I’ve been to 2 different laser clinics with less than ideal results. Neck and cheeks it helps but won’t touch upper lip and jaw. I have olive skin and not enough contrast to work effectively. My only option is electrolysis but the closest to me is hour and half away and I have much better things to spend 10-15 thousand on. I thought I’d done quite a bit of research and had settled on a galvanic unit from Amazon for about $500 untill creeping Seana’s posts on reddit brought me here.
Now I’m thinking a quality blend unit from TES is a much better option, it should have value should I decide to sell it. I’m more than willing to pay for some online training and will make sure i’m somewhat competent before touching my face.
If anyone here knows of something available in Canada for a fair price I’d rather do that then deal with customs.
Also… one of the million youtube vids I watched said they will not do electrolysis on anyone with surgical implants. My femur and pelvis mostly titanium, Is that something that I should worry about?
I bought a ST250. my copy of A.R. Hinlkel’s electrolysis book is in the mail. By this time next week I should have a few less hairs 
Hi Maygan,
good luck on your journey!
For machines in canada, the usual recommendations apply. Look on places like kijiji and in particular look in quebec ( province wide) when conducting your search . Try Seach terms such as electrolysis or Apilus . Also try searching facebook marketplace. Try for an older Apilus Senior or Silouette Tone VMC both of which are blend capable and often come up on kijiji and marketplace.
I am in a difficult place here, because I rtecommend blend only for DIY. I’m not sure your ST-250 does blend it may be thermolysis only. The issue is that actually certain types of currents ( particularly galvanic but not limited to that) can in fact cause problems with metal implants in particular. In some cases it can cause your body to reject the implant. For this reason it is a medical concern. With thermolysis this is less an issue but I dont recommend thermolysis to DIY’ers and even that can damage some types of sesative implants ( example coclear ear implants) . The answer , is to consult with your surgeon… He may tell you it’s not an issue at aall, but he also may tell you not to do electrolysis of a given modality , or even at all. Either way it is the advice of the surgeon, not any electrologist here on hairtell , that you should follow.
Thanks for the reply,
I went for a few sessions with someone who has over 30 years experience and does a lot of trans faces. She normally would use multi needle but said that pure galvanic isn’t an option for me. She used the exact same ST250 on me. It has a couple hundred preset blend settings for all body parts and hair types or can be set manually in thermolysis, galvanic, or blend.
I’m a little nervous about overtreating so just doing small test patches and going to give it a couple weeks to make sure I’m not scaring myself. The hairs were not releasing smooth in the blend presets so I increased the time about 20% and seems to work great.
I found when learning that presets generally werent sufficient for deep course transgender beard hairs/ I learned to do up to twice or more of the courser hair settings on my older Apilus unit, so yes increasing the time. I never experienced anything like overtreatment from this. In general the thermolysis component used in blend is less than used alone as thermolysis , for just about every preset. Also time is a critical factor the lye needs sufficient time to work in the follicle for you to get a good release. Finally, if you are nt generating a lye crust, something is wrong and you need to check your currents. A white crust aound the base of the probe from galvanic currents is a bnormal part of galvanic currents. . One strategy you could use is to do a treat and wait, treat with the blended currents and wait approximately 30 seconds or so before you attempt to remove the hair. This is often done by treating multiple identifyiable hairs and then removing them as a batch later on. The lye has more time to work on the follicle and this in turn obtains a better release of the hair, indeed, if you have a good insertion .
Good to know, so glad I found this site. It is a gold mine of information. I’ve read almost all your old posts. Can’t thank you enough for posting all your wins, and especially the losses. They have already saved me more time, money, and headaches than I can calculate.
Thought I should post an update…
This was after a few weeks work, 10ish months ago. I started on pure galvanic about .2 mA, taking close to a minute for every hair. I know face not ideal place to learn but I have almost no body hair, with a pelvis full of metal implants, there were not many options. I thought in was the safest to get confidence in my insertions and get over the shakes and nerves.
