Small talk during electrolysis

[Dana Michelle]

I was talking to my therapist about social issues because I have Asperger's and she suggested making small talk with my electrologist. Usually neither of us talk during the treatment but she has music playing in the background. I can't talk during facial electrolysis because that would require moving my mouth and jaw, and the electrologist needs my face and head to be still. I could talk during genital electrolysis, but it seems like it might be awkward. Usually people look at each other in the eye while talking so I don't know if my electrologist would feel weird talking to me while looking me in the genitals. My therapist suggested I could say a little bit at the beginning and then listen during the session.

What I'm wondering is, of those of you who have electrolysis, how much small talk do you make with your electrologist? Do you talk during the treatment? Does your electrologist talk during the treatment? How much small talk is made shortly before and after the treatment?

Also, the reason I am posting this in the general forum instead of the hair removal forum is that this isn't really about the treatment itself but instead is about socializing so I didn't think this post fit into the hair removal forum.

 

 

 

[Aggie1]

3 hours ago, Dana Michelle said:

I was talking to my therapist about social issues because I have Asperger's and she suggested making small talk with my electrologist. Usually neither of us talk during the treatment but she has music playing in the background. I can't talk during facial electrolysis because that would require moving my mouth and jaw, and the electrologist needs my face and head to be still. I could talk during genital electrolysis, but it seems like it might be awkward. Usually people look at each other in the eye while talking so I don't know if my electrologist would feel weird talking to me while looking me in the genitals. My therapist suggested I could say a little bit at the beginning and then listen during the session.

What I'm wondering is, of those of you who have electrolysis, how much small talk do you make with your electrologist? Do you talk during the treatment? Does your electrologist talk during the treatment? How much small talk is made shortly before and after the treatment?

Also, the reason I am posting this in the general forum instead of the hair removal forum is that this isn't really about the treatment itself but instead is about socializing so I didn't think this post fit into the hair removal forum.

 

 

 

I do. We have great conversations on wide ranging subjects and she can make me crack up like nobody else I know! She’s an expert at putting people at ease. I really look forward to that one hour a week session with her. It’s almost as good as therapy. 
 

She’s going through “the change” and will have to stop a minute once or twice to let the hot flashes pass over. She loves my dog and insists I bring her with me, as a therapy dog of course. I’m introducing my wife to her in a couple of weeks to get some facial hairs taken care of. It’s a birthday present. 
 

I can’t imagine having a better experience.

 

my advice would be to take the initiative and talk to your electrologist, make any pretext for starting the conversation. You never know until you try. I’ve found that mine is quite skilled at timing the needle in between sentences and breaths. We share stories about our kids, our upbringing, projects we’re working on, all sorts of stuff.

 

oh and as an aside, I used to be extremely shy and was a horrible conversationalist at one time. I was terribly tongue tied especially around women. It didn’t happen overnight but I have gradually lost my inhibitions. I’ve learned to notice things and ask questions about them and then listen to the answer and build on it. I don’t know for sure what caused my paralysis the first half of my life. I am just enjoying my newfound freedom of expression these days.

 

I hope you can get your electrologist to open up and get to know them. Good luck!

[RhondaS]

Oh my, we chat so much during my weekly session that we joke that it's therapy with a little hair removal thrown in. Sometimes we talk so much she charges me less than the going rate since she stops to gesture too much when she gets excited. 

 

We laugh, agree and disagree about things, sometimes even some tears have been shed.

 

My wife kept threatening to stop by during one of the sessions to get her random hairs zapped and finally did it yesterday. A little weird to have her in that space, the electrologist was so professional for her, only a little chatty.

 

Afterwards Mrs said how painful it was and wondered how I could do it every week. 

I replied that the physical pain is nothing compared to the mental anguish I lived with for so long.  

 

[Erica Gabriel]

I agree with the statements above. I go to a practice that has several different electroligist and I’ve built relationships with most of them. My weekly sessions are an opportunity to dress up (I wear a uniform most days) and cut up. I really have a lot of fun while there.

 

It took me decades to learn to interact socially and I still have trouble picking up on social cues. I also have social anxiety and can only do “people” up to a point then I shut down. It’s just who I am and I’m not ashamed or feel guilty about it.

