A new and little concerend woman

Special Issues Transgender / Transsexual
#1

Hi, I am Shawna a MtF about 10 months in transition. Earlier this year I had five laser sessions on my face and neck and that reduce my “goatee” area by about 60%; everything else was pretty much killed away. Recently I began electrolysis and have accumulated some 12 hours of time. I am having a very difficult time with the pain as my electroligist only uses numbing cream and I feel every hair being hit. I decided to take a break from it for a while and find a new electrologist who better manages the pain.
My fear is that I have a ring around my face and I feel like my skin has been damaged. I don’t say that the empty follicles are giant pits, but look like enlarged pores. Do any of you have/ had this and do they shrink?
Secondly,it has been some three weeks since my last session and I am still red, but not swollen or irritated-- I have this ring around my mouth of a red hue and pigments different than my surrounding skin tone. God…does this fade over time? I am on the verge of seeing a dermatologist.

Shawna

#2

Can you give more information about your electrolysis treatments?

Modality used? Blend? Galvanic? Thermolysis? Length of the sessions? Aftercare? Healing? Out of curiosity, equipment used? Magnification used? Did you feel the insertions? Time between treatments? How much hair? How close together? Are you taking any medications? Did you sample and interview other electrologists in your area?

Most skin manifestations heal fine with time. Coarse hairs that occupy space, once removed, leave an empty space that will eventually close. Give it time. Same for the red around your mouth. I think you are very smart to give your skin a rest. Make sure you are healed before having any more treatments. I would strongly urge you to contact this electrologist and have her/him take a look at your skin after three weeks of healing. Please take your concerns to your practitioner. Tell her/him that you are not pleased with the healing part and ask them what you should do?

In the meantime, we can try to help you sort this out as best we can, Shawna.

dee

#3

Hi Shawna:

I had laser, then electrolysis for the last 3 years.
I spaced out my electrolysis appointments to 2 hours every
2 weeks to try to give my face a chance to heal between sessions.

It is important that your electrolygist uses a setting that is sufficient to treat the hair, but not too strong so as to damage the skin. That is where experience and familiarity with you and your skin helps.

You may want to try a couple of things for the pain.
You can try taking some tylenol 3’s before the appointment.
Also drink a lot of water on the day of the appointment, and some here say to avoid caffeine that day.
You need to put the numbing cream on before the appointment,
since sometimes it takes an hour to work, but read the instructions. I use Emla.

After the treatment it is very important to put something on your face to help the skin. I use a combination of aloe vera,tea tree oil, zinc oxide and vitamins A and E.
Tea tree oil helps with any scabbing, but don’t use the undiluted stuff since it is too strong.

Alicia

#4

Hi Shawna,

We are about the same stage in our treatments (both for GID and electrology - only with me no laser as I am blonde/gray)

Here is what I do as I had my electrologist start with my upper lip. I am noticing the large “holes” where my “tree stumps” have been removed, but they get much smaller fairly quickly after treatment.

  1. No caffiene for 24 hours prior to my treatment (including Starbucks and soft drinks. Hardest part for me! Love my coffee!!!)

  2. Drink at least 8, 8-ounce glasses of water a day for at least 3 days prior to treatment. More if you are working out. Replace what your perspiration loses.

  3. I take 2 Tylenol tablets at least 1 hour before the treatment. Some people use Advil (Naproxin Sodium) or Motrin (Ibuprofin) and claim good results. We are all different.

  4. Avoid alcoholic beverages for a couple of days prior to a treatment. A glass of wine with dinner will not harm you! Just be careful to not overdo it!

  5. I have been using LMX-5, on my upper lip only, at least 45 minutes prior to my treatment and cover it with a bit of plastic wrap held in place with tape (Don’t worry too much about this. We women do a lot of strange things to keep ourselves beautiful. People do look, but they don’t take this as too unusual.)BTW…You can get LMX-5 from Texas Electrolysis Supply . You might be able to get this locally as well.

On the morning of my treatment I eat a good breakfast and make certain that I get a good night’s sleep the night before. I also drink at least 32 ounces of water. I don’t know if this applies to you, but I am taking 100mg of Spironolactone, twice a day, in addition to my estradiol. I hold off on my morning dose of the spiro until after my treatment. If you have your treatment in the afternoon, just drink another couple of glasses of water before the treatment and you should be fine.

For after care, my electrologist uses “Seabreeze” and I follow this up with Witch Hazel followed by an aloe gel (non-greasy)for at least 3 days after the treatment. So far, everything is going well for me.

How ever you proceed, my best wishes go out to you!

Joanie <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

#5

I agree with everything posted so far. The only thing I do diffrently is … Mlis Repair cream. I would have red bumps etc… For two weeks following my treatments.I started using Mlis and what took two weeks to heal only took about three days!! My “holes” would be gone to!!!
I’d love to send you a sample to try. The company is based in Utah.

#6

Hi Nanci.

What ingredients are in the cream? Is it Mlis repair cream as you wrote or is it misspelled?

Thanks,

Dee

#7

Hi Dee:

I had to look this one up myself. They have a website which lists the following info and ingredients:

Originally formulated to minimize scar tissue formation following surgery, REPAIR can help to reverse the scarring process and diminish most types of newly formed scar tissue. REPAIR helps with all types of dry and damaged skin, including burns, scars, eczema, psoriasis, stretch marks, abrasions, poison oak, poison ivy, and sunburn. This amazing cream combines the most powerful natural tissue rebuilders available. It is chemical-free and safe for use on any type of skin. REPAIR has the ability to penetrate up to 25 cell layers to moisturize and provide nutrients to help healthy skin to naturally restore.

Active Ingredients:
Aloe Vera, DI Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesame Oil, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Eucalyptus Oil, Methyl Salicylate, Allantoin, Panthenol, Beta Carotene

Alicia

#8

Why thank you, Alicia, for that information. I would think there would be some onion extract as well in this cream, but the other ingredients sound pretty good.

I just googled it for the spelling. The website states it as m’lis repair cream.

Thanks,

Dee

#9

I’m sorry I haven’t been on in some time.M’lis is great! Have any of you tried it?
I would be happy to send some samples out. Also I’ll be at Esprit 2007 if anyone wants some.