I started using low blend presets, but 1 shallow insertion gave me a tiny poc mark and I went back to DC only for a while.
I was having trouble with pain tolerance for a while but “The Blend Method” book sorted most of that out. I’m not rushing and low settings that take10 seconds a hair don’t bother me. I have been mostly clear for a few months, just working on regrowth. Last week all it took was about 2 hours, around 150 hairs.
I’m a long way from hair free, I’ve done nothing about my neck, and have like a heavy peach fuzz in most places. Right around my lips is so painful there is quite a bit there, but I ordered some numbing cream. Hope that helps. Most of the hairs that do come in are fine and easy to kill with a F2 probe. A couple ingrown hairs are the worst problem I have and couldn’t be happier with the progress I’ve made.
Once again, I can’t thank Seana enough. Without her posts I would never attempted this.
Sorry aboot the pic quality, I refuse to get a cell phone and web cam on my laptop is all I have.
Hi Maygan,
Maybe i can give you some Tipps.
-
My Professional Electrologist did it by my Nose Hairs, but im not sure how its by the ST -250 , you have.
I mean if you activate /do blend it need , Usual 6 Seconds ,with the timer. By me the electrologist , did it faster like 3 seconds, but im not 100% Sure . Maybe with a bit Higher setting or usual setting. She did the needle out after like 3 second, i feeled the Hair get destroyed . Maybe you can try , there something out too. -
I think general to lay down , even by DIY or have something similiar , like a Gaming chair/office chair, that you dont move too much.could be helpful. Some electrolysgist machines have a button on the needleholder , instead a food pedal , proparly that dont help you But could make some things easier.
-
To reach/see , Areas i mean Harder one like cheeks (for example).
You could look for a 180 ° Mirror , like than you see all
Other Option, i thought about it. I think its possible.
If you would Have a Better Camera (No webcam) , like Digitalcamera a good one. Connect it with USB on your Computer . put the camera on cheeks Area (for example) . Fix the zoom or so, that you see the hairs, good enough. So you could look like with by windows 10 , with camera function. Use your Screen kinda as mirror. Make it easier.
Even you have some Grey Hairs, to make your Hairs more visible /easier to see/treat. You could buy Facial hairs colour ,cost <10 dollar (maybe). Just go over the area you want treat 1 hour…or some days before over it. So it make you easier , to treat the hairs. With normal light, you see grey /white hairs very bad.
Even by Pure Thermolysis is @Iluv2zap Right by DIY.
General its not the best to do it on yourself. But there exist ways to minimize the risc to scarring , even if you need longer for DIY /treat your face . My Professional electrologist do the same ,if the skin is to swollen she stop there. But you could do it maybe other , by the F.U.E Method, also a Way for Permanent Hairremoval like Electrolysis, they do it other. F.U.E isnt common , because 1 Point. ONLY DOCTORS peoples who WORK in MEDICINE are Allowed to do it . And its Surgevy… they use a drill … to remove the hair, it blood than. You need injections , that you dont feel anything of the pain.
But to come back, what i want to tell you, with the drill they treat /remove each 3 Hair, not every hair, to reduce the risc of scarring your skin. You could try something like this out too.
I mean treat it like this , wait some weeks 3 (maybe) and continue treating , next hairs.
But blend is better even , if its slower. Even saw Videos on Youtube, where they used just Galavanic , but was very fast . Just few seconds maybe 4-6 seconds each hair, for nose hairs and also grey facial hairs.
Galvanic is so far i know the best because 90-100% Sucess rate , to destory a Hair . But its slower than Blend / Thermloysis
Blend is 2nd best
Thermoylsis is the fasted but also the worst… i mean like 40-60% Sucessrate , to remove first X times big areals like cheeks…chin , upperlip is good.
Just some ideas.
Thank you for your thoughts. I was editing a vid when you post this, hoping to get some input. I started working on this last September (?) and the past couple months starting to see real results.
Saving a couple seconds not that important right now. The setup, insertion, and tweezing is the bulk of the time. The first half of vid double speed, just for idea how I work. I kill 2-3 hairs a minute, high kill ratio and pain management priority right now.
