Esfoliation after electrolysis and Summer

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hey, a couple of quick questions here.

So, a month after my last session (my electrologyst is going to undergo surgery) I am facing again another infected pimple. I am told that these could be weaker hairs trying to grow and break the skin surface. It hurts like hell. Is it safe to esfoliate even when you’re undergoing electrolysis in the area? Is there any specific ingredient I should look for in a product or will any esfoliation product do fine?

Also, Summer (or at least plain good weather) is coming soon and the hot season is quite unforgiving here. I always apply SP 50 sunscreen on my face but it’s pretty difficult not to expose the area to sunlight. Should I stop having electrolysis during the Summer?

Thanks for any info!

#2

Just continue to use sunscreen over summer. If you’re interested, do a search online for physical sunscreen (such as zinc). There’s a good market for sunscreen these days, the physical stuff does a great job, and you can find ones that don’t leave too much of a cast on your face but will do a great job.

For exfoliation, I’m a big fan of chemical, rather than physical, exfoliation. This entails using AHA or BHA solutions. AHA products include Avene Cleanance K, but there’s plenty of others. BHA products are mostly included in face washes and so aren’t very effective, but Paula’s Choice have a range of BHA products.

You really need to do your own research, though places like /r/skincareaddiction and the website for Paula’s Choice are both good places to start.

Goodluck.

#3

Oh yeah - don’t exfoliate soon after electrolysis! It would be harsh on the skin. Sometimes a dab of tea tree oil will work wonders. I usually dab tea tree oil on those white pustules/pimples that come up - it cleans them out. After that, I always wash the area with warm water, as tea tree oil is strong.

#4

Hi lyrical.
I dont often talk too much about my personal life, but there’s something I want to share with you.

I’m transgender. I also have two other transgender people in my close family, my son who’s 20 and female to male transgender, and my partner, a great guy who also happend to be transgender female to male. Since last september BOTH have begun hormone therapy including taking testosterone . Both, predictably, have begun to develop facial hair. I’ve watched the pattern and process of new hair growth twice since then.
It starts the same in both cases with a thickening of existing hair underneath the chin, and then an increase in acne first beneath the chin but also on the chin, cheeks. In almost every case each one of these bits of acne eventually precedes a hair.
The process for these transgender men is not all that different from a cisgender teen genetic male, or, from a female who is undergoing a hormone imbalance resulting in increased testosterone.

When I see your comment and your signature that you have thyroiditus , and have experienced “laser induced stimulation” on and under the chin, and now this bit of acne, you’ll forgive me if I think to myself “this sounds as if she is undergoing the same process of hair development as the transmen in my life” albeit perhaps more slowly. I wonder if the “laser hair stimulation” could actually be the same thickening of hair noted when testosterone is higher in the system.

I’m not saying anything about the possibility of PCOS , or what kind of hormonal process might be at play here. That is the realm of a doctor. I dont have any clue how accessible health care is in portugal, or if you have followed up at any point with a hormone panel before. I’m just saying what you seem to be going through kinda seems like the same process, and may be worth following up on if you havent already.

Seana

#5

Hi Seana. Thank you for sharing that with me =)

Yes, in fact I have done the testings and, while I don’t have cysts in my ovaries, the testosterone in my blood is a bit high (still within range, though). I am taking the birth control pill to keep it in check and I’m still trying to get my thyroid under check. Unfortunately everything dealing with hormones is a mighty slow process. I’m having new tests done in September.

The thing about the laser stimulation I had, though, I’ve heard people argue that it might not have been the laser doing this, except for a couple of things:

Until the laser sessions I’d never had any male pattern hair in that area, under my chin. I am positive of that. The place I was having those laser treatments done is, unfortunately, less than professional. I was just having the chin area done and just for a couple of stubborn hairs. They decided to expand the area to under my chin without asking me first. They just shaved the area and did their thing and that was it. Of course, then hairs started to get more noticeable there so I decided to keep having the area lasered, which was a very bad idea, of course, but I hadn’t known about electrolysis back then. I think they expanded the area because I kept asking them that, after 8 sessions the chin looked fine to me and I wanted to stop having laser there. That meant I would pay them one less area. I’m talking about a chain of laser clinics here that charge very cheap prices - I’m talking 20 € for upper lip, for example (reminds me of a fast food chain, but for laser hair removal.)

You see, they charge cheap but, of course, they are going to try and have the customers there for as long as possible by using very low settings in the laser. Unfortunately, I only learned of this later. Sure, they have tons of customers because they’re cheap but from what I’ve read in the Internet, this has happened to way more people than I can count. Using lower settings on a female face, some of them not even sporting dark coarse hair? Hm, that is not going to end up well for them. When I was there filling in the complaint form (what else can one do), there was a young girl who was going to do the sideburn area. She had light fuzzy hair there, it was light brown, thin. I tried to warn her against it but, in the end, she did it anyways. I can only expect in a couple of sessions she’ll be sporting a real problem there.

I am currently having laser in other body areas with a trustworthy professional. See, despite this happening, I still trust that laser is efficient, in the hands of actual professionals instead of trainees with a couple of days training in how to handle lasers.

Now, for electrolysis, I believe I am seeing results. Despite the fact my last session was in a month, I don’t see much regrowth (and the center area is practically hair free).

As for acne, yes, I’ve always had a bit, but nothing too extreme. My skin is oily, which doesn’t help. If the acne was anew thing I’d be worried, but I’ve been dealing with it my whole life. in fact, it’s improved since I’ve begun taking the pill.

#6

Hi! Thanks for your advice! I use a lot of Avene products for my face, I like them a lot. I’ll be sure to check out the Avene Cleanance K and others. I’m having a dermatology appointment in July, I’ll ask the doctor too.