One of the commonest problems for transwomen is the occurrence of facial hair. It is believed that electolysis is the only permanent means of removal, laser is a temporary method and it doesn't work with light coloured hair. I had 4 years of electrolysis which cleared much of my facial hair, ecept the upper lip and throat area. Over the last couple of years I have been plucking but it's slow and sometimes hurts a bit and on a good day only 10 or 20 hairs were removed.
I recently bought a facial epilator and that has removed a lot more, my thoat skin feels as soft as it did when I was a child, however, it hurts particularly on the upper lip, but then electrolysis hurts. For both you have to let the hair grow long enough for it to be tweezed by the epilator orelectrolysed by the who has to insert and electrode and then pluck the killed hair. I don't know how permanent it is, it's supposed to weaken the hair each time it's plucked and therefore growth is supposed to be less and takes a month or more to regrow.
I shall write again to tell you what the longer term effects are but it seems easier than ordinary plucking where you can't reach or see hairs, effectively you don't need to see what you're doing, the little sting as the hair is removed tells you that it is removing hairs. I've been using an epilator on my legs for years, the hairs are certainly finer and the skin on my neck and throat is much softer than I ever achieved with shaving and they cost less than an electric shaver.
Comments
Laser
Supposedly it can be permanent with the usual lighter hair color caviat based on googling.
I went through the whole blend electrolysis thing itself. The RF portion of the blend was the really painful part, I found the DC part to be pretty unpainful. Upper lip, my electrologist had to do that multiple times due to not being able to impart more energy without making it unbearably painful. She did my toes too (maybe I am part hobbit ...) and that was surprisingly painful. A good electrologist will also do the sideburns.
For me it was a very slow process in the 1980s even with doing 2 or 3 sessions each week, tapering to 1 and fewer, for like 2 to 3 years, so it was not cheap. The electrologist, Bonnie, and her staff worked out of a NYC apartment and they were all trans so they cut us a break on the cost a bit, though allowing for inflation, that was still equivalent to around 100 dollars per session in todays dollars. I did not live in NYC and had to drive in so that cost piled on top of what was already an extremely costly endeavor.
As far as hair growth lingering, I am finding that the older I get the fewer I see of that. The few stragglers I had on my upper lip has stopped growing for some reason so that is a different experience from you. That may be being Asian I have no body hair and the natural tendency to be more hairless is taking over so I have never had the 'pleasure' of an epilator. Unfortunately I am suffering from alopecia on my head in my older years and may be due to that too. My mom's hair got very thin with age so I guess I know where that comes from.
I have used an epilator regularly…….
On my arms, legs, and torso, for about a decade. I find that it works very well, and yes, the hair has gotten considerably lighter and more sparse over time - although I am sure that hormones and an orchiectomy contributed to that. I am on my second epilator now, having worn the first one out, lol.
As for my torso, when I started using the epilator I had to do quite a large portion of my torso. Now, after about fifteen years, I find that about once a month I need to use it on a few longer hairs around my nipples, and I also use it around my pubic area - which can be extremely painful, lol. Although much less so now than when I first started to use it. The rest no longer requires it. My hands and arms I do every four or five weeks as needed - the hair there is not dark or really noticeable, but it annoys me as grows back, hence the periodic use of the epilator. I used it on my underarms early on, and the hair there is now so light that an occasional pass with a razor in the shower keeps them clean.
I also use it on my legs periodically, starting in the spring and running through the summer. The ability to go bare legged without worrying about stubble, or feeling like I need to shave my legs every other day, is wonderful during the summer months. And as I previously stated, I also use it in my pubic area (carefully of course, lol) as it keeps my bikini line looking good when wearing a bathing suit or shorts.
As an aside, do not be surprised if you notice some blood when you use first use an epilator. As it works by pulling the hair out like a tweezer, it can result in some light bleeding if used on patches of thicker hair. I noticed this mostly in my pubic area, especially where my thighs met my torso. But only the first few times I used the epilator. As the hair grows back in it is lighter, easier to remove, and also less painful. So repeated uses become easier.
As to my neck and face, I have had multiple series of laser treatments in those areas. I am lucky in that I have fair skin and darker hair, so the laser is more effective on me - the contrast in coloration is essential to how well it works. A series is usually about six treatments, each one several weeks apart. It is not cheap to do it, but the cost is generally cheaper in more metropolitan areas, perhaps due to competition. As I spent a great deal of time traveling on business, it was fairly easy for me to schedule my treatments in different metropolitan areas which I had to visit regularly - NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, etc., as well as a salon near my home. I have also found that checking Groupon has allowed me to get some very good deals on my treatments, and several salons have then offered the same discount for repeated series.
