Feeling some hope! 35 hours into this hair removal

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

So I just completed 3 hours of a total of 35 hours on my face and neck!
The pain was so minimal today and that is a lot of time and emotional stress! Not to mention the phyxial stress on my poor face and neck!
It looked so pretty afterward I DID cry. Yes red and some swelling, and the bumps, almost looks like a musquito bite, but i have not seen my face without stubble in any place in over ten years! It is my second clearance, but with the first one it was done more in sections, I was able to take three hours and get it fully cleared in that course!

I feel more of a tug around my throat, so sensitive there, but I put LMX on and it was not bad, made the rest of it seem like gravey! My hair is very course and each hair is thick and they tend to be deep!

So two clearances, how many more are likely? My electologist is very positive and feels my happiness but also keeps my head on straight, says enjoy it for now Bets, but dont forget doll some new hair will be surfacing soon!

I know this but dont want it (this is where i cry like a two year old and stomp my feet), i feel so much better with this forum. Like I can let it out and get feedback, i wish i had pics to share but they are all so personal to me, today b4 i went in my growth saw so thick and i took lots of pics, but am not ready to share, my problem was as bad as any she has seen, and she has been so supportive as she got into eletrolosyis because she had cushings and was covered with facial hair by the age of 18 so she KNOWS how i feel!

But just for today I am so pleased, red neck and all! I think I might say I have poison oak at work tomorrow…LOL…any ideas, some ppl are just not the ones i want to explain my electro to, expecially if they go, “ouch whats wrong with your neck!”

#2

Yes, do keep your emotions in check, you will have new hair cycling in as your wonderful electrologist said. If you understand this concept, you will stay strong and hopeful through the next several months. Those pesky hair cycles bring all of us down, but the it is exactly what we desire - we can’t remove hair hair that we can’t see. So, I say, come on up every bothersome hair so I can do you in for good!

Hair removal is not a woman’s favorite subject and we do want to keep it a secret. Many excuses are offered for the temporary side effects and poison oak is a popular one. The very same people who you don’t want to know about your hair removal secret are the same ones that may eventually say somewhere down the road , didn’t you use to be hairy?

Dee

#3

Thanks Dee, I want those unwanted hairs up so they can come out!
I even worked out a payment schedule with my electro for the coming months, I have the next three months paid for already, she only charged me half rate coz i paid up front and SHE loves me! And knows how I am suffering. So we are going to stick to that and I can make 50 a paycheck and my best friend said they would match me, that will equal out to about three treatments every two weeks, but when she charges me an hour she always works more, yesterday i got three for ONE! She has been in the business for almost thirty years! She is out not for money now but maybe the smile on ppls faces!

I do have poison oak today, but it will clear up fast!

Thanks a ton! Bets

#4

Please invest a few dollars in witch hazel and tea tree oil and apply them daily to help with the healing.

Now that you’re cleared, you should make sure to stay that way, i.e. come in as soon as you see new hairs pop up. That’s the way to get the fastest results possible. It will take about 12 months to be done with this. But your treatments will slow down to once every 3 weeks or so soon, so don’t worry.

It sounds like you found a good electrologist. That’s key.

Good luck!

#5

I have witch hazel, use it four or more times a day, but the past two days is the first i heard of using tea tree oil, i only have used that when kids were young and head lice would go around school, supposedly the buggers hate the smell, mix it in their shampoo! It worked they never got head lice!

So what is the benefit of tea tree for my face? I heard half tea tree half lavendar, but with the breakouts i have been getting, OIL?? It seems counteractive?

This is my second clearance…my hair is VERY course and VERY thick and VERY BLACK!!! Darker then my hispanic BFs! Not as much beard as he has, his goes up his cheeks mine goes down my neck!

Is 35 hours worth of treatments in a 3 months alot?? If i did 4 hours a week, that is about what i have done. At that rate Ill spend 305 hours in the next nine months at my electro’s office! I like her she is a very down to earth nice generous kind spiritual woman, but come on now, i am lucky to spend that much time one on one with my children…LOL.

Is it okay for me to use an oatmeal mask, all natural, from the organic store, It feels so good but I am leary of anything, but i think try it once if it is bad, ill find out soon enough! It had no adverse reatcion and was very soothing!

THANKS! Im happy today! Hope you all are too!

#6

Why do you expect to spend four hours a week doing electrolysis for nine months? If you put in the time to get cleared asap, then you can be on an every 2-3 week schedule. The first six months are the hardest, but one should be spending less time on the table after that, going in about once a month. I can’t see your problem, but that is how it usually works in my electrolysis practice for 99% of my clients. I use the faster modes of thermolysis (PicoFlash and Synchro)so that makes a difference perhaps.

#7

Okay, I just joined this site today after many years of being embarassed about my body hair and not really knowing what to do about it. I would like to say congradulations to vibe1luv for going through the electrolysis process : )That is quite a feat - stick with it!

