And So It Begins

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I’m a seventeen-year-old male and only ten minutes ago I finished with my first electrolysis treatment! I’d originally posted in the “laser hair removal” forum, opting for that method. However, due to the fact that I’d continually plucked my upper lip (where I want the hairs removed from), I’d have to forego treatment for several months. I wanted to begin as quickly as possible, so I decided to go with electrolysis; if only during the interim, while the growth cycles of the hairs stabilized.

I found the women that I saw today on the electrolysisreferral.com website. She was very knowledgeable and kind, which definitely put me at ease. She offers other skin treatments, for acne and the like, in addition to electrolysis. Her office was extremely well-maintained and seemed pretty upscale. We spoke for a considerable amount of time (during which she answered all of my questions and concerns) before beginning treatment.

She told me that the flash (thermolysis) method was less forgiving on the skin, but that it was slightly quicker. I decided to try it out first, determined to achieve clearance as fast as possible. Compared to the galvanic (which was used later on in the roughly thirty-minute session), it did seem quicker. It was considerably more painful, though, and felt like intermittent electric shocks. Needless to say, it hurt a lot! The galvanic felt more comparable to a burning sensation, but was much easier to tolerate. It still hurt, but I was able to breathe through the pain.

I’ve decided that I’d like to continue treatment with this woman, and will most likely opt for the galvanic method. My next appointment isn’t for another week, so I’ll be looking into ELA-Max or EMLA during that time to help ease the pain. In fact, the pain was the only detractor from this entire experience. I was shaking when we finished, partly because I’d been so nervous and partly because it hurt so much. I used to pluck all the hairs on my lip with an epilator (ouch), but this type of pain somehow seemed less tolerable.

Looking at my face now, I only have two or three spots that are enflamed and bleeding a little. Otherwise, the areas that were treated (primarily those closest to my cheeks) look like normal skin! She told me to use a warm compress and to abstain from using depilatories or shaving for several days.

I suppose this post is more for me than anyone else (to share my experience and just vent), but I’d be more than happy to answer anyone’s questions if they were interested! Thanks so much for this site, Andrea! It’s provided me with a wealth of information that I’ve found extremely useful. I hope your kitties are well!

#2

Thanks for posting your experience.

I hope you are going to follow our advise and see other people in your area. One should check out a few people before one settles on the person you will entrust your face to.

If you want fast clearance, you should find someone who can do thermolysis on you that you can tolerate. Perhaps the numbing creams will help you in that endeavor.

Post treatment, you should use cold right after treatment like an ice cube in a plastic bag for about fifteen minutes. Later on a warm compress might be ok.

I am sure you have already found lots of post treatment advise here, so I won’t go in to that. If you want to review that info, you can use the magical search feature. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for sharing, and keep in touch.

PS, I hope you have posted your electrologist in our referral section.

#3

Hi Keeitog:

I go for 2 hour sessions at a time, and have to take some tylenol 3’s ahead of time, plus the Emla.You need a prescription for the tylenol.

I think that as a 17 year old male you probably haven’t begun to see the effects of DHT on hair production over a lifetime. It is possible that as you get older that you will develope new facial hair from that. Any opinions on that James?

Thermolysis is probably the best, and quickest method of removal.I don’t know anyone using galvanic personally. Blend maybe for stubborn hairs.

As James said, if you get some swelling, try an ice pack or
bag of frozen peas or corn immediately afterwards.

For healing try some tea tree oil lotion with pure tea tree oil. I like the Body Shop Tea Tree Mattifying Moisture Lotion. Aloe Vera gel also helps.

Alicia

#4

Most men don’t have the full actualization of beard hair until around 25 years old, however, if one gets on top of the hair young, one can do short appointments every 3 months to keep the new stuff at bay until there is no more recruitment of new hairs.

I think most guys would like it if they could “shave” 4 times a year, and look clean faced all year round.

#5

Unfortunately, there aren’t many electrolysis practitioners near our town. I suppose, ideally, I would shop around and settle on one person. The woman I saw, though, was pretty exceptional. I’m very happy with her! I can’t imagine my experience having been any better.

I was advised to steer clear of cold compresses, though. She said that it could actually cause more problems. She explained that a cold compress could cause the pores to close too quickly and could actually trap oils and such, resulting in little pimple-like bumps. My skin isn’t exactly well-maintained, though, so maybe most people would be alright with the cold. Instead, she suggested using a warm compress three times a day at about fifteen minutes a sitting. The pores would close more slowly this way, she said, and it would help prevent anything from being stuck beneath the surface of my skin.

My practitioner also explained that men are usually easier treat because they rarely require follow-up treatments one clearance has been obtained. Women, however, have unstable amounts of testosterone throughout their lifetimes (i.e. after pregnancy) and can witness new areas of growth after a fluctuation in their testosterone levels. I probably still have some areas that contain latent hairs, but I’ll deal with them once they actually appear.

Thanks for the post-treatment tips, Aliciadarling! My skin is really strange and rarely causes any problems for me. Any swelling I incurred was minimal; it pretty much healed up within the hour afterwards.

I’m going to hold off on posting a referral, James, until I’ve had a few more treatments. I’ll definitely search for another practitioner and at least set up a consultation appointment, so that I’ll have someone to compare this woman to. Thanks for all the help!

#6

Get at least one treatment from another electrologist. Even though you can’t imagine anyone better than the lady you had today, it’s important to have actual evidence on how treatment can be different in the hands of someone else. Also, it’s always good to have a backup person in case your regular electrologist gets sick, goes out of town, can’t fit you in, etc.

#7

Hi Keeitog:

The cold pack is for immediately after a treatment where there is a great deal of swelling or puffiness. You may only get that in areas where a lot of work was concentrated in a dense area, sometimes cheeks, jawline.I really don’t think the pores closing up on you will be a problem from the ice pack. Tea tree oil and aloe vera will help with any slight scabbiness which may occur.

I think the average electrolygist does not have a lot of experience with men’s facial growth. Some older men take up to 200 hours or more to fully clear. Sometimes the mens hair is also thicker than what they deal with in women.

Just be patient with going for treatments. I have been going for 2 years for firstly laser, then electrolysis.It is getting a lot better now though.But there were times when it seemed like it would never be done.

Alicia