    3. Breanna
      Breanna
      (52 years old)
    4. Emily Ayla
      Emily Ayla
    5. JET182
      JET182
  • Posts

    • Susan R
      Love it! This is great news. We need more of this to combat the excessive hate-filled rhetoric and misinformation. 👍
    • Susan R
      The experience was the same for me @April Marie. I slept much deeper and I woke up each morning feeling so much more restful sleeping with forms solidly in place. For me, wearing breast forms at night started when before I was a teenager. I had no access up to modern breast forms and certainly no way to buy mastectomy bras back then. I wore a basic bra my mom had put in a donation box and two pairs of soft cotton socks. I have some crazy memories of things I did in my youth to combat my GD but regardless, these makeshift concoctions helped me work through it all.   All My Best, Susan R🌷
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Colorado isn't exactly a Republican place, and won't become one anytime soon.  I think those folks might be better off not spending their time playing Don Quixote.    We certainly have our share of California "refugees" moving into where I live, so I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing Coloradans too.  I suspect the trend over the next few years will see the blue areas getting more blue and the red areas getting more red as anybody who can relocate tries to find a place where they fit better.   
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      Well, at least it'll be a place some folks could choose.  Options are a good thing.
    • awkward-yet-sweet
      My family would have gobbled that jar up in a minute or two.  When we do have pickled herring, its usually for Christmas.  I didn't grow up with that particular dish, but I grew up in a Greek family so I like just about any kind of fish if I can get it.  However, ocean fish and freshwater fish taste so different.  We usually have more catfish and tilapia to eat than anything else.    What I can't quite get used to is the tons of cabbage my GF insists on eating.  When you live with a Russian, there is always cabbage soup.  Always.  When I first moved in with her, breakfast was "shchi" for soup and either bread or "kasha" which is a bowl of boiled buckwheat with butter and salt.  Those dishes can be made in any number of ways, some are better than others.  In the winter, it can even be salty and sour like kraut.  Not exactly sauerkraut, but packed in tubs with vinegar and salt so it keeps partially for the winter.  But I drew the line when the cabbage soup included pieces of fried snake one day.  😆
    • Ashley0616
      Good evening to you as well @Mmindy   That is awesome that you have support from her side. My dad has communicated with me once and that was because he was forced to. His new wife wanted to spend time with my kids. He hated me so much he was in the process of taking my rights away as a parent to my two boys. He was talking to a lawyer and I called him out on it. I don't love him at all. I'll respect him because I wouldn't be here without him but I wished I had another father. My uncles don't talk to me and unfriended me on Facebook. Almost all cousins except for two are still Facebook friends but they don't give me any support. My mom said she won't support me with that but she has said that she loves me. I have nieces and nephews that are still Facebook friends but they have yet to talk to me. I have one sister that supports me out of three. The other's disrespect me by deadnaming me. They have never called me their sister. I think for them they think it's still a phase. They don't ask questions about me being trans. I have to bring it up and on the look of their faces they don't look comfortable about it. 
    • Mmindy
      Good evening @Ashley0616,   I just got offline with HP tech support trying to get my printer tool box icon locked to my tool bar. This is one of the most important features of my printer that I like because it keeps track of ink, paper, and scanned documents. I'm diffidently not a computer geek.   I'll catch up with the other bookmarks next week. We leave to go home for the Easter Holiday with our families. Saturday with her side, and Sunday with my side. What's odd about that is I'm out to more of her side and they're reluctantly supportive. My side on the other hand are less supportive, and my sister just under me in age will not acknowledge my being there. She will be constantly moving to keep from dealing with me. I'm dead to her.   Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋  
    • Ashley0616
      I used to follow baseball and the team I would cheer for is Boston Red Sox. My favorite player was Papi. He was an awesome guy and even held a child during the National Anthem. I haven't watched baseball for a long time. It just died off to me. 
    • Ashley0616
      That stinks that nothing transferred, and no bookmarks were saved! 
    • Ashley0616
      I'm doing patches for now but I think soon I'll go to shots because it's hard to alternate when you are doing two xx patches at once. Unless she gives me Estradiol and progesterone
    • Sally Stone
      Go Cleveland Guardians!  I love baseball and I loved playing it when I was younger.  
    • Sally Stone
      My view is we are "dependent" on government, because as a society, we are too lazy to stay actively involved. So, we let politicians do our bidding for us.  I think we'd be in a better place government wise if we policed the actions of our politicians.  We elected them; they work for us.  Sadly, we are allowing them to run amok.  We are where we are because we have chosen to let politicians make all decisions without us.  Remember "by the people, for the people?" That was the intent of our democracy.  Today, however, it is "by the politicians, for the politicians," the people be damned. 
    • Mmindy
      "Play Ball! Batter Up!" is the closing line of the National Anthem as far as I'm concerned. It's the call of the Home Plate Umpire and signals the start of the game. I grew up in the TV and Radio broadcast of the St. Louis Cardinals. Harry Caray, Jack Buck, Tim McCarver, and Mike Shannon, were the voices on my transistor radio. KMOX 1120 AM pushing 50,000 watts of Class A clear-channel non-directional signal. It could be picked up all across MO, IL, IN to the East. KS, OK, CO to the West. IA, MN to the North, and KY, TN, AR to the South. There has always been a rivalry against the Chicago Cubs, in the National League. As for the American League, I have to pull for the Kansas City Royals. I've also been a Little League Umpire, and fan of everything the Little League stands for. Going to Williamsport, PA and seeing the Little League World Series is in my top 10 things to do on my bucket list.   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Mmindy
      Good evening everyone,   I don't think my mother ever cooked a meal that I didn't like. We also had a kitchen where mom fixed the food, dad filled your plate, and you eat it. It wasn't until our baby brother was born that we could have Pop-Tarts for snacks. Before that all snacks had to meet mom's approval, and in her opinion wouldn't prevent you from eating supper.   Well my day started off on a good note, but has become frustrating because my IT person didn't transfer my saved videos I use for teaching. Then I found out that they didn't save any of my book marks for websites I use frequently.   Best wishes, stay motivated,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • MaeBe
      The number is relative to method of deliver, the time of the dose, and when the blood is drawn. However, I do want to keep away from DVT and other potential issues. I assume I may be getting backed down from my current dose, but my doc told me to stick with the higher dose, so? I also wonder if this has anything to do the my breast growth and mental changes that have been happening over the past few years, like I have some estrogen sensitivity so a little goes a long way or something? I don't have enough data to postulate, but who knows!   With weekly, subcutaneous, shots you expect to see big swings of serum level estradiol from shot to peak to trough. My doctor is interested in mid-week testing (for E and T levels only), which would be post-peak blood serum levels but they will be higher than trough. Most, if not all, resources I've seen online is to measure at trough (which I might do just to do it next time) along with a SHBG, LH, and other metrics.   This is from transfemscience.org for Estradiol valerate in oil, which is very spiky compared to some other estradiol combinations. It's also for intramuscular, which will have a slower uptake and is usually dosed in higher volume due to the slower absorption rate from muscles. They don't have subcutaneous numbers, which I would expect to see similar spikes but higher levels at similar doses due to the relatively higher absorption rate direct from fat.   Are you doing pills, shots, or patches? And when you do get your levels checked are you getting that done when your levels are lowest or some other time?
  • 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...