My hairy-italianness (new word) seems to get worse as my 20’s roll on. I tried electrolysis about a year ago and went to 5 sessions on my bikini line - my most troubled and embarassing area. I just want to be able to throw on a bikini when my friends say “let’s go to the beach today” without reservations. It hurt so much I had to get two stress balls and hold them in my hands during my sessions, as well as apply a numbing cream a half-hour before that seemed to do almost nothing. My electrolysist was a little passive agressive as well so it made an uncomfortable situation worse. She pretty much gaulked at me on our first visit (I’m sure I am a little overly sensitive though).

I can’t afford electrolysis at this point in my life though and, like most on this site, are trying to find some kind of alternative for the timebeing. I am not opposed to waxing, but I haven’t even found a new waxer since I moved 3 years ago because I am so embarassed! My bikini line starts growing back in less than two weeks though and I am ready for a wax (i.e. hair is @ appropriate length) in 3! I noticed the waxing salon that I would like to go to uses Epliar and has for quite some time now. I read the forum from last spring on Epilar (how I found this site) and it seems, like most gels/creams, there is nothing to back up the claims. All I really want right now is something that would make the time between waxes last longer…any suggestions anyone?

#8

Can’t offer any suggestions for the waxing thing, but allow me to propose something straight up. You need laser hair reduction for this area. Anyone that has coarse, dense, dark hair can benefit from laser. I really think you should read the laser FAQ’s and get it on with laser. Electrolysis works too, but try sampling more electrologists if you insist on staying with eletrolysis. Some can make this hurt less because they have special skills and techniques and some epilator brands offer better technology for more tolerable electrolysis treatments.

#9

italygirl, as Dee mentioned, you really should look into laser for your bikini line. I had the exact same issues as you, and it was a lifesaver for me. It’s also not that expensive. Each treatment will set you back only $100 or so and you need them only once every 2-3 months. So if you can save up $100 every 2 months, you can easily get it done. Please read the laser FAQs at the link below on how to do this right and get good results. You’ll be happy even after 3-4 treatments, though about 6-8 are necessary overall for a 90%+ clearance.

Are there other areas that bother you besides bikini?

#10

LAgirl, I called Aura Skin Spa here in SF a few days ago and they said ‘extended bikini’ is $213 for individual treatments and $150 x 5 for a 5 treatment package. Are those prices a lot higher than normal?

#11

Many places charge more for working in the bikini area, and I can tell you that many places are already charging $150 or more per hour as their regular price for any work. I am not just talking about New York and California either.

#12

I dont really think ill be there that many hours for the next nine months!
I was more wondering if the out look is good now that I have put the 35 hours in so early on, or will that mke a difference. #5 hours in two months, i might not have had a new growth yet! Right? Even tho i had a clearance and only had touch ups for two weeks and am completed with my second clearance. There can be how many new growth cycles? And can the next one be as thick as the previous one, I do not think this second clearance was as thick or as course as the first.

Just for today I dont have to shave my face, just my upper lip. Which we are starting on next monday. I am takinga week off my neck and face to heal, this last round was a lot in my eyes!

But with a full beard course and thick growth, what is the average amount of time, or do electros generaly say 12-19 months? I know Ill propably need touch up for years. Correct?

And no one answered in regards to the benefits of tea tree.

Thanks~

#13

For extended bikini, that price is reasonable. $50-150 is for regular bikini on average. $150-250 is for extended bikini where you pretty much usually remove as much as you want.

My friend got great results at Aura with GentleLASE. I think I posted about it here before. Make sure they use good settings.

#14

Tea Tree Oil is an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, astringent. It helps the skin heal faster, and dissolves necrotic (dead) tissue. It will also dissolve and keep you from forming puss. You put it on overnight, and your skin heals faster than it would have without it, and you don’t have as many (any) scabs, or white bumps.

Although you can finish any area in +/- 19 months, the number of hours needed will vary based upon how many hairs per square centimeter, speed and skill of the practitioner, the speed at which you obtain your first clearance, and how aggressive one is at maintaining the full clearance once you get to first clearance, and of course, the presence or nonpresence of anything recruiting new follicles to grow hairs.

I once had a client who complained that everyone who started having work done by me the same year she did was finished, and yet she was still dealing with unwanted hair. She said this as if to say that I was not serving her as well in some way. I politely showed her a listing of her appointments, which illustrated where there were whole years where we had seen each other once, or twice for the entire year. I had told her that I needed to establish a full clearance, and then maintain that so we could get to the point where we saw each other less and less, but she never gave me the opportunity to do that. As such, her work was uneven. The cheeks were like a porcelain doll, her upper lip had speckles of hairs here and there, and under her chin was half clear and half scruff. She simply never gave me the time or the regularity to get the job done.

One of the clients who had started years after her first treatment, got finished in 100 hours spread out over one year flat, and that person is on my Before and After page (Amber) meanwhile the complainer had somehow managed to do only 150 hours spread out over 8 years. Had we done all that in one year, we may have been finished, but over 8 years, not a chance.

