is horrible, it makes me cry! I am using EMLA… so far, I am trying to power through as much as possible 
I thought I’d still ask- any tips to get through it? I’m doing deep breathes in and then out as she zaps the hair. It’s just so painful!
What modality are they using on you? if the machine can not do Flash, a slow thermolysis should not be so painful. Start with very low intensity for 5 or 6 seconds in the corner of the lip. You should only feel a little heat that increases as the latter increases to 6. This way your skin gets habituated to this new temperature, and increase your tolerance level. It is important not feel the insertion in this area, so the skin must be kept constantly taut and use a probe without edges between the insulation and the free tip. In fact you should feel more pressure from the fingers of your electrologist than the same electrolysis.
make sure you are not drinking any caffiene on the day of your treatments… it makes a huge difference when working in sensitive areas like the upper lip.
I’ll strongly agree with t4ngent’s suggestion regarding avoiding caffeine. Also be certain you are fully hydrated - drink lots of water in the hours before your treatment.
When Margaret first began treating my upper lip, the discomfort was certainly there. Fortunately, as treatment continued the second and third times treating that area were not nearly so uncomfortable.
While one should take care of one’s body all the time, I would have to say hours before the treatment is not enough, one should look to be caffeine free and well hydrated for at least 3 days.
Thank you for the information!
It got me thinking- A while ago, I didn’t feel the insertion of the needle but now I do quite a bit. I don’t know how that is because it’s also with 3 people in the clinic, not just the one… I wonder why. I remember one used to do it more slowly… keeping the heat low but for longer… but they don’t do this now. I guess I need to have a chat with them.
Definitely - talk to the electrologist!!!
The reasons for “pain” with treatments includes the individuals sensitivity, insertion accuracy, and modality and/or settings.
Some people have either more nerve endings or more sensitive nerve endings. This person will feel “pain” where others would not.
Insertion accuracy is important to avoid sending current outside the follicle. Since the follicle is surrounded by a mesh of nerve fibers an accurate insertion (with good settings) will focus the treatment action on the important (hair growing) cells which line the hair follicle. An inaccurate insertion will poke that filament (probe/needle) into the tissues surrounding the follicle which results in more discomfort and the possibility of skin damage.
Appropriate settings for the chosen modality are also important. Finding the balance of timing and intensity for the individual client can only be done at the onset of a treatment. Factors such as environmental and personal humidity will change with each visit and can have influence on the settings.
So, if a client were to tell me that the treatments were hurting more now than they used to, I would be evaluating my insertions and my settings as well as considering my modalities… …and I would hope that they talk to me about it, after all, I want to provide them with the best they can get.
Hi emily7,
This is a very timely topic for me because I just got this area worked on myself for the first time yesterday – quite unexpectedly! I had a longer-than-usual appointment scheduled and my electrologist was finishing up on the current area early, so she asked what I wanted to move on to next. Now I don’t have any unusual growth here, fortunately, just extremely dark hair/follicles on rather pale skin, so more visible than I would like. However, I’d read multiple stories here & elsewhere which gave me the universal impression that the spot below the nose was the single most painful area to have electrolysis. So I thought I’d maybe finish a few other areas first and build up to that. And when she posed the question, I mentioned that eventually I’d like to get my upper lip done, but that I was too chicken to attempt it yet… so we’d better go on to legs instead. She said she could give me a topical, but I still hesitated to say yes – only before I knew it she was slapping the stuff on me. LOL She said it would be numb by the time she finished working on the other area, and it was, so she went to work. We did maybe 20-30 minutes total, starting at the outer edge and working towards the center, one side at a time. I really didn’t feel much when she was working at the corners, it was only when she got right beneath my nose that I began to feel anything… and then yeah, I could feel sharp pricks of pain breaking through the numbness pretty quick. I honestly did not get anywhere near levels of agony like I feared I would, but then she did NOT attempt to get everything in one go, and achieve a full clearance at that session; rather she did as much as she could in the time she thought I could handle it.
Anyway, one totally new “tip” (at least to me) that I got from this experience: I said to her half-jokingly that next time I wanted her to work on my upper lip, I would schedule a session right after a dental appointment when I needed work done, so that I’d come in to see her already numbed up from the dentist. And with shots, not just topicals. She replied in all seriousness that she knew a nearby dentist who would do just this! You only needed to call them in advance to arrange it and then of course they charged a small fee for the medicine/service. (I have never heard any techs or clients suggest this before, so it was kind of a surprise to me; maybe it’s unusual, IDK.) Now to me the pain from a dentist’s shot – especially in the upper front/center, which I have had too many times – is way, waaaaaay worse than anything I’ve felt from electrolysis, but then I have a peculiar sensitivity w/my teeth, so I wouldn’t seriously consider this myself unless I was desperate. BUT, if you’re really in agony, and you’ve already tried other suggestions here without much relief, this might be an option for you. Inquire with your tech if s/he has any such arrangement with a local dentist, or if not, just go to your own dentist & explain the situation. They might be willing to help you out in this way.
Obviously this doesn’t address topics such as the accuracy of your technician, intensity settings on the machine, etc., but if you determine that the extreme nerve sensitivity is just your body’s own personal idiosyncrasy, say building up resistance to the methods you’ve been using before, this might provide an alternative way to work around it.
Totally agree with all the comments about caffeine! Huge difference in pain levels for me based on how long I’ve gone without it beforehand.
One other thing: you mention using EMLA as a topical… are you using it as directed? It should start numbing after 15 minutes but you’re actually supposed to wait at least an hour before doing anything to the skin. If you are doing that correctly each time, but it’s still not providing enough numbness – and this is very old-fashioned, but – you can add an ice pack into the equation for an extra boost to dull the sensation. Also, what else are you doing for pain relief – are you using any OTC meds like Tylenol, Advil, etc.? Relaxation techniques?