Hi Guys I’m from UK I started Electrolysis in Mind August 2013, I have my 5th Session booked this Friday. I have been going every 2.5 to 3 weeks for sessions. I have upper lip hair that doesn’t bother me I know lots of women with this issue and am happy to deal with this myself I used to shave moved to waxing which seems to have made it darker and will probably move onto creams due to this I may do the lip hair if the others area’s with electrolysis work but really it doesn’t bother me. I got hairs around my breast when I got pregant with my daughter 2nd child 6 years ago again it didn’t bother me to pluck these but I do feel self-condition around my husband so as I am having horrid chin hairs removed with electrolysis I am also having the hairs around my nipples removed. The chin hair started when I came off the bill around 18 months ago well I have a coil removed went on pill for 6 months hubby had snip and I went off pill. I may have plucked 1 or 2 hairs before coming off pill after coil removed but in June coming back from a holiday in France, I got really scared as I had 6 hairs on my chin at the same time all dark in colour I’d never had so many. I went to the doctor had blood tests they all came back normal she did suggest I could go on diantee 35 gave me a prescription however after reasearch I got too scared to try this, I also have a friend who has pcos and tried it and basically told me it made her very depressed put on weight and did little for the hairs and when she came off it they came back worse 
so after researched I rang to doctor and told her this and asked her about electorlysis she said electorlysis will only work on a case by case situation what ever that means and said I would have to do it privately if I wished or bleach the hairs. So I though from August to xmas I 'll give it a shot I know it won’t go away in that time but I may see some improvement to show me its worth continuing with. I went onto the UK electorlysis website and found only 1 person in my area 30 mins away there are others but they are not registered. I thought at first it was fab but after the 3rd session I seem to have more hairs coming through that I didn’t know I had before in different area’s I hadn’t plucked which scared me that they are new ones I have hairs that I was so fab had gone away and have returned 2-3 times in the same area I don’t know if they are the same or different as one didn’t come back for 6 weeks so is it the same I’m now having to zap for 3rd time? I used to pluck about 2 hairs every 2 weeks now I’m having to zap 5-6 hairs every 2 -3 weeks. My breasts were nice and clear for 6 weeks now look like a garilla worse than my first session? I am crying every week wondering whether I’m doing the right think she seems to do it all right she zaps the hairs I feel the zap and I don’t feel them being released she says I need to give it more time but when I told her last time about plucking 2 hairs every 2 weeks and now I’m zapping twice as many she said I should think whether its working for me that really scared me. I’m sorry for the rabbling I am very emotional this didn’t worry me before June but every day I’ve looked this week another hair as appared I’m scared when I go and get these removed the day after another will come and I won’t have 2 weeks of free hairs its becoming more like 1 week and I wait a week to see if anymore come though which they normally do before being zapped. I wish I could just go longer between treatments I’m so self conscious collecting the kids from school and don’t want to go out the house when the hairs come back.
I know now what I thought prior to June was up to 6-8 hairs taking it in turns coming though is more like 20+ hairs in all different places now which If I left would look hidious and like a beard I personally believe If I didn’t have kids I would have done harm to myself I am that depressed, I know I have only being going for a short while but was hoping it would feel better and not worse going though this process.
We understand what you are going through Helen.
I think the best way to approach this is by letting
the electrologist work on one area, clearing as much
hair as she can possibly see. Focus on the area that
bothers you the most and be patient.
Those hairs that you tweeze today will take about 6 weeks to start showing.
Cut the hairs short between treatments. Waiting weeks between appointments might not be best in your situation.
Do not wax or thread or tweeze.
If you are temped to tweeze, visit your electrologist weekly so that she can get them before you do.
As you are in the UK, if your physician does the electrolysis, is this service free under your socialized medicine?
When you do get treatment, make sure the electrologist gets easy hair releases.
Ok lets slow down and look at the issues one at a time.I know there is a lot of emotion and fear charged behind here so the first rule of thumb is to look at it rationally.
