Electrolysis disappointment (First session)

[LusciousTheLock]

Hiya Peeps,

 

Had my first session yesterday and I have to say I'm a little disappointed... With this body. The lady doing the work is very experienced and trans herself. She also is the only Electrolysis beautician for around 50miles and has all the very latest equipment and showed me the evolution of her equipment over the past thirty years plus the complete history of Electrolysis. We had a 30min consultation and a 30min treatment where, areas were tested. The prices were good. She charges £35ph where most I have looked at were looking at £55ph and because of this and no other competition in the area, she's extremely busy. My next appointment is on a Sunday (May 16th) at 4pm where she's squeezed me in for an hour.

 

Had to grow my beard. Traumatising!  But it was on display, and the results were not good. Full man mode for the first time in months made me feel very odd. I had read that most people are quoted around 2-300 hours. I've been quoted around 450hrs due to how thick and course my beard is. Lack of testosterone certainly hasn't helped here! Although my back and body was once very hairy, but no more. Anyway, using a blend method, each hair required two or three blasts and she commented that was quite unusual and that getting on Hormones would help soften them up (Looking at another 12months for that). And a mixture of colours and thicknesses. Also she commented that there was some damaged through plucking (Guilty lol).

 

Up to 450hrs and the chance I may not get an hours appointment for weeks on end makes me sad. My 30 min session resulted in 10-20 hairs laid out for examination. The process appears to work and with minimal nettle rash on my face, which cleared within three hours. But this is gonna take years! With her current rota I'm going to mange just 25 hours a year if I'm lucky. For the same costs and time, I may as well buy a machine and train the wife... Hmmm...

[KathyLauren]

Congratulations on getting the process started.   But I hear you on the frustration of how long it will take.  I have been going for four years.  The end is in sight, but I'm not there yet.

 

10-20 hairs in 30 minutes is pretty slow.  My electrologist can do about 10 a minute when she is on a roll.  I was doing weekly appointments of one hour each for a couple of years.  We are down to one a month (currently suspended due to covid lockdown).

 

The pre-appointment grow-out sucks, but it has got to be done.  I am retired, so I didn't have to worry about how I looked at work.  I scheduled my appointments around social events so that I wouldn't have to appear in public with stubble.  But I  continued to present feminine, basically daring anyone to comment.  No one did.

[LusciousTheLock]

I think the worst thing was reverting myself back to man mode for a weekend. I work a lot of hours, so any time off is spend busily catching up on errands. Which meant going out sporting said black shadow, so spent the time in trackies and hoodies.  Shaved it off last night and started feeling more like myself, but my car's engine blew this morning and so I was dealing with tow trucks and repair shops all morning so I still feel in gross man mode . It's my Birthday, so bought a bottle of cheap champagne to cheer myself up tonight  Progress is progress though xx

 

[ValerieRun]

First, Happy Birthday ?

 

Electrolysis is slow, there is no doubt about it. But if you are saying you have black shadow, I would suggest you do several sessions of laser first. While it is not permanent removal, it is a definite reduction, and that will help with density, which in turn might speed up the electrolysis sessions.

And another little thought, when you grow hair for the session, you know where it will be removed, so you can shave the rest and hopefully hide the stubble behind the mask.

[LusciousTheLock]

I had laser before lockdown, only around three sessions but it didn't touch it

We did settle on areas though, and yes I will only grow those bits I want treated first. Oddly, I was told that most people like to work from the outside in?  I've told her to aim straight for the middle! First the area right under my nose, because 1. Its the most painful and 2. I have trouble getting a decent razor in there and opt for a cheapie single blade for access. I'm sure it will get faster and easier

 

[ValerieRun]

I do not know if its a preference by the technician or just pandemic "fashion", but mine suggested exactly that. "You will get to hide the mouth area under a mask so might as well get the outside cleared first". And so I complied ?

[LusciousTheLock]

I hadn't thought of that?  Oh lol, I'm dense at times

[Maddee]

I was gung ho at first and went right for the upper lip for a few sessions.

 

Then we hit a special nerve place.

 

We moved to other face areas for a while after that...

[Jani]

My electrologist bounced around but focused on the upper lip.  I know exactly where the nerves are now!   On the cheeks and neck she held off on the white hair since it wasn't as noticeable.   I have over 300 hours and am just finishing the stragglers.  

 

@MetaLicious I always booked two or three appointment ahead to ensure I kept on my schedule.  Some electrologists are very busy.  Your prices seem reasonable.

 

Jani 

[LusciousTheLock]

I've done 4 sessions (4 hours) now, with some long gaps inbetween due to the busyness of the electrolysist. My last session left me in tears (Those damned nerves) and looking like nettles had been dragged around my upper lip which took a few days to clear, but... Its bloomin working!!! I can see it and shaving is becoming less hassle up under my nose where even a shave would leave stubble under my nostrils. Session 5 is today. It makes the pain worth it haha xx

[Red_Lauren.]

My lady gave me numbing cream. Probably for her own safety. I accidentally elbowed her in one of her breast pretty hard. After she zapped the bridge of my lip once. I felt so bad for that. 

 

I have had 6 ot 7 sessions of laser now, and about 1 Hour of electrolysis. Most of my dark hair is gone now. A few hairs here there, but what is left. Comes back blonde. She can do about half my face in about a hour. That is how little of hair I have left. 

 

Congratulations on the progress though. Wait till you don't have to shave everyday. I shave everyday now, but I really don't need to. Plus even with a day or two of growth. I can hide it a lot easier then even after shaving before.

[Maddee]

That is amazing progress for 6 sessions of laser and 1 hr of electro.

I'm at 130 hrs electro plus I did 12 laser sessions.  Nowhere near the point of not shaving, although it is better. I hear it's common to require 300-400+ hrs to clear the beard.

 

@Red_Lauren.
Please tip your tech!!

[Bri2020]

Lips suck! period end of story.  I have to go to a dermatologist first to have lidocaine injections all throughout the lip (which sucks donkey balls) but then it's pretty much completely numb for 2 hours.  I run to the electrolysis appointment and get almost 90 minutes of clearing done relatively pain free.  I also use BLT cream to numb my face before sessions.  That works well everywhere except the lips.  In the beginning, you can do the shaving of areas not being worked on but as time goes on, those areas get bigger as they go back to get stragglers. The good news is that by that time, the bear isn't quite as noticable.  

I feel you on male mode though.  I hate the weekends because of that. My appointments are on Tuesday so I stop shaving on Saturday.

See if you can look at a standing appointment time with her. You may need to set it up to start 3 or 4 months from now if she's booked heavily now and just get appointments where you can until then.  I have a standing appointment now for the next 2 years lol