I have never used a facial epilator, although I have thought of doing so before. Please let me know what brand you are using, and how well it works for you!
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Medvial Torture
Medieval torture doesn't hold a candle to what happens when one uses an epilator on one's self. Name all the devices used to extract data or confessions from prisoners and they are toys. Wrote a story using an epilator on a drug dealer to get details of all his sources and dealers. 'not published on this site'. Blindfolded he had no idea what kind of sadistic device was used, only extreme pain. In minutes he was spilling it all.
Hugs Angharad, the meaning of S&M becomes very crystal clear in both context at the same time.
Barb
My dog took pity on me. She chewed up the cord on the sadistic device. Truly a girl's best friend.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Everyone is different
Very true of hair growth and distribution. Many months of (thermo) electrolysis have vastly thinned my facial hair. As Kimmie says, the lip area is stubborn as the sensitivity means turning the current down. I would still make a poor showing at Movember. Sideburns? Gone, just a few strays, same as throat.
I have an epilator - non facial - which I used to use on the lower legs, the hairs there are tenacious, some only letting go with blood so it was too uncomfortable for me.
At least I am blessed with non hairy fingers and toes!
Teri Ann
"Reach for the sun."
Keep us posted.
I've been the electrolysis route. Five years of twice weekly appointments; which, thankfully Kaiser paid for. I had her (her
husbandwife is trans) concentrate on the cheekbone to jawbone area first so that I could allow my hair in front of my ears grow without a cut side-burn line. As a result, that area is virtually hairless. At her suggestion, she spent about half the session on my upper lip. I used Lidocaine on the outside and Orajel inside. It was still painful, but the combination made it tolerable. The other half of those day on my chin.She retired before she could do too much on my throat. Unfortunately, none of the other electrologists that Kaiser can refer me too are in striking distance from my rather rural home. The result is that my cheeks are smooth and don't require much attention; my mustache is sparse. But my throat and chin will still grow a pretty health crop if I let it go.
Keep us posted as to how it works.
s
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
I used an epilator on my legs
I used an epilator on my legs for years, never tried one on my face, as the legs were painful enough. I switched to an IPL a couple of years ago, and it was a night-and-day difference. As long as I shaved first, there was no pain, and it lasted so much longer than the epilator. Though it does really depend on the color of your hair, if you have light hair, it might not work as well.
For me, though, using the ILP on my legs only a handful of times over the last 2 years has completely changed the hair on my legs. What hair has come back is very slow to grow back, and much of it is much thinner and lighter in color. In fact, I might have screwed myself in getting electrolysis on my legs, as there isn't really much left, and what does come back is the really hardy hairs.
I have been doing electrolysis on my surgery area, and OMG, that is painful, even with numbing.
Surgery area
OMG, I blotted out my memory of that in addition to now having PTSD over that experience.
The recommended way is a two step process where before you come in for your appointment you get a medical professional to inject the surgical area with lidocaine first and then get it done.
I had to apply my lidocaine topically for a very long time prior to my appointment to ensure numbing but even then I barely held up for 20 minutes. It is like doing the upper lip but over a much bigger area. I would suggest getting it done using laser if possible.
In theory I heard some providers like those in Thailand claim they do not require it as they remove the follicles during surgery but then my surgery was 24 years ago.
Interesting concept…….
But I don’t understand how a surgeon could possibly “remove the follicles”. If true, that would be wonderful, but based on my own knowledge I don’t see how it could be done without removing the skin itself.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Follicle removal
It's actually a little horrifying. When you have the underside of the dermis exposed, the follicles can be scraped off. I read a rather more graphic description of it about 30 years ago, and it still creeps me out.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Ughhhhhh!
Sounds like being skinned alive! Horrifying doesn’t half describe it!
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Old-Fashioned
I have found that the best way to remove facial hair from the top lip is waxing. Yes, it hurts but only when you rip the wax off. For me it lasts about three to four weeks between repeats.
Epilators continued
My face and throat are smoother than they have since before I started shaving, done regularly there is little pain except for around the mouth and that is getting easier.It's now a week since I started and not touched a shaver or razor since I wish I'd done it years ago. Those who claim that it is too painful to contemplate, are you sure you are (trans)women? Because you are too squeamish to make it, so might as well give up now. Only those who are committed will thrive and a little discomfort is well worth it.
Angharad
Good to hear
I'm seriously considering getting one for myself. What brand and model do you have?
My only regret would be that I recently purchased a new shaver.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann