Electrolysis diary

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#21

Thanks to you both! I will try to post a photo soon. The delay is that it’s a laborious process to get one at high enough resolution that one can see anything, make a photobucket account and upload it. With a little baby (and electrolysis) time is in short supply these days…

June, thanks for visiting regularly. I am both gritting my teeth and looking forward to my sixth session on Saturday–yeah, my face is sore, but I can also see that the treatment is making a HUGE difference. I have been so delighted this week–I made it to the end of the day today and for the first time in a decade I did not look like I needed my face mowed with a lawnmower. :slight_smile: Note that my electrologist has only cleared most of my chin and I still have a metric ton of hair on cheeks, neck, and the rest of my chin. It’s just that she got the worst, fastest-growing bits that caused most of the shadow.

And I think you are exactly right about the issue. In order to clear an area, she is treating a lot of hair, close together. She started doing this after switching to the Laurier, otherwise she was scattering the work a lot. The soreness I feel isn’t soreness in individual follicles or something, it’s a raw feeling over the entire area. It’s not unbearable, just annoying. It feels like razor burn.

Interestingly, the worse the pain is during treatment, the less visible reaction I have afterward. Last time when it hurt like crazy during treatment, the next day I looked fine. I have tried taking Motrin before and it does help…last time I took it a little earlier than usual.

I’m thinking of asking her to scatter her work more. But there is the mental issue that the work won’t be as visible and if I don’t see dramatic difference after treatment, it will be harder for me to motivate myself to put up with the pain. I don’t look in the mirror when getting zapped; I sit up afterwards and I love to see how much work she did and be surprised!!! It makes it all worth it.

OK, until next time!

#22

Sixth session. It was a very stressed and hectic morning before my appointment and I was unable to hydrate properly or take my usual painkiller. Ouch. She says she can tell when one’s body has had enough, and she cut it short to 45 min (thankfully). I wonder how she can tell. I suppose it’s from my reaction.

She says she is very happy with our progress so far. She said the hairs are coming out well and they are all straight and the moisture is good (or something.) Not sure what that means.

I didn’t ask her to try new settings or anything; I was just too stressed out by everything today to try anything new.

I should ask her how long she thinks this whole process will take and how long she estimates to a first clearance. Six weeks in, we are at a total treatment time of somewhere between five and six hours so far, and she has gotten to where she can clear my chin and some surrounding area too. This doesn’t sound like much, but believe me I had (and have) a lot of hair.

#23

Your electrologist can tell because of your reactions. Chances are you physically react by twitching when the pain starts to get to you. This is immediately noticeable to anyone doing electrolysis, because the follicle they were about to insert into just moved.

Stress, lack of sleep, lack of hydration are some of the worst things you can do to yourself before electrolysis. Your electrologist did absolutely the right thing by letting you go early.
I tend to work for long sesions, and the people I work on keep going until they have reached their tolerance point. It comes at a different time for each person, but it is very easy to tell when they have reached that point. Little noises, movement of the skin, and slight twitching are very noticeable cues.

Get more rest before your appointments, hydrate, and do everything you can to reduce stress. It sounds like your electrologist is doing a fine job.

#24

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I took Motrin after coming back home. It seemed to help a lot. Normally I only take it before a session.

I had been putting aloe vera on at night, but today I took Dee’s suggestion and put it on soon after coming home. It was pretty cold, since I’d set it on the windowsill and it’s winter here. It did feel nice, and hopefully it helped also.

#25

I forgot to add, avoid caffeine before being treated.

#26

Caffeine? I wouldn’t mark that as an “absolutely avoid” before an electrology session. Heck ive downed a coke or Mountain Dew before going into mine with no perceivable difference.

Out of curiosity iluv2zap are you licensed?

#27

Very few thing are an “absolutely avoid” however caffein can heighten pain response and reduce tolerance.
My country does not have licensing of any type for for electrology, that is a very american thing.

#28

Took a week off for Thanksgiving. Twelve days since my last session, my chin has almost stopped hurting. I really need to ask her to try some other setting.

#29

Hows it going, lotsa?

#30

So the last two sessions had hurt a lot more than usual. My electrologist asked if I were getting my period but actually I was between periods. It turned out that I was pregnant. Yay!

She told me to talk to my OB before coming back. I haven’t seen the OB yet so my sessions are on hold.

Unfortunately in my two sessions before I knew I was pregnant, I had taken Motrin for pain control. Apparently that is a huge no, especially when the pregnancy is just beginning. I feel horrible that I unknowingly put my pregnancy at risk for a cosmetic procedure. Also I am not sure about the numbing cream and whether it is safe for a baby. Even witch hazel has a warning on it saying to talk to your physician.

After the last session I went to the grocery store for a flu shot. While waiting for the shot I took my blood pressure and due to the pain it was much higher than usual. That scared me a little, especially now that I know I am pregnant.

Due to all of this, my increasing fatigue, the fact that my post pregnancy sessions were very painful, and that extra hair may grow temporarily due to pregnancy, I don’t know if I want to continue electro for now. Maybe when I am out of the first trimester. It’s not the thermolysis itself that scares me, but the associated pain, drugs (anesthetic, painkillers, witch hazel) etc. The problem is that with a baby it may be years before I can go back.

#31

You have made a wise decision.

Were this me, I would have no out-of-the-ordinary procedures, or take any medication until the baby is born.

So far, I have never heard of anyone dying from having excess hair (although some people feel like it). Weigh the options and think “safety first … and only!” The hairs will wait … the baby will not!

Whether having electrolysis is “safe or not,” or creams, or pain meds … just don’t to “nuttin’!” You know, even if you are having “anziety” about this, your emotion is probably not good for the kid either?

Stop electrolysis and shave …

#32

And congratulations, lotsa!

#33

Thanks all! And yes, Michael puts it perfectly. I’m 35…I’ve lived with this a loooong time. Another year won’t hurt.

#34

In my opinion: If the hair on your face is similar to armpit hair then do the laser. Laser works beautifully on any hair that is coarse like armpit or pubic hair. Then, after a reduction, move on to electrolysis.

I’ve had laser done & electrolysis. Unfortunately for me, after I saw amazing results on my underarms with laser, I decided to do laser on my face for my sideburns. The laser stimulated hair growth on my face and made my situation worse. I’ve now just completed one and half years of electrolysis on my face and its working beautifully.

**I forgot to mention that the hair I had on my sideburns was dark, but very fine and whispy… that is why the laser did not work for me b/c it does not work well on fine hairs.

When I am in the waiting room for my electrolysis, I’ve chatted with another client who goes to her for laser and she does laser on her sideburns with no sideeffects b/c her hair was coarse.

The woman who does my electrolysis also does laser (however she did not do the laser on my face (i had gone to a different place).

Everyone is different. but that is my 2 cents