Where to draw the line for genital electrolysis

[Dana Michelle]

I'm starting genital electrolysis soon but don't know exactly which areas I need hair removed. There are diagrams but I don't understand where exactly the line is drawn and when I ask the doctors/nurses either don't know or they just refer me back to the diagram I don't understand. They sent my electrologist the diagrams and she might understand them better than me, but I need to know before my appointment where to put the numbing cream.

There is a diagram that shows the lower part of the shaft of the penis highlighted. The part on my body where hair ends and hairless skin begins is right around where the shaded part of the diagram ends. I don't know if the hair on my body is right outside or right inside the area that needs hair removed. Does anyone know if it matters where to draw the line between regions? If I had hair within 1/8 of an inch inside the region that needs hair removed, does that matter? If so, I would not know what hair needs to be removed because I cannot tell within 1/8 of an inch where the line is drawn. Maybe I should put the numbing cream on the pubic area around the base of the penis including part of the scrotum just to be safe. Otherwise it is just the perineum that needs treatment.

In case it would be helpful to see the diagrams, they are on https://thrive.kaiserpermanente.org/care-near-you/northern-california/eastbay/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/06/Vaginoplasty-Surgery-Planning.pdf and I am preparing for shallow depth vaginoplasty.

 

 

[Jackie C.]

Well, basically they're going to use your penis and scrotum for the vaginoplasty/labiaplasty. So, those areas need to be clean. You'll want some margins on either side, in front of your penis and behind your scrotum. You're using numbing cream so err on the side of caution. Give yourself WIDE margins. At least a half-inch. This is for your own comfort after all.

[Dana Michelle]

10 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

Well, basically they're going to use your penis and scrotum for the vaginoplasty/labiaplasty. So, those areas need to be clean. You'll want some margins on either side, in front of your penis and behind your scrotum. You're using numbing cream so err on the side of caution. Give yourself WIDE margins. At least a half-inch. This is for your own comfort after all.

The surgeon said I don't need to clear the scrotum. It will be used for the labia majora and my surgeon said it is normal to have hair on the labia majora. She also said hair on the labia majora can be treated with electrolysis after surgery since it is external.

[Jackie C.]

Interesting. My diagram... well the one for the doctor I didn't go with... definitely had the scrotum marked for, um, slash and burn. The doctor I ended up going to didn't require any hair removal at all so I guess it comes down to the individual surgeon and their technique. In any case, I hope your appointment went (and I apologize for the pun) smoothly.

 

Hugs!

[Dana Michelle]

9 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

Interesting. My diagram... well the one for the doctor I didn't go with... definitely had the scrotum marked for, um, slash and burn. The doctor I ended up going to didn't require any hair removal at all so I guess it comes down to the individual surgeon and their technique. In any case, I hope your appointment went (and I apologize for the pun) smoothly.

 

Hugs!

My surgeon requires clearing the hair on the scrotum for full depth vaginoplasty but I am having shallow depth.

[Dana Michelle]

I had my first session of genital electrolysis today. Today I had the hair around the base of the penis treated and on Thursday I will have the perineum treated. I actually found the pain much milder than on my face. My electrologist said most clients find genitals more painful. It was difficult to apply the numbing cream (today I put it on both the perineum and penis because I didn't know how much the electrologist could get done during the appointment). On the perineum I can't see where I'm applying it while I'm applying it. I have to go back and forth between applying and looking in a mirror. Also, walking and sitting cause the cream and plastic wrap to move around so I had to reapply it.

In another thread I talked about the possibility of getting erect https://www.transgenderpulse.com/forums/topic/81268-electrolysis-while-erect/ . Unfortunately, I did get fully erect at the beginning of my appointment. However, the electrologist didn't react to it or seem offended. Around the beginning, she told me not to get embarrassed and that she's done this many times before. She probably said this before noticing that I was erect. It was while I was on the table without pants but while she was preparing. The erection was the part I found embarrassing. Hopefully being noticeably embarrassed made my electrologist realize that I didn't want the erection.

She also found the diagram unclear. It said to clear a strip 2.5 inches wide starting 1 inch above the anus but didn't say how long of an area to clear. I e-mailed my surgeon and hopefully will get a response in time. It's 3 1/2 hours after the end of the appointment and I still feel numb in part of my genitals. It doesn't last nearly that long on my face. I hope it's not a problem. I have the least feeling in the glans of the penis but didn't put any numbing cream on that area. Strange.