[stveee]

1 hour ago, RhondaS said:

the physical pain is nothing compared to the mental anguish I lived with for so long.  

 

Pretty much. I was saying that to my tech, emotional pain is far worse.

Until I see my PCP and do the topical anesthetic thing  I pop an extra strength Tylenol and ibuprofin and between the chat when I can and the endorphins kicking in, it's overall quite bearable and I now look forward to it. 

Chit chat definitely makes it go better and gives your mind something else to focus on and due to the importance of that procedure, my techs are like my extended family and a part of my emotional transition life too. I imagine it's the same for manicures or hairdressers once you build a relationship, and being a part of the job they enjoy too.

So next time start with a "hey, girl!" when you go in and see where it leads!

[Jani]

My electrologist and I talk during the session, mostly her obviously.  Due to the lamp she uses I wear eye shields, so we can't make eye contact.  We've become good friends and share info about our family, and other aspects of our lives.  

[Hannah Renee]

I see my electrologist every 2-3 weeks, with a couple of months off in the spring during my relocation, so we're basically just finishing up my neck and under the chin. (Addressed that first so nothing would be obvious to our kids before they knew about my transition.) So we're able to chat during our sessions. Mostly just catching up stuff, asking about family, etc. A couple of months ago, she had another electrologist visiting with her, learning some new techniques. I agreed to allow her to practice on me. She had basically no exposure, at least professionally, with transgenders, and the three of us talked for the whole hour, plus another 20 minutes afterward. It was a wonderful hour+ of girl talk.

[Red_Lauren.]

I've been seeing two ladies for a year now. While im not their first trans client. There was a lot of talk about my transition at the start. Now its mostly work, or life.

 

All admit while they are nice, and friendly. We just don't click like friends, or at least not yet. I still have a few years of hair to remove, so there's a chance we become friends, but we're not pushing it. Friends have to come naturally. Ill be both happy and sad when I don't have to see them again, or at least the level I do now. 

[Robin.C]

The lady I was seeing for Electrolysis was so nice. She really had a way of putting me at ease. And sometimes she made me laugh so much we had to stop for awhile to get the giggles over.

 

Sadly with COVID taking off here, I haven't been able to contact her at all and I'm hoping she is okay.

 

This year I'm leaning towards saving up and going interstate to get bulk electrolysis over a couple of days (1 day on, 1 day off for a week, 7 hours a day). Though it's just a thought at the moment.

 

Hugs

Robyn

[Kelly2509]

I see my gal weekly and we talk constantly.  Only time I can't talk is when she's working on the lip area.  She's been at it a while so she doesn't seem to need me to be perfectly still.  I've been seeing her for just over a year (with at least a year to go) and we've become pretty good friends, sometimes we talk transition stuff, sometimes relationship stuff, sometimes work, a lot of talk about cooking (I like to cook).  I would think it might just come down to how comfortable they are with the bit of movement talking creates and how talkative they are.  One thing I've noticed with stuff like this is some people are talkative while others aren't.

 

I looked into the bulk sessions and while the speed sounds enticing it tends to run about 3 times more expensive per hour than what I'm doing now and for me money is more of an issue than time is.  Don't get me wrong, if money were no issue I would absolutely go for the bulk sessions  

[Erica Gabriel]

Our talk has been revolving around “the surgery”, getting zapped “down there”, and her not wanting to deal with smelly buttholes

[dandy1harper]

Yeah, it always seems like it might be awkward
i don't like speek and think it's not important if u don't have desire to do it)

[KathyLauren]

I never did much talking with my electrologist.  My main concern was pain relief, and I found that a good combination was Tylenol, Advil, Emla, headphones and some good music.  I learned to go deep into the music so I was hardly aware of what was happening in the room.  I even fell asleep on a few occasions.  Obviously that does not make for good conversation.

 

Without distraction, she was able to work fast, which was good for me.

[JoniSteph]

My electrologist and I are always chatting about something. Her favorite topic is my transition and how it came about, my progression, my goals, and etc.  I seldom have a problem with pain relief to my face with the EMLA cream, lots of water the night before (hydration), and Tylenol Xtra Strength a half hour before.

She works fast and efficiently that time flies by.

