Should I Wait To Start Electrolysis Until I Have Started Hrt?

[Guest AlexandraHarper]

By this I mean should I wait until after I have started HRT or could I start now. I'm trying to not spend as much money on a electrolysis, and from what I understand from what I have read HRT has the chance to slow down the growth, which can change the growth pattern, which could hinder my electrolysis. So I guess the two questions I have are 1) Is the way I understand HRT to effect growth correct, 2) If yes does it effect the growth pattern that it might hinder electrolysis? As a side note I should be starting HRT hopefully by August of this year *figures crossed*.

Alexandra

[Carolyn Marie]

By this I mean should I wait until after I have started HRT or could I start now. I'm trying to not spend as much money on a electrolysis, and from what I understand from what I have read HRT has the chance to slow down the growth, which can change the growth pattern, which could hinder my electrolysis. So I guess the two questions I have are 1) Is the way I understand HRT to effect growth correct, 2) If yes does it effect the growth pattern that it might hinder electrolysis? As a side note I should be starting HRT hopefully by August of this year *figures crossed*.

Alexandra

Alexandra, if you are talking about facial hair, HRT will not affect it. It should slow down growth of body hair and make what does grow finer,

and if you're taking Finesteride as a T-blocker, it could help with male pattern baldness. But you will need either or both electrolysis or laser

hair reduction on your face.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Robin Winter]

That's my intention. I read somewhere that changes in hormones can trigger follicles that had previously been dormant to start growing, so I'd like to wait until hormones kind of even out before I commit money to hair removal.

[Guest Jewel]

Start now. And pursue it as aggressively as your finances allow. You'll thank yourself later. Facial hair removal can take time. Typically a minimum of a year if you always keep on top of it. More if you don't.

HRT will not get rid of any of your facial hair. It may grow a bit finer and lighter in color, and it may grow a bit more slowly, but the follicles will all still be there. And finer, lighter colored hairs can actually be _harder_ to kill, either with laser or electrolysis.

With laser, effectiveness is largely a function of having sufficient pigment in the follicle. Laser isn't very effectively against blond or gray hair.

With electrolysis, finer, lighter hairs means slower going for your electrologist. They're harder to see clearly. Getting good probe insertions is slower and trickier.

And by the time you've been on HRT a while, you're going to be very eager to be out and about as your true self. If you're just starting electrolysis at that time, you'll be having longer, more frequent electrolysis sessions. Which means you'll be walking around a good portion of the time either with your facial hair grown out a bit (because you're about to go in for your next appointment) or with tons of red bumps covering your face. Either way, it'll make it much more likely people will misgender you. Not fun.

On the other hand if you've already gotten rid of the bulk of your facial hair and are at the stage of just the occasional "touch up", you'll likely find that you can go full-time sooner and more comfortably.

Just my two cents.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Good advice! Start now on the face - my therapist also says it is slightly less painful as later the skin thickness diminishes.

Don't do body hair yet. The HRT does a great job of reducing that, and what remains is fine and silky like a natal woman's body hair.

Also - if you are waiting on HRT, you can still do electrolysis while you wait.

Opinions by:

Elizabeth

[Guest Donna Jean]

Start NOW!

All great advice above....

I wish that I had started in 1973 (But, that's a long story...)

Getting mine now, after 13 months HRT sux...I get my electro on Sat. mornings (3 hours worth!) and I can't shave from Thursday morning 'til after my electro! DANG!So, I have to walk around for two days with hairs on my face...BLEAH!

Start as soon as possible...get HRT when you can, but, get started NOW!

Donna Jean

[Guest viv]

Yeh ,,,Donna Jean "s on the money there Hun . Also Estrogen makes

you MUCH more sensitive to pain ,,,so get as much done (( imo))

prior to hormones ,,,,,luvv,viv

[Guest Jewel]

Oh right... like Elizabeth said... start on the _face_ - I should have been clear about that.

Don't worry about body hair pre-HRT, just facial hair. You may find that you won't need any body hair removal at all after a couple of years HRT (except for pre-SRS genital hair removal if your surgeon recommends it).

And for the record, yes, electrolysis starts to hurt a lot more after you've been on HRT a while. At least that was my experience.

Also I wanted to point out there's an excellent hair removal forum - hairtell.com - created by Andrea James and moderated by my friend and hair removal superhero James Walker. It's a great resource for information on both laser and electrolysis, for finding recommendations on local electrologists, and for clearing up the misinformation about hair removal that is oh so common.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Oh right... like Elizabeth said... start on the _face_ - I should have been clear about that.

And for the record, yes, electrolysis starts to hurt a lot more after you've been on HRT a while. At least that was my experience.

Absoutely true!

