FINALLY starting my journey

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hello guys,

I finally started getting electrolysis! Been thinking about this for years… but funds are finally getting to where I think I can regularly afford treatments.

I had laser hair removal on my legs recently(it had been years since the last test patch I had(shed well)/hadn’t been on this forum in like forver, so I forgot the settings they should use on a candela yag…)anyways hair on my legs shedding was terrible this time since she only used 14 joules(knnow better now, plus I found the old post where the place I had consult for years ago they had used I think about 27 joules… big difference. Anyways there’s a few other places I’m still going to check out.

Back to what this section is all about… electrolysis!
I had added James on facebook(I sound like a stalker lol)Messaged him a few times(awesome to talk to) and he mentioned he was doing a east coast tour(I think just east coast for now, can’t remember). Anyways he said that he would be passing through around the area I lived around, and asked if I knew anyone who wanted some work done(me!!!) Anyways, who better than to have your first electro session then with the best! He set up right in my living room(felt like I was in a doctors office with all the technology) but it was way cool having this all done in my house. Ended up doing a little over an hour and a half and cleared most of the prominent hairs on my upper lip and a lot of the hairs underneath my brows. (i have a lot…)It didn’t hurt too bad except around the middle of my lip(not his fault, just a really sensitive area!) but still totally worth it!The hairs underneath my brows still haven’t grown back(electroed over a month ago!!!) I was planning on trying to see him still reguarly every 3 weeks but things with my work schedule changed(I’m a massage therapist, I work full time at one location, and I’m on-call at 2 others) so for me it would be really difficult to even be away for a day. So, now I’m determined to find someone near by(would love to see James though!).

I had a consultation with a medi-spa that had decent reviews online. There’s 6 electrolysis practitioners who work there, a practitioner who had been in the business for 5 years said she was free for a consult the same day when I called a few hours earlier. The important thing is it sounded like she knew what she was talking about, had up to date technology(year old, included thermomylsis and blend) and said she would try to be on the more aggressive side with hair removal(after the lousy experience with the laser place I know I wanted someone more interested in results faster). Especially after working with James, I knew that results could be had fairly quickly with the right person.

My first goal is to have most of the unwanted hair on my face removed(most of my body is fuzzy, but I want to get rid of the place that is in most public view the fastest). I however didn’t want the lady at the consult to work on my face first(in case something went wrong I didn’t want to hide behind makeup and with James I had no scarring, you could barely tell anything had happened except for a little redness, but waxing caused way more!)I had her work on some of the hairs around my belly button for a half hour session. I could tell she wasn’t plucking, since the hairs came out with ease. The only thing was she was kind of slow… she did get some long hairs around the stomach but I knew that the amount of work I needed done it would take way too many years(different body parts). If she were faster I think I would keep seeing her. Well by luck, the next day another place I had left a voice mail called me back! She said she only did electrolysis, she had been doing it for 20 years, and she had an Apilus machine! After working with James and the other lady, I knew Apilus was the only way to go for me, but I’m still looking for skill! I have a consultation with her friday morning, I think I’m going to have her work on my stomach(want this area done anyways and I would rather have the session on this area for the first time again instead of the face). The only thing is, is using my stomach a safe judge of someones skill on my face? The hairs on my stomach are quite long/strong…

Do you guys have any tips on what I should do to prepare…

I know no caffeine, plenty of aqua, and no waxying!

I’m really excited to see her! I’ll let you guys know how it goes… :eek:

#2

btw anyone know any decent one’s in virginia, there’s a few i want to check out but sitll any recs would be awesome.

#3

Finally saw the new electrologist!!! She seemed to really know what she was talking about and looking at her books was pretty busy, so ended up trusting her to work on my face. Had her do a 30 minute session, cleared up a few on the chin and a good deal on the upper lip. I look like a tomato… I have to work in a few hours, so yay makeup. But, at least I had no scabbing! I had her apply some neosporn after she blotted my face with some witch hazel… is there a better after care regime you guys recommend?

#4

So long as you wash daily with a good liquid detergent made for facial cleansing, and wipe/rinse with witch hazel afterwards, you shouldn’t need the Neosporin. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s not totally necessary, unless you already have stubborn bacterial infections of the skin.

#5

I also wouldn’t recommend covering up freshly electrolysised skin with makeup. Just get some cooling witch hazel water on it and the redness should disappear within an hour or two.

#6

I read online about diluting witch hazel, should I do 50/50 with water? Or should I use witch hazel on its own…

#7

I just buy a pure witch hazel distillation… also known as witch hazel hydrolat or witch hazel floral water. It’s ready to use straight on the skin and is very mild but soothing.

#8

You most certainly do not need the Neosporin. I don’t recommend it. I like a little dab of tea tree oil, depending on skin type, followed by cold aloe very gel of good quality. Avoid makeup, but if you have to use it, apply it cleanly and make sure the makeup is new. You say you are happy that you had no scabbing immediately after treatment? Scabbing does not happen immediately. It takes about 48 hours to see scabbing, if you even get it at all.