First off, I am Not a professional. But I do study and practise electrolysis and I’m a transgirl. What that means is I’ve done my homework in regards tot he endocrine system and how it’s used to control sex hormones and their secondary effects on things like hair growth. So I’m a knowledgeable layman. I’ve been told I should point out where I’m coming from when giving an opinion. So take it for what it’s worth.
First off, your telling me you are seeing hair growth on the chest chin and upper lip.And that these are dark hairs.
From an endocrinologists point of view, normal is a very large range. What you want to know from your blood results is whether your testosterone levels are in the high normal range and whether an antiandrogen would be effective.That, I suspect, is what the diane-35 is. If you’ve just come off the pill your levels are going to be all over the map. So you may or may not benefit from an antiandrogen. All it does is lower testosterone levels. The doctor clearly thought that you would, or wouldnt have prescribed the Diane-35. So…you have some serum testosterone and that’s stimulating velus hairs to become bit dark terminal ones. . Aside from Diane-35 there are also other antiandrogens, some of the more commen are: Spiroactone , and cyperoatone and finesteride. So if you are afraid of side effects : Ex: Depression then you can go back and ask that they subscibe something different for that reason. Spiro is basically a water pill and can mess with blood pressure, but other drugs will have different side effects. Spiro for example will make you pee alot. I spent a lot of time finding toilets when I was on that.But the point is that the doctor can choose a different option for the same purpose. I havent noticed any noteabe side affects with Cypero, but do your research on what side effects it has.
Second, Electrolysis works! For Everyone!Not just in some cases. Once a hair folicle is destroyed with electrolysis it never grows another hair. Male or female, so this is where hormones dont matter. What is happening, is the plucking and waxing. This makes that hair unavailable to electrolysis for at least 3 months! So you dont even have them to be removed. Please, go cold turkey on the plucking and waxing. There is no other way. Let the professional do their job. Until and unless this ceases immediately , you could be extending your treatment by years.
You say you are going every 2.5 to 3 weeks. For how long? Has the electrolysist gotten clearance on the areas you’ve wanted done? If not, they need to work more. I cant tell from your post how much time you are spending total under the needle nor how much areas are affected.
Keep going to electrolysis. Yes, it will be working it works for everyone, it is the only FDA approved method of permanent hair removal allowed to advertise as permanent. You need to let the hairs come out so no waxing or plucking.And check with your doctor regarding what he prescribed and look at other options.
That’s pretty much the secret recipe. Know what your hormone levels are , and keep doing electrolysis. Regrowth periods are completely normal, but subside later in treatment. And dont use any other hair removal treatments ( ie plucking" ).
Seana
I can not leave the breast or chin hair so I have to treat both area’s with electrolyis my husband knows about the issues but I still don’t think he’s want to see hairy breasts. I haven’t tweezed since 2 weeks prior to starting electrolysis and it was about a month on my breasts before. its just incredibly hard since it seems to be getting worse not better I am lucky I work from home but I would like to work out of home again and I would like to have a social life at present, I collect the kids from school slightly later and drop off slightly later to avoid people seeing the current 6 hairs on my chin before I would just take them out and get on with my day. My electrolyisis says it might take up to 2 years to be full cleared and I have only just started I understand this but I was told it would probably be cleared in 10 treatments at the annual appointment which I now think is silly since I’ve had 5 and its now slowing down at all. I only got for 10 minute sessions my husband says I should try and leave them longer before going but I can’t walk around more than a week with the hairs on show its the worse week of my life. The women I am seeing is in her early 60’s and has been doing it for 40 + years I believe she is using flash. There are other clinics around doing this treatment but as I say she was the only one in the area listed on the official electrolysis website.
When a woman has a hormonal change that causes unwanted hair to grow, the hair shows up months later. You will not see it right away.
By the time you actually see the hair growth, the hormones might be back in the normal zone. However - those follicles that were stimulated to produce hair often continue to produce hair - even after the hormones have gone back into the normal range. This is why we often get the diagnosis, “idiopathic hirsutism”.
