[from a reader – Andrea]
Hi there Andrea,
Long time reader of your site, first time writer. First a thank you for your help. I began transition in 1998 when I was 19. Your websites was one of the first I came across that helped me back then.
Regarding the subject:
Im light skinned, dark hair, but in 1998 I heard nothing good about lasers. I went with electrolysis. Although I didnt have a heavy beard. I do remember this as one of the most painful torturous rights of passages for a transwoman. I am said to have a high pain tolerance. I think partially this may be natural, but electrolysis torture definitely changed my idea of what pain was 
It was mostly all removed. It seemed after 10years or so definitely on my chin came back. It was very small thin (but sharp) back hair. It did take a long time for this to develop. I was hair free for a long time (or close to I suppose, always some straggler around). I was told by someone a year ago, that its likely due to hormones, and that the chin area is where alot of that happens. I tend to believe this. Ive been fulltime for almost 17 years now. This will probably sound terrible…but for most of this time I have been self medicating. (and honestly, I have never been to a shrink, endocrinologist, or followed the proper route) I did have a kind GP give me estrogen injections for a number of years till I moved, and then he also mailed me estrogen to self-inject for many years after that until he passed away. He worked exclusivly with trans woman in Hawaii, but the world of being a transwoman in hawaii is totally different than mainland, for better or worse. Although I only lived in hawaii for two years 19-21. Returning to the mainland fulltime, passable, hair free… As im sure you know life for a transwoman still can be rough(especially if people find out, or you choose to stop being stealth…another subject), and at times I had been unemployed or homeless. So at times my hormones have not been as available.
I believe this may be the cause of some of my regrowth.
I have a friend who i have mentored for three years…, I helped her get started… I remembered lasers not being good, but I figured they had progressed. I had read lots of great results too. She is very fair skin, and very black hair. When she started, she had a VERY heavy thick beard. The hair follicles were always blue even after just shaving. She also is a wimp, and has no pain tolerance (lol). I thought how would it even be possible to remove such a beard with electrolysis… She went to a local laser place, I went with her. She was crying by the end of it, she had to stop many times. (I suspected the laser person liked to turn the machine up high). However… after a year of going in to recommended number of sessions. She was …virtually… hair free. I believe it was 9 sessions. After a while some did grow back, but what I realized was that it was less than i had regrown. Mine was all concentrated in the chin area. Her’s looked like maybe ones that were missed a few times in the 9 sessions, but gotten in some sessions.
The lady she goes too, I feel is very good at what she does, and she also does electrolysis and several others services. I believe that the technician is very important. She also costs a bit more than other people offering laser.
I ended up doing some work in my field for her at some point as an emergency job. I offered to trade the job for her to take care of the hairs on my chin. She offered 4 treatments of laser. It was a good deal all in all.
So after the 1st one was like night & day. I was so happy to be rid of those pesky ones that had regrown. I completed the 4 treatments. What I have noticed. I can ‘feel’ a few, but they are WHITE WHITE. They are very small, but still have a corseness to them. There is also 1/8th as many as they were. And they are in two small patches (about 1/4 inch)). There is also one patch that has some darker looking ones. Its definitely an improvement. Although I think to remove white hairs Id be going under electrolysis again… and frankly… they arnt that much a bother. For me it was a good experiment… as I traded work for it. So didnt cost me much, but even if It did, I think it would have been worth it.
No longer a financially struggling person in life, I figured I would treat myself to a leg lasering. Both legs, upper and lower were $350 for one treatment. I just had it done, and I cant wait to see the results!
To me the laser doesnt hurt at all really. Although it does sting on occasion or itchyness (but I wouldnt call that pain when compared to electrolysis). My friend said the laser was so ungodly painful the first 5 sessions, but now is manageable. I watched the laser being done to her (through the glasses)… it looked like a fireball was hitting her face, and it seemed to sizzle!
Neither of us have experienced scaring. I recieved none for my electrolysis. (Although she was also very good at what she did)
For more body type information:
I naturally had no chest/back/neck hair (none). My arms only ever had vellus hair. My facial hair had always been lesser than average (although I was only 19 when I started removing it).
My friend had moderate chest hair, moderate arm hair, heavy beard and neck hair. Of course her hormones have reduced her body hair to more managable. She’s happy with the laser treatments, but does still want the few removed. Shes going to try one more laser treatment on those specific areas. Shes also about to have her chest lasered next week. So we will have results on that and my legs as well.
EVEN MORE INFO:
We have a friend who has been going to get laser somewhere else. The laser package she was offered seemed unbelievably inexpensive (I forget the price, but I was shocked). She claims the laser doesnt hurt at all… but well From the results Ive seen, Ive wondered “why bother”.
Thanks, and I hope this provided you with some useful anecdotal information. Just some 1st hand experiences.