Once you are finished, you can be finished for good, or you may need small touch ups on an infrequent basis. Tina Marie from my Before and After Page has not been in for so much as a 15 minute nit pick session in over a year. We see each other around town, and I don’t see the need for her to stop by for even 5 minutes worth of work. Another person who finished around the same time as Tina saw me out one day, and I found 3 hairs that I could have done, but she said, “That’s not worth the gas money to drive over to your place”, so I guess she considers herself done.

I guess I should put a link to the Before and After page, now that I have mentioned it so often in this post, for those who don’t know what on earth I am talking about, and can’t find the page without a link:

http://www.executiveclearance.com/beforeandafter.html

#15

Hi Italygirl, many of us know how you feel. Just becareful with lasers as there is no regulation in that industry. The self tittled medical esthetician that damaged my face had so many claims by her own submission. Sadly my face is a mess and has been for 2 years. I would find a reputable electrologist and buy a package. Where do you live? I found a great electro in Toronto that works up a great price for me and always throws in extra time.
Good Luck

#16

There isn’t much regulation with electrolysis either. It all comes down to doing your research and finding someone who knows what they’re doing and cares about your needs and not just the money, whether you’re looking for a laser or electrolysis provider.

#17

Although some states regulate electrolysis more than others, I want you to know that regulation doesn’t really help the consumer. The regulations in a particular state help certain people sell classes and products that would have no market if not for the regulations, but do little to make it easier for the consumer to find good work. In fact, in many states, the regulations have made finding good work near, if not impossible, as many, if not most people chose to go out of business rather than go back to school to take classes in another state, or city just to get a certificate to continue what they were already doing. In addition to this, those who choose to join the industry often find themselves frustrated out of pursuing the career due to the unnecessarily high hurdles of compliance, or harassed out of the business once they have paid the high price of admission to try to start a practice.

A great example of a product that is only benefiting from regulations are tiny sinks. In many states, Massage therapists, and electrolysis providers are mandated by law to have a tiny handwashing sink in the actual treatment room. This sink fits in a corner, or rests on a wall, but in either case is barely large enough to fit both your clasped hands in. These sinks, however, cost more than the full sink and vanity in your bathroom BECAUSE THE ONLY PEOPLE BUYING THEM ARE DOING SO TO COMPLY WITH SOME STUPID REGULATION.

Of course, this falls under the heading of “Don’t Get James Started!” :mad:

#18

I saw my doctor today, they finally put me on a low progesterone BC pill again! YAY! MY PB is under control with meds and diet and excercise, I had lost ten pounds!!! YAY!

I have not obssessed with my face and neck today, and have not shaved in days, what i could see was very course blonde hairs and a few scattered black ones, I resisted the urge to look to closely and just cleaned it four times.

I dont have another appointment and I am keeping my chin up litteraly that the time it takes her to clean up is not to bad!

I talked to a GF in the sun outside today and wasnt even aware until later that i stood in broad bright sun for about five minutes and didnt use my hair to shield my beard! I must be getting more use to the idea that there is a ray of hope in this battle i have fought for years! I do wish I would have done electrolysis years ago, but that is the past.

The tea tree oil seems to be MY THING! Thanks for the advice on this! With the witch hazel my clear up after a clean up is much more tolerable! I think it all is so personal tho, what might work for one person does not work for another. I myself could not stand aloe! It clogged me all up and broke my skin out all the way down my chest!

My primary doctor was so pleased with the way my skin was looking and the smile on my face, she could tell a difference, i think that knowing i am working on it she could actually comment that my shadow was not visible!
However, I do have one spot on the left side of my chin that looks like it is light pink, that was the heaviest growth area, it took hours and hours of work for one clearance, it would be clear on day one, but by the next morning you could see growth, it also scabbed up worse then any other area, and i had to rep in court the first day after treatment there and wore makeup! I am unsure this discoloration will ever fade, its still just two month later, but if i have to live with that little spot and no hair Ill be okay! What could this be? It is just a non raised redish pinkish spot about the size of a pinky nail. It is the one place that I get regrowth on my chin. Well not just regrowth, i get white hairs coming in, but these ones pop out black.

Any ideas? Bless you all for being so positive and keeping me going!

I am so afraid to start my nipples! But I had a breast exam today and there are so many long hairs all around my nipples! I was not embarassed, told her i was going to start work on them, But I am unsure, should i clip the hairs down a little or is a half inch to long? I never have let any hair on my neck or face be that long, and i have not asked my elecrologist.

=)

#19

It doesn’t matter how long the hair is for the electrologist to treat it.

#20

If you are going in to have it treated, you should leave them alone until your appointment. Some hair removers like the hairs longer than others, some like them shorter. If your worker likes it shorter than you show up, she can clip them down. If she likes them longer, and you have clipped them, what can she do?

Working electrolysis on breasts is about as difficult as working on underarms, the follicles and the skin are not as steady, and the path down the shaft can be tricky to follow. This is another reason why blend is used on these areas so frequently.

You should be able to get a full clearance in one or two treatments on the breasts and maintenance should be a short part of the regular appointments you currently do.