Regarding hair growth during pregnancy, sometimes as the hair naturally sheds, hairs will not regrow in those temporarily activated follicles. Those are the luckier ones.
I just wanted to note that I have been waxing my upper lip and wouldn’t dream of doing it on my chin, I am not having my upper lip treated and am happy to continue with other methods for his all the women in my family and my husband has upper lip hair it was on the tele watching threading shaving waxing cream etc… I really do not worry about removing these hairs and a little growth coming through what I am having treated is chin hairs and around my nipples I was only having 2-3 chin hairs every 2 weeks come though but since going to electrolysis its more like 5-6 in the same time frame, this is what is worrying me and I am not touching the treated hairs inbetween other than to cut them short with nail scissors as advised. I have been going every 3 weeks for 10 minute session of flash but I am now going this friday which is 2.5 weeks since they were coming in every 2 weeks but the last 2 times they have started coming in after a week so sessions is shorted I have walking around with hairs. I started this treatments mid August and after each treatment I have left without any visible dark hairs and contact her again when I’m ready for next treatment. its not expensive I pay £12 for a 10 minute session. I have been told when you come off diantee that the hairs come back worse that is more of a worry for me than the other side effects I’ve also read this with Yaz and don’t want to take a pill that I am only allow to take for a short time there is a 6 months limit in uk for diantee then you have to come for 6 months before you can go on it again at which time women have reported the hairs coming back worse, and I also worry by going on a pill that there would be an age limit I also have high blood pressure and strokes as family history which is a side effect. I did have my testosterone tested and that I was told was in normal range. My fear is simple that what ever I do I do not make the situation worse I am depressed as it is and becoming worse would tip me over the edge I have been crying since I started this journey in August.
ALL OF THE HAIRS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF GROWING ARE NOT SHOWING AT THE SAME TIME: if the hairs are making you miserable, why are you not going into treatment weekly? Electrolysis works. You can surmise that treatment is okay if during treatments, you do not feel the hairs being pulled out.
I just don’t understand why I was plucking every 2 weeks before going to electrolysis and since going to electrolysis they are now coming in weekly and more are coming in my questions was why was I plucking 2 hairs fortnightly before treatment I understand these were not the same 2 hairs each time but hairs taking it in turns, and now I am having 5-6 weekly only starting after 2nd electrolysis treatment. my tests were taken exactly 1 month before starting electrolysis that said my levels were normal and it has been over a year more like 18 months since I stopped the pill. This issue is worrying me and making me concerned with the process. The process to my eyes seems to be causing more hairs to come in sooner than when I started ?
You…have been crying…since august…and avoiding social situations…over…6 hairs? REALLY? Oh how I wish I had your problem!
An electrolysist only needs 5-6 days growth to epilate the hair. Until then…shave em.Dont pluck or wax. And that includes your upper lip, spend the extra couple pounds and have them do that as well. Plucking and waxing can serve to strengthen the hair root and make it worse.
And it may look like you have 6 hairs, really, you have probably more like 100 or more. As Arlene said they arent all showing. A electrolysist with 40 years of experience is NOT going to make it worse I promise you. You just arent seeing all of the problem at once. You are seeing them more now, because you plucked them before. Weekly. The effects of that will be to create more hairs that you arent even seeing yet and wont be for another month or two minimum. You only stopped plucking 2 months ago.
I am utterly amazed how many times I am repeating myself today. The same thing, over and over and over. It’s like being held in detention and having to write lines…
Seana
Helen electrolysis is absolutely positively guaranteed to be 100% permanent hair removal. When you pluck you are disrupting the hair cycle which disrupts the natural course of the hair. Now that you have stopped the hairs now have a chance to follow their natural hair cycle. Now all the stages of growth have a chance to show their ugly little heads. Anywhere from six to ten weeks give or take a few weeks a lot of your hair is finally going to be allowed to grow freely, that’s why there are so many more hairs. It’s not easy letting them grow but if you want to be hair free you have too. Like Arlene said “clip them with scissors and go to your electrologist more often”.
