Made an appointment today for an electrolosys consultation

[LaurenA]

I had my first covid vaccine shot Friday so I was busy today making all of the appointments I had put off.  I'm going to be busy in early March.  One appointment was for a consultation for electrolysis.  They want me to let my facial and body hair grow for 4 weeks before the appointment.  I've never let my facial hair grow that long.  There's no way I can present myself as Lauren while doing it.  Looks like I'll be in boy mode until that appointment.  For those that have had electrolysis,  do you have to let your hair grow before each appointment?

[Audrey]

Hi Lauren, happy to hear that you've made your consultation appointment for electrolysis. I hope it goes well and that they are affirming of you and your goals. For electrolysis, you do want to grow out your facial hair some. That's so the electrologist can more easily pull out the hair from the follicle after treating it. For me, that means not shaving the area she plans to treat for about three days beforehand. I've never heard of needing it to grow for four weeks, that seems excessive to me! Did they say why? If you're as dysphoric as I am about facial hair, growing it out at all can be quite distressing. Wishing you the best!

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[Jani]

Four weeks for facial hair seems extreme to me.  Even with the slow growth I had after 3 days it was plenty long enough to see and grab on to.  You might want to clarify that position with them.  I understand body hair as it is different. 

[LaurenA]

I contacted the clinic and found out it was me mishearing what they told me.  It's actually 4-5 DAYS not weeks.  Glad I checked back with them.  In that length of time they're going to have to look hard to see anything.  My facial hair has aged from blond fuzz to gray fuzz.  The only place it's even slightly dark is my upper lip.

 

The clinic I'm checking out has program for trans people where they offer 15 hour marathon sessions with 2 technologists.  Both internal and external pain killers are used along with facials before and after.  After reading some of the stories of rashes and scabs after electrolosys I'm doubting that I should go that route.  What's the longest session anyone here has gone through?

[Audrey]

Lauren, my longest session was two hours. She worked an hour on each cheek. I'm not currently using any numbing creams or other painkillers. That may change as she works her way towards my jawline, chin, and upper lip. Where the bone is closer to the skin, the pain tends to be more intense. Glad to hear that you won't have to grow out your facial hair for a month, that would have been excruciating! I think my recent reaction was an anomaly, but we'll see in two weeks at my next session. Hoping your consultation appointment goes well!

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[Jani]

In 2018-19 I was doing 2 hour sessions as I wanted to accelerate my progress.  When we were shut down for Covid I was in a pretty good place.