is shaving frequently gonna affect the final result ?

[Kitty-]

 

Hello ! i'm new here ! i'm at my 10th hair laser removal treatment for my face and my facial hair is still somewhat strong ... i have light skin and dark hair. The treatment seems to have made my facial hair look alot more pale color wise (almost white). before my first treatment my beautician told that i could basically shave my face once a week but not more because it could agitate the hairs and lately she said that i should basically almost stop shaving entirely between treatments but it's make me feel anxious after about like a week and a half to be that hairy haha anyways i looked it up online and i couldn't really confirm what she was saying ... how shaving frequently between treatments could affect the final results. i'm pretty poor so at 200$ per treatment this is concerning to me , i would love to hear what you guys think about that! Thanks a ton Kitty-

[AllieJ]

2 hours ago, Kitty- said:

 

 

Hello ! i'm new here ! i'm at my 10th hair laser removal treatment for my face and my facial hair is still somewhat strong ... i have light skin and dark hair. The treatment seems to have made my facial hair look alot more pale color wise (almost white). before my first treatment my beautician told that i could basically shave my face once a week but not more because it could agitate the hairs and lately she said that i should basically almost stop shaving entirely between treatments but it's make me feel anxious after about like a week and a half to be that hairy haha anyways i looked it up online and i couldn't really confirm what she was saying ... how shaving frequently between treatments could affect the final results. i'm pretty poor so at 200$ per treatment this is concerning to me , i would love to hear what you guys think about that! Thanks a ton Kitty-

 

Kitty, my electrologist recommends shaving over epilation of any kind, as although shaving might thicken hairs some, pulling them out causes the follicles to grow at awkward angles to get to. With electrolysis, I have to grow the hairs out for a few days prior to the treatments, and it was dysphoric for a while, but once the darker hairs are gone, some growth was not so noticeable. Trans friendly salons know that having facial hair is dysphoric for trans women, and will usually accommodate them, and usually, laser doesn't require you to have length as the laser goes directly to the follicle, so shaving beforehand is rarely required. Maybe find some other trans women close to you and ask them for recommendations for trans friendly salons. As we require lots of work to be hair free, most salons will cut deals for us to stay with them.

 

Hugs,

 

Allie

[Audrey]

Hi there @Kitty-, welcome to the forums! I can very much relate to the anxiety you feel around letting your hair grow and working so diligently to be free from it. I also went with laser for my facial hair and had about a dozen sessions before reaching what was most likely maximum benefit from the treatments. I believe that the hair you are seeing and feeling now is most likely the lighter white or grey hairs that will not respond well or at all to the laser. By now, it is probable that the majority of hairs that will respond to laser have done so and will either not come back or will be far less. I have never heard or been told not to shave before or after laser sessions, but I have been encouraged to use an exfoliating treatment to help ease hairs falling out after a laser session (I like the Aveeno daily brightening scrub). Your skin may be quite red and sensitive after any hair removal treatment so take extra care not to irritate it more. The result has been freedom from five o'clock shadow which is a big relief from some of the dysphoria, but I still have to shave regularly to achieve a smooth feel. Someday I may turn back to electrolysis to deal with the white and grey hairs, but for now my focus is on surgery preparation hair removal instead right now. I agree with Allie that almost all salons that offer hair removal (laser or electrolysis) understand that the trans community is a big source of business and want to create a welcoming and accommodating space. I hope this helps!

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[Kitty-]

14 hours ago, AllieJ said:

 

Kitty, my electrologist recommends shaving over epilation of any kind, as although shaving might thicken hairs some, pulling them out causes the follicles to grow at awkward angles to get to. With electrolysis, I have to grow the hairs out for a few days prior to the treatments, and it was dysphoric for a while, but once the darker hairs are gone, some growth was not so noticeable. Trans friendly salons know that having facial hair is dysphoric for trans women, and will usually accommodate them, and usually, laser doesn't require you to have length as the laser goes directly to the follicle, so shaving beforehand is rarely required. Maybe find some other trans women close to you and ask them for recommendations for trans friendly salons. As we require lots of work to be hair free, most salons will cut deals for us to stay with them.

 

Hugs,

 

Allie

Thanks Allie for the reply.

I was thinking starting with laser and finishing with electrolysis ... how painful is electrolysis ?