#9

I’ll try the tea tree oil/aloe combo =]

#10

I guess I spoke too soon, because my upper lip looks scarred… I only had her do the outter sides of my my upper lip and it looks bad, I think the picture doesn’t show it well enough(camera phone)… any tips, I’ve just been cleaning my face/witch hazel/lotion… gahhh it’s so hard to find a decent person down here. I might go back to her again since she’s close and tell her to lower the settings or should I not risk it? I might need to drive 2 hours north from richmond to the dc area as I think more decent ones are up there…

#11

If you use the Tea Tree Oil overnight and Aloe Vera during the day, this should resolve in a matter of 3 to 5 days. Had you used it right after the treatment, and before bed the night of the treatment, you may not have ever seen this.

#12

Your upper lip is not scarred. You will be fine. Please show her this picture. Ni had to enlarge it on my iPad to see it better, so hopefully, there will be some way for you to show her an enhanced version. We get better when we see our mistakes.

No Neosporin. Avoid makeup. Apply a light coating of tea tree oil, followed by the purest aloe Vera gel you can get immediately after treatment, will save you you.
Use the tea tree for three nights, with the aloe, after you wash your face with a a mild soap and a splattering of witch hazel. No touching the area. Clean your lip area withnwitch hazel after you eat. No kissing. Change your pillow case. Most of all, talk to your electrologist to see howmthismcan be avoided or minimized in the future.

#13

Any suggestions on what to use after the first 3 nights, if you still have scabbing etc. Thanks!

#14

You don’t NEED to do anything, scabbing resolves pretty well on its own. But if you want to…

I really REALLY like rosehip seed oil, as people on here may have noticed. I’ve kind of become a dealer of this stuff. I think I must have given it to everyone I know and they have continued to order it on their own or ask me to top their bottles up. From dryness to pigmentation issues to eczema, it makes a real difference and faster than creams.

While you still have scabs, dab it on very lightly and rub in gently if you have to. Whatever you do, do not disturb the scabs and let them come off in their own time.

#15

Thanks! I actually purchased a bottle of trilogy rosehip oil last week from Boots after reading your posts! I was thinking about waiting until all the scabbing has resolved before using it, as I was worried about disturbing the scabs. Although I could just dab it on, so maybe I’ll try that!

#16

Yea go for it. If you see the last page of my sister’s diary, I put up some of my pics. Might put up a few more clear ones of post treatment. I had intensive work done on my beard area and neck so got a fair bit of scabbing. I didn’t use anything at all for the first 3 days post treatment. Then I began my usual witch hazel and rosehip oil routine. Just have to apply with caution. Most of the scabs were gone about a week later. Another week for the remaining ones.

#17

Thanks for documenting your electrolysis journey so thoroughly. It gives me reassurance that there’s light at the end of the tunnel! Honestly, I probably would have given up with electrolysis on the body if not for this forum…

#18

I finally did the tea tree oil/aloe combo and yes it really did help the scarring. Tea tree oil really is awesome, helped with some redness/pimples I had. I’m going to try the rose hip oil, do you think a combo of both tto/rho would be a good idea or do you think I should try it on its own?

#19

I would stop using the tea tree oil or if you want use it for another day, alone or with aloe, then start RHO.

Tea tree oil is pretty strong and while it’s good for keeping down pimples that may form, you don’t want to overuse it. It’s only really useful for the first day or two. It is also very drying, you won’t notice the effects of that on your skin straight away though.

#20

Still04 do not give up!!! I was so depressed about my hair growing up,even saying that is an understatement. Literally I cried about it for years and at one point didn’t even leave my house for months since it made me so depressed. Dating was so hard for me, guys would never understand why I would break up after a few weeks/months even though things were going so smoothly. Pretty much, I would eventually get tired of constantly shaving and repositioning their hands and my body, which would make me emotionally/phyiscally tired that I would just runaway. I thought I would be alone forever, because I never thought anyone would be comfortable with my hair or that I would even be comfortable about being honest about everything. Fast forward to my current boyfriend, who when I first started dating was the first guy I felt I could really trust. He didn’t understand why I would randomly get depressed, so one day I finally just broke down and went “look at me, I look like a hairy beast, I constantly shave and spend hours of my life trying to feel normal.” I pretty much feel like what I would imagine a transgender man partly goes through. He told me he didn’t care and that all women had hair, just some had it darker so it made it obvious. He said he would help me find a way to get rid of it if that’s what made me happy otherwise he was fine with the way I am.

I decided then I was going to try laser/electro combo to finally start doing something. I got tired of running away from my problem… Started researching laser/electro, but didn’t have the funds at the time until recently. After the first session I had with James I could notice a huge difference with the amount of upperlip/brow hair I had. I’m one of those people who don’t believe something until I see it and I do believe it works, but you really do have to find the right person. Just do consultations till you feel comfortable you found the right person.=]