Aftercare - red marks

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi,

I’ve been having electrolysis on my face: is there anything I can do to make the temporary red marks that occur after electrolysis fade quicker? I see that people have mentioned rose-hip oil; does this really work, and is there anything else I can do?

Long version:

I’m a trans woman (mid 30s, red hair and pale skin). I’ve been having electrolysis for the past year or so at the current place I’m going to (I went to another electrologist for about 3 years prior to that but the results were very poor so I moved on).

The machine my electrologist uses is an Apilus with a picture that looks kind of like a feather or a leaf on it (a Senior?). The modality she’s using is flash. For each insertion the machine clicks 3 times (and I feel the 3 separate pulses), and it’s much quicker than the blend method that my previous electrologist was using. For aftercare she puts on tea-tree oil and aloe vera, but I don’t really put anything on it after that at home.

I’m very happy with the results. I’ve been going weekly to my current place for a year, and she’s almost totally cleared my cheeks (haven’t touched them for 2 months and there is very little regrowth). It takes 10-15 minutes to clear my chin each week and most of the hair left on my top lip is directly below my nose. We’re now moving onto my neck and the underside of my chin.

However, the red blotches left by the electrolysis are starting to get me down a bit. Because I go every week the redness doesn’t really fade between sessions, and because it’s all on my chin and top lip it’s kind of like a blotchy red goatee and moustache - like I’ve swapped a dark beard shadow for a red one. There are no scabs/scars/raised dots, very few spots and the red marks that used to be on my cheeks have faded so I know the redness will go over time, but it’s frustrating to have a beard outline all the time.

At one point in my transition I didn’t care too much about it because my overall appearance/voice/whole presentation was bad so stressing about any particular thing was pointless and overwhelming. However, I’m starting to get things together presentation-wise so it’s becoming more important to me.

Is there anything that I should be doing to reduce the redness (or reduce the amount of time that it’s red for)?

Thanks! :slight_smile:

#2

Hi cup and welcome to Hairtell.

I commend you on your perseverance. This hair removal process is never easy or quick.

Your natural skin and hair color skin color could be the problem with the persistent amount of redness you have. Redheads have translucent-like skin. The natural healing process involves bringing blood to the area to heal the skin and, thus the redness you see in those very vascular areas of the chin and lip.

You could try eliminating the tea tree oil and just have her apply aloe vera to the area afterwards and see if that helps? You could use the the nice cold aloe vera gel for three days at home and observe if that makes a difference. If you did nothing, as you have noted, you will still heal.

You might try to apply some clean mineral makeup to the area to “hush” the redness. Apply it with clean hands or applicators. We tell people not to use makeup for two days, but if you are clean and smart about this, you certainly can try it so you feel presentable to those you encounter.

I know this is frustrating, but it will all come to an end and it will be one less thing you have to worry about.

Maybe some of our Hairtell readers can offer you some “pearls” of advice beyond what I wrote. Continued success on your journey.

#3

I am not an electrologist, but I am a trained cosmetologist and someone who had full facial hair removal. I have two bits of advice: One, stop the tea tree. It’s a popular “disinfectant” but can be quite irritating and can trigger allergic reactions in people. I can think of no good reason to apply such an irritating substance to freshly wounded skin, ever. Second, your aftercare sounds a bit lacking. Everyone, but ESPECIALLY people with your skin colouration who are prone to hyperpigmentation, should wear at least an SPF 30 sunscreen all day, every single day. Sun exposure is the number one factor when it comes to skin discolourations like melasma, hyperpigmentation, etc. so even with the sunscreen it’s wise to wear a broad-brimmed hat when out of doors and to avoid direct exposure as much as possible. Use of a very bland moisturizer such as Aquaphor or even plain Vaseline can also help, but again, avoid anything with fragrance or irritating essential oils.

I think your redness will eventually fade just fine, especially if you are religious about sunscreen. Hope this helps!

#4

Also not an electrologist, but there are green-tinted primers and other products you might want to look into, if your electrologist doesn’t object to your using them. They won’t do anything about lessening the redness itself, but if they’re applied skillfully they can certainly minimize the appearance of the redness.

#5

Thanks for your help (and sorry for not responding sooner)! I’ll drop the tea-tree, step up the aloe Vera, find myself some sunscreen and look into tinted primers.

Thanks!