 

Big Canadian Hugs

JoniSteph

[ValerieRun]

My electrologist is a chatter box  we talk, when possible, about everything, from clothes, to vacations, to our favorite movies and actors/actresses, to men, to restaurants, literally everything. It helps to pass the time, and I have even met a few trans girls who also go to see her, so I say it is a very useful and helpful part of the process, besides just the main benefit of hair removal.

[Red_Lauren.]

Today at my zapping. I had the lady who I really like, because she's a bit more relaxed, and not as professional. As the other lady is. As she was zapping my face. I felt like some thing was pulling my hair. I asked what was pulling my hair. She stopped, and her elbow was on my hair. She said im sorry. I told its ok. Its better then me saying I liked it. We both had a good Laugh about that..

[Susan R]

That’s too funny @Red_Lauren.. Thanks for the grins!

[Erica Gabriel]

7 hours ago, Red_Lauren. said:

Today at my zapping. I had the lady who I really like, because she's a bit more relaxed, and not as professional. As the other lady is. As she was zapping my face. I felt like some thing was pulling my hair. I asked what was pulling my hair. She stopped, and her elbow was on my hair. She said im sorry. I told its ok. Its better then me saying I liked it. We both had a good Laugh about that..

My electrolysis lady accidentally leaned on my boobs one day. “Those are actually real and that actually hurts” . We had one of our many good laughs. 
 

She often talks about her personal life too. I figure I have another year there and, while I won’t miss the pain, I will miss her.

[Red_Lauren.]

On 2/1/2022 at 12:25 AM, Susan R said:

That’s too funny @Red_Lauren.. Thanks for the grins!

My friends also thought it was funny. 

On 2/1/2022 at 6:26 AM, Erica Gabriel said:

My electrolysis lady accidentally leaned on my boobs one day. “Those are actually real and that actually hurts” . We had one of our many good laughs. 
 

She often talks about her personal life too. I figure I have another year there and, while I won’t miss the pain, I will miss her.

I elbowed the other lady in the boob this fall by mistake. I'm like sorry, she laughed and said it's not like you hit any thing. Her way of saying she has small boobs. 

 

I'm hoping my face will be nearly done, or done by March, or April. All I have left is a small handful of hairs on my cheeks, and chin. A small patch on the front of my neck, and probably less then 50% of my mustache left. Then next summer upper body hair removal. Hormones have really thinned out my chest Hair though.

 

I'll sorta miss my ladies. I'll miss the one I got in the boob the most. Even though she's not as fun. I saw her a week after starting hormones, and she was like the second ot third person I told in my life, but I told them. When I'm done I'll be sad, and happy at the same time, and both will be getting a giant hug from me.

 

[Susan R]

14 minutes ago, Red_Lauren. said:

When I'm done I'll be sad, and happy at the same time, and both will be getting a giant hug from me.

@Red_Lauren. Just keep on the path you’re going and I know you will undoubtedly meet many other female friends and you’ll enjoy their company as well. It seems easier to make real friendships with women as women which is what I had hoped for. It’s one of the things that make our journeys all worthwhile.

 

I understand what you mean though. I’ve developed a good rapport with the RN who does my lab work. Now that I’m on a ‘once a year’ levels check schedule, I rarely see her now. I miss the random chit chat with her. I’m almost always the first one there at the clinic and she seems very interested and takes her sweet time listening to my latest updates. It almost makes me want to go back to 3 month levels checks…almost.

 

My Best,

Susan R

[Hannah Renee]

On 2/1/2022 at 6:26 AM, Erica Gabriel said:

My electrolysis lady accidentally leaned on my boobs one day. “Those are actually real and that actually hurts” . We had one of our many good laughs. 
 

She often talks about her personal life too. I figure I have another year there and, while I won’t miss the pain, I will miss her.

My electrologist places a tissue on my right boob for the deposit of the formerly attached whiskers. Said deposits always result in a light touch - a nice little reminder that my 7 months of estrogen have been working as hoped.

[Erica Gabriel]

I’m on my 11 month of HRT and I’ve lost track of my hours of zapping. I’m not terribly hairy and what body hair I did have has mostly melted away. My upper lip is the worst though it is been reduced to sparse blonde hairs.