Hair reduction - A few questions

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I want to do ‘reduction’ on large parts of my body, is this realistic, and will I need a particularly skilled/trained/specialized practitioner to do it? I don’t feel ready for the complete ‘hairless’ look, and I want the end result to look completely natural.

For now my wishes are :
Complete removal on back/shoulders/neck
20%(?) reduction on beard + transition part of neck
40% reduction on chest
50% reduction on lower arms and hands(more on inner part)
70% reduction on upper arms
50% reduction on lower legs
70% reduction on upper legs
90% reduction on butt/upper thighs

Don’t put too much stock in the numbers (I just jotted them down), and please don’t get the impression from all those numbers that I’m a control freak or anything like that. I’ll happily change my plans according to the advice of someone who knows this. I don’t need to do it all at the same time or with the same practitioner either. I know I’m going to be a very happy person regardless once I start seeing reduction. :slight_smile:

1st question:
Can the above reduction be done with any kind of accuracy?

2nd question:
I’ve read on Michael’s site about “feathering”, and this is absolutely critical since I want to keep a significant natural looking chest patch (although a bit thinner). Cant I trust any otherwise skilled electrologist to get this right?

3rd question:
Can treatment of the visible parts (hands, neck, beard) be done ‘discretely’ so that I don’t need time off from work if I need to look ‘normal’? Meaning that I don’t need to shave my hands completely which will look strange, and that my neck/beard won’t look worse than a slight amount of acne/irritation?

I would be very thankful for any input from you guys!

#2

I am in a similar situation and would love to hear some answers from any professionals on this site regarding this case^

#3

Joheu … overall your plan is not realistic.

I always tell male clients to hold back and get ONE area completed and only then move on to another area. In your case, your number one request is "complete removal on back/shoulders/neck.’ This is an appropriate area to get 100% completed and only then continue on (if you have any energy left after the ordeal).

And, hair removal is an ordeal! Laser or electrolysis … who cares? It’s not what people think it is. It is NOT simple, easy, no problem. It is a problem. It’s a damned nightmare!

You are going to have to find the right person to do this for you; somebody that can give you REAL estimates and has lots of experience doing big jobs. If they cannot give you real answers, I mean real numbers, don’t even start. There are several BS artists “out there” … so BEWARE! You’d be better off "loving your hair’ than getting bad results. And results can be terrible with whatever modality you decide to "go with.’

Warning: if you get impatient and go with the "typical male attitude of JUMPING INTO A PROCEDURE with little thought,’ you will end up with tons of money spent and maybe no results … or worse, a patchy look that looks appalling.

Take your time. Read over the many suggestions here. And, above all … get test patches before you commit to anyone or any process.

Hair removal is no "walk in the park.’

#4

There is no way to comply with requested reduction percentages with laser. You get what you get. Sometimes it is 20%. Sometimes it is 90%. Sometimes it works the opposite way and you get laser hair stimulation, where you end up with more hair. Laser hair stimulation can happen on a man’s back, shoulders and upper arms. It can happen on a woman’s face. It is a gamble.

If you are not a good candidate for laser hair reduction, then you will get nothing in return, except a high balance on your credit card.

The only thing that is precise and predictable is electrolysis. For ALL those areas, it would be a major investment in time and money. You would need to go to someone who is fast and who can do more than an hour’s worth of treatment at a time.

If you are a good candidate for laser reduction for your chest, for example, get a couple treatments and see what kind of reduction you can get? If it turns out patchy, you may need more treatments or electrolysis to make the area look more natural.

#5

Oh, gosh, Michael, we were answering this question at the same time! How is that for service, folks!

I like your answer better, but we actually said the same thing in different ways. COOL!!!

#6

he he … working together for the election of …

oh, ooops, I mean for the “betterment of the ‘beasts’ amongst us.” (Being one myself!) Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr … woof!

#7

Thank you so much for the feedback!

dfahey:
I have pretty much ruled out laser since I had 6 treatments (at a reputable clinic) over 3 years around 10 years ago with practically no effect (back, shoulders, neck). So it looks like electrolysis for now. But I’m always open to adjusting my plans according to practical concerns and advice of experts. If laser can do parts of it despite my earlier experience then I’ll consider that too.

Michael:
I will start with back/shoulders/neck since that makes sense. You are right about it being a huge project, which is why I tried to put in all the disclaimers in my post. I don’t want to ‘push’ any practitioner and I will completely respect their limits and their advice.

I’ve been thinking about this for the last 10 years after my failed laser experience so I am fully prepared to do what it takes, give it the time it takes, listen to the experts and practitioners, and respect their opinion. I would say I am in general a very patient person.

One more thing… about the original question about reduction. Can this be done ‘well’ with electrolysis, and does the electrolgists need a different skill set or experience than one who just removes everything?