I understand there are women with worse situations than myself however it doesn’t change how I feel about dark hairs on my chin If I feel this way with what I have now you can imagine my fears on the situation becoming worse. Its having to go out everyday to collect the kids and be around people I know and them seeing them that is the issue I have to give it time for a few to come I suppose otherwise I’d get treated once a week and another come come in the next day least going every 2 weeks I get one week to be clear. £12 isn’t much to spend but I do only earn 8k a year myself with a mortgage and 2 kids along with all the other bills so twice a month is as much as I really want to spend although If I had the money I would spend a million to be rid. I am still skeptical plucking 2 weeks for a year with only 2 all be it different hairs come in each time and now its increased since doing the electrolysis has nothing to do with the electrolysis I guess I maybe letting my anxieties take over it would be nice to speak with someone who’s been though this process rather than someone who maybe an electrolysis? I’m sorry I don’t know your situation and it sounds like from what you say you may now how I feel and have the same issues. I have discussed with my husband whether to go back to the doctors seek another electrolysis or continue with this one at present I am continuing as its only been 12 weeks at next treatment. I may have to go with someone else in winter though as she is 30 mins from us we have had bad ice in UK for last 2 winters where roads have been cut off I live in the sticks and the women I visit lives even more in the sticks and treats from her house, I do believe some of the roads may flood or be closed with ice if we have another bad winter and I may have to use somewhere else temp as I do not plan to ever tweeze these area’s again, If I had to stop electrolysis for what ever reason I think it would bleach and snip with scissors but still holding out for the electrolysis. As for the upper lip I am certain I am fine with this I have had upper lip hair since I was a teenager and in whole that time no one had ever known to my knowledge but shaving or waxing I would never do to the other area’s so not easily disguised. My mother in law in her early 70’s and sister in law later 40’s are open that they use cream to rip of upper lip hair and its never caused them any issues I wouldn’t have know if they didn’t say, so I do not feel the money and time needed to rid of upper lip hair is warranted to an area that hasn’t caused me any issues and would rather it spent on an area like my chin and breasts which do upset me. It is well know that lots of women rip them self of upper lip hair but unfortunately it is less know and most men don’t know that women get chin and breast hairs and I know these will unfortunately for women like us always be social taboo’s
Thank you for your reply Gretchen it’s nice to get an explanation as to why more hairs might be coming in sooner using this process this I did not understand and maybe explained by what you say. I may just have to go every 2 weeks as I am now rather than 3 which I was doing previously. I will leave going back to the doctors until the new year and will make a decision on whether to stick with this electrolysis then too or If I have to try someone else which I may have to compare this winter as I do have much closer centre’s but unfortunately they are not registered on the official electrolysis website where as she is which extra confidence over the others.
You have 12-18 months to go through all the hair cycles and see electrolysis through to the finish. Deal with it now and be done with it or deal with it the rest of your life. People do not look at you as closely as you think they do, we are, are own worse critics.
You have quoted one of my husbands saying people do not look at you are closely as you think they do he doesn’t see what the fuss is about, he doesn’t really care what people think about him and unfortunately I have always been more of a shy person who’s self conscious anyways. Even so I do keep my bra on when the nipple hairs come though because he did pull a face trying not to show me when I told him about those, but I do feel keeping it to myself would have made me worse he my husband and my best friend my rock that I couldn’t be without. Fingers crossed the process works for me as I know it has for others and I can go back to my old self which isn’t so emotional and reliant for my husband for self assurance. If anything it has shown me just how lucky I am to have him.
If your husband loves you then he loves all of you, including your unwanted hair. Be patient it will end if you stick with it. Spend some time reading this website and you will educate yourself and have a fair understanding of electrolysis.
Helen you have 2 professional electrolysists and one amateur ALL SAYING THE SAME THING though I’m not as eloquent :). Yep, hair sucks! Deal with it with electrolysis and then be done with it. Good luck!