Camera has latency, and no depth perception. Dyslexia is a gift when working in mirror, after couple hundred hours it feel natural.
This 6-8 hrs after 58 hair that area. It will swell little more, but rarely scabs. Not shave for 2 days and very little visible.
The scar I underlined, my fault. Thought it was ingrown, and keep picking it. Couple months later, a tombstone pop out. 3mm of thick hair. 1 other tiny one right under lip.
I would not do thermolysis in my face. Full stop.
This is the preset for coarse chin hair. Have to treat twice, and pain intolerable. 40 mA my limit, 20mA around mouth/nose.
This what I’m using in the video. Virtually painless, and clean release. The lower UL is deceptive, it makes more lye with over double the thermal energy.
You are welcome.
By you it look really Painful in the video.
By me i getted 20 Hours Electrolysis , by a Professional one. Also Faciial Area .
My Pain tolerance is very High.
I mean on my Upperlip for Example , on the lips its fine , i feel it but pain is ok.
But in the mustache /nose area , im very sensitive even, i start a lot to sneeze there.
As my Electrolysis one treated my chin/cheeks/throat area some, i had before like 17 laserpaointment on it. But dont work very well on some areas by me.
Mostly sleep by Electrolysis apointments.
Even my electrologist one , say to other because she know no one who is like me. Like have High Pain tolerance/sleep .
Some Guys with muscles want remove some facial hairs she told me. And they use numbing cream and cry . By Low settings.
Your Machine look complicated… really im no expert in it.
it exist machines they are very Easy /Simple.
I mean like they have just a Wheel /button to spin , like you can make Strength from 0 to 10 .You can set a timer and have a pedal/Needleholder button. YOu have no screen like ma or so.
It is! The manual has zero useful information it it. I ended up watching an advertising video in Rusian, to learn the keypad functions.
i believe it, but so far i know from here . Machines even new one are very expensive in North america.
Ilive in Germany/Europe
For a Pure Thermoylsis machien it start by 469 Euro/Dollar within like 900
for Blend /Galvanic/Deothermy machines arround 1000-1800 (New).
You get some used one by ebay for arround 1000-1300 , they cost usual 2000 new or so.
Maygan I’m very impressed by your DIY work. I would never figure out how to do accurate insertions on sides of my face. Your treatments are looking very good.
I would say adequate, very good is to generous. Trying to get some better shots…
My machine new is $3000 Canadian, mine used for $1100. Gal/Blend/Therm
Using a 7X mirror cheeks, 10X on chin/lips, 5X closer to ears. The stronger the magnification, the shorter focal length, and can’t focus farther away.
We are 110 V 60 hz, you 230 V 50 hz so better to buy one manufactured there.
I would never figure out how to do accurate insertions on sides of my face. Your treatments are looking very good.
Ahh its not allways this Hard. You can use /make 1 Trick . Make it easier for you.
Stretch your skin and bend it like you can look /see all in the mirror.
I thought about some Things.
If your Machine would have a : Anaphoresis (Not Cataphories)
You could go over your skin, before you start the treatments.
anaphoresis open your Pores , so you dont have proparly use your fingers, to stretch skin.
Also would say use by treatments : Medicial gloves (latex) and before treatment spray to kill bacteries.
its really bettter.
That is some seriously incorrect information, but then what do I know … I’ve only been doing electrolysis for 45-years. Point being: cataphoresis does not “open” your pores. I give up … maybe it’s time for me to get off Hairtell altogether? Or at least give it a rest for a few months.
As far as I know just a fancy word for reverse polarity. In theory turns sebum into soap and pull out of skin to shrink pores…
You’re doing fine Michael. It’s my experience that some of the schools, have been teaching some new electrologists, some seriously questionable stuff. That’s before you have that particular electrologisthaving their own opinion on the topic which guides them… Keep pointing out the inconsistencies, and hopefully sooner or later they get it.