Just had electrolysis...

[Guest Andrew Parker]

I'm sure this forum is mostly full of women, but i just had electrolylsis on my arm in preperation for phalloplasty and HOLY CRAP that was painful. I have a new found respect for you ladies (not that i didnt have respect before). I cant imagine how awful that would be on your face or your genitals...It was pretty unbearable just on my nearly hairless forearm.

Hopefully my next session will be my last...

[Guest Melissa~]

My laser lady says I squirm a bit too much when she is lasering my nether regions. Haha. That's only my skin boiling.

[Guest meagan]

When I started my face, it was mostly just uncomfortable. The top lip was the only area that gave me any pain, but with some numbing cream and ibuprofren it was minimal. I forgot to bring my cream with me a few sessions ago and thought it was going to really hurt. Turned out to be much the same, uncomfortable with little pain. So I have not brought my cream with me to about the last 4 or so sessions.

[KathrynJulia]

I had 4 hours this week around my mouth and upper lip. Electrolysis hurts, well its indescribable when you first start, but like the British, you eventually are able to show a stiff upper lip. It's due to a permanent frozen grimace on your face. Andrew, you really do develop a higher pain threshold. Good luck on the hair removal Kathryn

[Guest Kaylee234]

You ladies must be tougher than I am. Electrolysis has always been quite painful for me; I only endure it because I hate having hair on my face more than I want to avoid the pain. But this past week's session for some reason got difficult to endure for me. I need to find a way to mitigate the pain

~ Kay

[Guest LizMarie]

I stopped a bit ago with the weekly sessions and am saving up to go to E3000 in Dallas for their all day sessions. They use actual pain killers injected into the skin and do the entire face. On the first trip it's usually 2 technicians for a full day or even a full day and a half depending on facial hair density. I'm told that after the second or third session (sessions every 8-10 weeks) that the cumulative effects of hair removal becomes really noticeable and that most patients are done after 5-8 total sessions.

I figure that an all day session with major impacts over 10-16 months is a lot more tolerable than shorter sessions every week for 2-3 years. It also means I don't have to grow this hairy mug out every week.

[KathrynJulia]

You ladies must be tougher than I am. Electrolysis has always been quite painful for me; I only endure it because I hate having hair on my face more than I want to avoid the pain. But this past week's session for some reason got difficult to endure for me. I need to find a way to mitigate the pain

~ Kay

Kaylee

My doctor prescribed a cocktail for me of Percocet and Lorazepam that really helps dull the pain a bunch and makes two hours zip by, BTW without my cocktail, I'm a big wuse when it comes to the pain of electrolysis, so don't ascribe me as being tough with pain. Kathryn

[Guest Megan_Lynn]

You ladies must be tougher than I am. Electrolysis has always been quite painful for me; I only endure it because I hate having hair on my face more than I want to avoid the pain. But this past week's session for some reason got difficult to endure for me. I need to find a way to mitigate the pain

~ Kay

Kaylee

My doctor prescribed a cocktail for me of Percocet and Lorazepam that really helps dull the pain a bunch and makes two hours zip by, BTW without my cocktail, I'm a big wuse when it comes to the pain of electrolysis, so don't ascribe me as being tough with pain. Kathryn

Lorazepam is not any pain killer at all. It what my doctor gave me years ago for panic attacks. It is a sedative and when I have taken it it turns me into puddy..lol.. But ya that and percocet you must but just sitting there all calm and drooling...lol.

[Guest Kaylee234]

You ladies must be tougher than I am. Electrolysis has always been quite painful for me; I only endure it because I hate having hair on my face more than I want to avoid the pain. But this past week's session for some reason got difficult to endure for me. I need to find a way to mitigate the pain

~ Kay

Kaylee

My doctor prescribed a cocktail for me of Percocet and Lorazepam that really helps dull the pain a bunch and makes two hours zip by, BTW without my cocktail, I'm a big wuse when it comes to the pain of electrolysis, so don't ascribe me as being tough with pain. Kathryn

Lorazepam is not any pain killer at all. It what my doctor gave me years ago for panic attacks. It is a sedative and when I have taken it it turns me into puddy..lol.. But ya that and percocet you must but just sitting there all calm and drooling...lol.

I asked my Internalist about it a few weeks ago, and he said he'd rather I try a higher dosage of ibuprofen before he prescribes narcotics. So this last session I took at least 1800 mg of motrin and it didn't seem to help

Of course there may be other factors. I did stupidly decide to go out for a drink the night before, and as usual one drink turned into quite a few. Cassie has alluded to the fact that alcohol and caffeine affect pain receptors, making them more sensitive for a while. So I think this week I'll forego the impromptu binge drinking and see if that helps.

~ Kay

[Guest LizMarie]

There's some general consensus that alcohol and caffeine can make electrolysis more painful for some folks. I used a lidocaine 5% cream before I stopped to save up for the bigger process.