Looking for reassurance/guidance/reality

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I started electrolysis on my chin and neck in September of 2009. I was every week for an hour - what I would consider full clearance because I had maybe a couple hairs left after each treatment - and about 6 months in I started every other week for an hour. It started with just heat about 9 months in it changed to sometimes heat and sometimes blend.

I’ve been taking pictures along the way and since I don’t know how to attach them here I uploaded them on this site: Tusion’s Electrolysis Pictures. The July picture was taken a few months before I started and then September about a week after my first appointment and then the February taken just before I left for my appointment. I was expecting to be much further along at this point - I honestly don’t see a difference at all and I’m still shaving every day (thus the redness in the pictures, I need to be better about how I shave).

I find varying information about how long treatments should take and after over 50 treatments and a couple thousand dollars I am hoping that I’m actually further along that I think and I just need to hang in there.

I appreciate any help you can offer.

#2

Did you start going every other week because there was less growth or because your electrologist told ya to? After that amount of time you should see some sort of difference.

#3

Really? The February picture is much like the September picture. The July picture appears to have less hair than the other pictures before you even started electrolysis. Fifty treatments and thousands of dollars? Did you tweeze prior to having electrolysis? Have you done any tweezing along with the shaving? Did you feel like you were being tweezed at your appointments or did the hair slide out?

I would think you would be further along if you were getting cleared every time and the hair would look thinner and sparser at 6 months into the process. You wouldn’t be finished in 6 months, but there is not a big difference in the pictures, which is confusing.

#4

Am wondering the same as Dee. What did the extraction of the hair FEEL like? Did those hairs slide out without much traction? Or did they feel yanked out?

Weekly treatments on this area should only be needed if you had been tweezing prior to treatments. Otherwise, the first tx might take an hour, but in one week there wouldn’t be an hours worth to do.

Am also seeing what Dee is seeing - prior to treatment it appears you have less hair than after you began. There are conditions that cause women to continue to grow hair. PCOS and medications are just a start. Any chance that there is an underlying condition?

#5

I started going every other week because she requested it - the growth was a bit slower, but always came back. Where I used to shave in the morning and have to shave again if I went out at night I could go all day without shaving.

I did pluck for years before I started electrolysis. The July picture was after stopping plucking for about 2 months, in preparation for beginning electrolysis. Since starting treatment I haven’t plucked at all - just daily shaving.

I did feel the hair was more sliding than being ripped out and there are times when the hair doesn’t come out with one pull she’ll hit it with more and then it comes out easier.

I’ve had my hormones checked and my testosterone is at the high end of the normal range. I’ve also recently found out I’ve got ovarian cysts, but there’s been no other link to PCOS. I feel like I have some of the symptoms but the big red flags I don’t. The medications I’m on (Lamictal and Wellbutrin) don’t have hair growth as a side effect. I’ve recently started birth control for the cysts and am hoping to see some help there as well.

I’m not really sure what else to do. Like I said, I expected to be further, or at least feel like I’m getting somewhere. There aren’t a lot of options in my area so to find someone else might take some time. The gal I see has a large client list and many men that have had results (so I’ve been told). She uses an Apilus machine so it’s good equipment.

I’ve mentioned a few times that I feel like I’m not getting anywhere and she keeps saying it’ll happen eventually (of course)…

#6

I agree with her and I would trust her. Heavy tweezer for years, testosterone, ovarian cysts - this is an uphill fight. Stay close to her.

#7

Not exactly what I want to hear but I appreciate the honesty. Thank you!

#8

Did anyone ever tell you that hirsutism is one of the side effects of both Lamictal and Welbutrin? Some experience varying degrees of alopecia as well.

#9

Hi Tusion!

I want to be honest too. I do not know what is wrong here, but this is not normal. You should not need to shave between sessions if as you say, frequency between sessions were weekly and later biweekly. According to my experience (and I’ve tried hundreds of cases with hormonal imbalances) the new growth of hair do not appear overnight. This comes on slowly. The new hairs begin to gain more length, thickness, and color gradually. With enough time for your electrologist may have controlled the situation.
From September to December 2009 was insufficient time to permanently remove the hairs that we see in the image of September. Thereafter, sessions (less time) should have been biweekly for another 2 or 3 months. And then sessions every 3 or 4 weeks for another few months. At this point (February 2011) you should need only a few minutes every 3-6 months to remove the hairs stimulated by hormones. This behavior is common in all the cases I have treated over the 30 years I have dedicated to this profession. Virtually all my adult life.

I’ve taken the liberty of copying your photo (February 2011) and this is what I observed:

  • In green (the color of hope) the area that has hair removed permanently.

  • In red (failure of your electrologist) ie regrowth true. Misapplication of Electrolysis.

  • In yellow: new growth (probably due to genetic inheritance). If this was due to a hormonal imbalance, new growth would be more widespread.
    And yes, when current is run out of the follicle and not inside, the heat can “benefit” to the hair. The extra supply of blood to the area, fatten the hair.