[Kitty-]

12 hours ago, Audrey said:

Hi there @Kitty-, welcome to the forums! I can very much relate to the anxiety you feel around letting your hair grow and working so diligently to be free from it. I also went with laser for my facial hair and had about a dozen sessions before reaching what was most likely maximum benefit from the treatments. I believe that the hair you are seeing and feeling now is most likely the lighter white or grey hairs that will not respond well or at all to the laser. By now, it is probable that the majority of hairs that will respond to laser have done so and will either not come back or will be far less. I have never heard or been told not to shave before or after laser sessions, but I have been encouraged to use an exfoliating treatment to help ease hairs falling out after a laser session (I like the Aveeno daily brightening scrub). Your skin may be quite red and sensitive after any hair removal treatment so take extra care not to irritate it more. The result has been freedom from five o'clock shadow which is a big relief from some of the dysphoria, but I still have to shave regularly to achieve a smooth feel. Someday I may turn back to electrolysis to deal with the white and grey hairs, but for now my focus is on surgery preparation hair removal instead right now. I agree with Allie that almost all salons that offer hair removal (laser or electrolysis) understand that the trans community is a big source of business and want to create a welcoming and accommodating space. I hope this helps!

 

Love,

~Audrey.

Your post was actually very helpful Audrey thanks you so much  ! that would make alot of sense regarding the now pale color of my facial hair so that's might be it. My beautician tell me to hydrate my skin with a cold hydrating gel after each treatment to reduce skin irritation but i never really had any skin issue caused by the treatments anyways . I'm guessing i can now just shave as many times as i desire between treatments because her advice doesn't really seem to hold much weight in that regard and letting myself become hairy for weeks can really affect my mood ! ... haha. if i can ask , how often do you shave your face and also what is "surgery preparation hair removal" ? My current plan is to finish my hair laser removal sessions on my face and ultimately get electrolysis done eventually. Thanks again , Kitty-

[AllieJ]

57 minutes ago, Kitty- said:

Thanks Allie for the reply.

I was thinking starting with laser and finishing with electrolysis ... how painful is electrolysis ?

 

Kitty, it's not a lot more painful than laser, I started late in life so had very few dark hairs, and needed electrolysis for most of it. For the first couple of hundred hours I didn't use and numbing creams, but the last 30 hours I have been using Emla. When my electrologist knew I was committed to complete clearing she made a special deal for me at US$65/90 minute session, and told me in 35 years of her business I have had more than 4 times more sessions than any other client. For me, it is not a choice, facial hair gives me dysphoria, and I have to get rid of it! 

 

I am at the stage where I don't have to shave for appearance, but there are still enough hairs for a 90 minute session each month. It is painful and slow, but necessary!

 

Hugs,

 

Allie

[Audrey]

@Kitty- Happy to help and share! I still shave daily because the smooth feel is important to me. Even though about 90-95% of my facial hair is now gone, what I have left is still enough to trigger dysphoria even if I cannot really see it without looking closely in the mirror. However, the shave is far faster, and definitely a hair easier (pun intended!). You could probably go 36-48 hours between shaves if you are less bothered by the hair than I am. I think you certainly can do the laser first, electrolysis later approach.

 

Surgery preparation hair removal means I am also having laser treatments for pubic hair. I have bottom surgery scheduled for later this year (peritoneal flap vaginoplasty), and the surgeons require hair removal in an area that will become my vagina. Right now the area is accessible, but after the surgery it will not be. Failure to do the hair removal would lead to complications from the surgery.

 

Love,

~Audrey.

[Kitty-]

34 minutes ago, Audrey said:

@Kitty- Happy to help and share! I still shave daily because the smooth feel is important to me. Even though about 90-95% of my facial hair is now gone, what I have left is still enough to trigger dysphoria even if I cannot really see it without looking closely in the mirror. However, the shave is far faster, and definitely a hair easier (pun intended!). You could probably go 36-48 hours between shaves if you are less bothered by the hair than I am. I think you certainly can do the laser first, electrolysis later approach.

 

Surgery preparation hair removal means I am also having laser treatments for pubic hair. I have bottom surgery scheduled for later this year (peritoneal flap vaginoplasty), and the surgeons require hair removal in an area that will become my vagina. Right now the area is accessible, but after the surgery it will not be. Failure to do the hair removal would lead to complications from the surgery.

 

Love,

~Audrey.

Ooooh i see ! best of luck with the surgery, i hope everything goes well !