Hi Moondin.
You describe a lot of coarse hair on your face. It’s hard to give you estimates about how much time it will take to clear or thin your beard without seeing you. Generally speaking, and I do mean generally, you can think 2-3 years of regular electrolysis treatment. The time window is wide because of the variables of practioner speed and accuracy, modality being used, hormonal environment, not to mention, as a 32 year old male, you may still be developing hair growth with newly stimulated follicles until you are forty.
The blend modality has a high kill rate, but is slower than thermolysis. Thermolysis is quicker but might necessitate treating a hair a couple to several times. Both modalities will do the job - permanently, but your practioner’s skill is the biggest variable.
Having the probe in the follicle for 10sec sounds about right on the timing side of things. I don’t know what the settings are for the chemical(galvanic) and heat(thermolysis) side of the epilator, but if your hairs are sliding out easily, that should put a big smile on your face. If you feel resistance, like the hair is being tweezed everytime - not good.
Price: $48.00 per hour is very good pricing as long as you are getting good treatment at a reasonable speed.
Equipment: can’t comment as I don’t know what epilator is being used, and even if I did, I would tell you that the epilator is only as good as the practioner who knows what settings to use for your particular hair and skin. There are newer computerized epilators that are just wonderful, but even their use is dependent on the genius operating it at the other end.
Taking Advil one hour before treatment can be helpful for pain and inflammation afterwards. Whether to take 4 or 2 pills is based on your weight, followed by your doctors advice. Also, Advil can irritate the stomach lining.
Best solution: Electrolysis is permanent, sure but slow (like the tortoise and the hare story). Some people start laser, using electrolysis after laser has done all it can accomplish. Laser may or may not be helpful on the hormonaly dependent face. Most often it is not. It may reduce the size of the hair as well as lighten it. That is success enough for people like yourself with that 5 o’clock shadow. Some have reported that it stimulated more hair to grow. It may cause patchiness. Other’s with a personal story about their results with laser on the face will have to guide you. Do a search here on hairtell for laser beard removal and decide for yourself.
Shaving after electrolysis: the area needs a running start to heal. If you see pinpoint scabs, you do not want to scrap them off with a razor! After 24-48 hours perhaps a not so close shave with an electric razor will help. The main idea is to let the newly treated area heal and do not, I repeat again, do not disturb any scabs.
If there was a better and quicker way to help you, it would be available, but I truly cannot report any other hair removal alternatives to you other than what is available and works in 2004 other than electrolysis combined with laser hair reduction, which is a big maybe for some.
Dee
