Abilene: No Electrolysis Here

[Faelem]

Hello everyone ?

Really just beginning this journey, but I'm doing all my research and finding that it might be a no go at least for a while.

I live in the Abilene Tx area and there seems to be nothing here for getting electrolysis done. The closest places are at least 2 hours away in the Dallas/Ft Worth area.

All the information I've seen says that you need to be going at least once a week (probably more) when you first start. I'm thinking with travel costs, I may be able to go every other week.

 

Is it even possible to keep up with the hair on that schedule or does it just mean that the process will be slower?

Also, if anyone is in the area, I would really appreciate any guidance you can offer. Thank you in advance! ?

[Delcina B]

Welcome @Faelem ! I wish I could help you with the electrolysis questions, I'm starting to look at it myself. Maybe someone will be able to answer them for you. Glad you're here! 

 

Hugs!

Delcina

[Guest]

You can schedule long sessions and go less frequently. Bring an ice pack to place on your face on the drive back to prevent swelling.  Also, you’ll have to stop mid drive to apply numbing cream. Good luck. I’m originally from West Texass and know area well

[DeeDee]

@Faelem I have a 3 hr drive to get to my sessions. When I started I went in male mode. I had some laser sessions first, to "clear the weeds" and that was painful - laser works best on dark hairs but not so good for grey and ginger. I would travel once a month for 3-4 hr sessions. It was expensive but still affordable. Even with a gap of almost 2 years it has made a difference, I went from needing to shave twice a day to shaving every two days before stubble is overly noticable.

I could not justify going down every week.

I have just this week restarted my electrolysis, this time going as myself. Now the NHS is paying for some hours I can really go for it. We are going to split 8 hrs over 2 days to go over the whole of my face, because of the way hair grows in cycles I will need more sessions, but the electrologist believes that getting as much as possible done at once helps to keep things neater. There is pain involved but with electrolysis they can numb the skin with cream first so it is simply uncomfortable, laser was like being repeatedly flicked in the face with an elastic band and you came away sunburnt.

Either way have cooling and moisturising gel or creams for after the sessions, your face will ache - but it is so worth it!.

[MirandaB]

I go once a week and can ask my woman what she thinks, if I can remember all the way til next time. 

[MirandaB]

Ok, so I asked her, she thought going every 2 weeks isn't ideal but OK. She's had other T clients who did longer sessions, so maybe that's the way to go. She also did the usual 'do laser first' deal. 

[DeeDee]

That's good Rhonda, you want to make sure that it works for you, having an honest conversation can help with your expectations and make sure you aren't throwing good money after bad.

[MirandaB]

I asked on behalf of the original poster.

[Kathy2020]

I missed this thread originally but I'll chime in a quick thought now... Hair removal - laser or electrolysis - is a process of reduction rather than "one and done." Follicles don't die with one treatment using either method; rather, they reduce in size until they become vellus-like or stop growing altogether. Results also depend on when the follicle is zapped. Hair has a cycle of about six weeks and is most susceptible to being damaged when actively growing; hair in a dormant stage is far less effected. That means going consistently ups your chances of catching the follicles in a growth stage. How often you go will obviously speed up results, but staying on a consistent schedule is the key.

 

The other thing that will dramatically affect hair removal results is if you are on feminizing HRT. Drugs like spironolactone drop testosterone levels which is a key player in hair growth, so that will slow down the active hair growth cycle too. That causes a 50/50 swap; less hair growth equals less shaving but also fewer windows of time to zap follicles when they are active. In my own experience, I saw much faster results from electrolysis before HRT and up through the first few months after starting. When HRT took full effect, my remaining facial hair became more vellus and slower growing, requiring an hour "clean up" every other month with my electrologist rather than every other week.

[Guest]

17 hours ago, Kathy2020 said:

I missed this thread originally but I'll chime in a quick thought now... Hair removal - laser or electrolysis - is a process of reduction rather than "one and done." Follicles don't die with one treatment using either method; rather, they reduce in size until they become vellus-like or stop growing altogether. Results also depend on when the follicle is zapped. Hair has a cycle of about six weeks and is most susceptible to being damaged when actively growing; hair in a dormant stage is far less effected. That means going consistently ups your chances of catching the follicles in a growth stage. How often you go will obviously speed up results, but staying on a consistent schedule is the key.

 

The other thing that will dramatically affect hair removal results is if you are on feminizing HRT. Drugs like spironolactone drop testosterone levels which is a key player in hair growth, so that will slow down the active hair growth cycle too. That causes a 50/50 swap; less hair growth equals less shaving but also fewer windows of time to zap follicles when they are active. In my own experience, I saw much faster results from electrolysis before HRT and up through the first few months after starting. When HRT took full effect, my remaining facial hair became more vellus and slower growing, requiring an hour "clean up" every other month with my electrologist rather than every other week.

I’d like to add that, at least for me, post HRT hair removal is more painful than pre HRT. Estrogen has made more sensitive to pain.