When I filled out my medical form for my electrologist and I put down HRT on it...She told me that my face would be getting a lot more sensitive (she's a RN) and she would turn down the juice if I wanted her to...

I didn't...hurts, but it goes quicker if the juice is higher!

More bang for the buck!

Donna Jean

[Guest Anna_SF]

start now.

As previously stated, waiting until you are full time means growing out the facial hair for 2+ days so the electrologist has something to work with and then the swollen redness for a few days afterward. I really wish i had started it earlier, as I read on almost every TS website, but I wanted that elusive quick, inexpensive, painless procedure that doesn't exist. And then start on the voice!!!! I had electro yesterday so my chin is swollen and the dark hairs are growing in on my upper lip - I have laser next week. It hurts like blazes but I'm sure I'll look back and be glad.

don't wait,

Anna

[Guest Donna Jean]

Gee......

I sure hear a lot of the same things being said in here, over and over....

I wonder if there's any good advice in there?

Donna Jean

[Guest viv]

start now.

As previously stated, waiting until you are full time means growing out the facial hair for 2+ days so the electrologist has something to work with and then the swollen redness for a few days afterward. I really wish i had started it earlier, as I read on almost every TS website, but I wanted that elusive quick, inexpensive, painless procedure that doesn't exist. And then start on the voice!!!! I had electro yesterday so my chin is swollen and the dark hairs are growing in on my upper lip - I have laser next week. It hurts like blazes but I'm sure I'll look back and be glad.

don't wait,

Anna

Anna ,,,,I had electro yesterday ,,,,,,spots , swollen , redness . I am using

Clean n Clear deep cleanser to keep clean and then Aloe Vera . viv

[Guest AlexandraHarper]

Thanks for the information. I'm going to start the electrolysis sometime next month then. Oh and would one say that the pain from electrolysis is similar to the pain one gets from getting a tattoo on say your lower back? Because that didn't hurt at all for me at least, and the tattoo is a mural on the whole lower back.

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Thanks for the information. I'm going to start the electrolysis sometime next month then. Oh and would one say that the pain from electrolysis is similar to the pain one gets from getting a tattoo on say your lower back? Because that didn't hurt at all for me at least, and the tattoo is a mural on the whole lower back.

I don't have a tattoo so I can't say for sure, but if you tolerated that - then electrolysis won't be much. Some get puffiness and redness. I did for about an hour, then it subsided. It's only really painful near the nose , in the mustache area.

Lizzy

[Guest AlexandraHarper]

I don't have a tattoo so I can't say for sure, but if you tolerated that - then electrolysis won't be much. Some get puffiness and redness. I did for about an hour, then it subsided. It's only really painful near the nose , in the mustache area.

Lizzy

For me the tattoo experience hurts the most for the outline of the tattoo. So I'm assuming that is how its going to be for electrolysis, hopefully! And thought I would add a pic of my tattoo.

[Guest micralla]

for me electro hurts more than my tattoo ever did to get the worst over first I am starting on my upper lip and i have red facial hair which I was told in general hurts even more

[Guest Emily_MI]

for me electro hurts more than my tattoo ever did to get the worst over first I am starting on my upper lip and i have red facial hair which I was told in general hurts even more

The upper lip was the absolute worst for me, also on the bottom chin also hurts quite a bit as well.

[Guest Donna Jean]

Well, the difference with the TAT is that each needle insertion is quick.

With electrolysis each insertion is from 6-10 seconds and the power is applied...(that stings a bit!~)

Huggs

Donna Jean

[Guest]

I've had literally thousands of injections in my life. I approached electrolysis the same way. Relax and keep breathing, let the job get done. Focus on how good it will feel when you're done. Try Liz's chant while it's going on:

I am a woman

I look like a woman

I think like a woman

I act like a woman

I talk like a woman

I am a woman

Just do it - don't let anything stand in your way!

Love, Kat

[Guest Alyssa Leigh]

Oh right... like Elizabeth said... start on the _face_ - I should have been clear about that.

Don't worry about body hair pre-HRT, just facial hair. You may find that you won't need any body hair removal at all after a couple of years HRT (except for pre-SRS genital hair removal if your surgeon recommends it).

And for the record, yes, electrolysis starts to hurt a lot more after you've been on HRT a while. At least that was my experience.

Also I wanted to point out there's an excellent hair removal forum - hairtell.com - created by Andrea James and moderated by my friend and hair removal superhero James Walker. It's a great resource for information on both laser and electrolysis, for finding recommendations on local electrologists, and for clearing up the misinformation about hair removal that is oh so common.

Yeah I can also say that James Walker is really good at what he does. The best thing that I like about going to him for electrolysis is you can watch movies and tv while he works so you can relax and not feel as much pain. The only area that I find hurts the most is right under the nose.