My electrolysis journey - female, abdomen

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi! I found this forum when I was first looking at electrolysis last summer for my abdomen (ie. “happy trail”) area. I have done extensive searching on information for women with the problem of hair growth on the abdomen and come to the conclusion that it’s either pretty rare or that no one is talking about it. Since there’s only a few references I could find on this site about women with abdominal hair growth, I decided to share my story so other women in similar situations can find some information and comfort here (hopefully)!

I have been getting electrolysis since 7/8/08 (intermittently - I’ve only had 6 visits and spent about $150 thus far), and although I have no before pictures, I think I will post some pictures of my progress here. My goal is bikini ready by this summer (hence my user name). I don’t know what is causing this strange hair growth. Neither of my sisters have hair on their abdomens like I do, but I don’t have growth elsewhere like the face where other women seem to have problems. I started noticing darker than normal hairs on my stomach when I was about 17, I think. I was tweezing obsessively and growing increasingly frustrated and scarred up until I finally decided to take action last summer.

As far as my body type, I am slender and have generally irregular periods, which I hope doesn’t mean PCOS fingers crossed. I used to be really active up until about 2 years ago. I haven’t been exercising regularly lately, but I still consider myself to be moderately fit. Anyway, I will be having some medical screenings next week that will tell me if anything strange is going on with my body, and I’ll post here if I find anything out.

Also, I just had an appointment today and I’m wondering if my electrologist is starting to use too much current. I have been really good about tolerating the pain, so she has continually been turning it up I think, and I haven’t had any problems until today I noticed a handful of little white blisters or bumps. I take that to be a bad sign, and I’m watching closely to see what happens, but can anyone here give me details before I go back for my next visit. I’m all for having the heat cranked so I can get more for my money, unless it’s likely to scar or result in permanent damage. I trust my electrologist, but is this the point where I have to tell her to back down?

Thanks in advance!

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got time for now… hope people will find my story helpful!

#2

Hair on a woman’s abdomen is not rare. It is VERY natural and common for hair to grow here. Having a medical checkup is necessary if you have irregular periods as this can interfer with the health of your bones. Are you underweight? Females that don’t have a certain percentage of body weight, will not menstruate.

In regard to your electrolysis treatment, use witch hazel, a dab of tea tree oil to each funky looking follicle and then apply aloe vera gel for several days to hasten the healing.
Let your electrologist know about your healing so she can change things up or down. You may have TEMPORARY skin reaction, but scarring is rare. Body work almost assures that you will have temporary bumps or whiteheads. If you wear tight clothing after treatment for several days, that can prolong the healing and irritate the skin further. No sweating or swimming for at least 24 -48 hours.

You will be fine. I suspect that you will see a good healing if you follow the above advise. Have your electrolgist explain all this to you in her words, too.

Are you getting full clearance each time you go? It doesn’t sound like you have been on an aggressive schedule since July. If the hairs you want gone are not being treated on regular schedule, with enough of a punch, then this will go on and on and on. What modality is being used? Just curious. A picture would be great.

Dee

#3

I can’t remember if she uses blend or thermo… I think blend, but I’ll have to ask next time I go in. I have been getting full clearance (yay!) each time I go in, and it only takes about 15 minutes per session. I’ve also been using witch hazel and calendula for 1-3 days after getting treatment. I am 5’6" and 115-120lbs (which makes my BMI about 19, so right at the bottom of normal weight). I’m glad to hear that it’s more common than I thought… I am so scared of finding out I have an underlying issue…

Anyway, thanks for the response and helpful advice! :slight_smile:

I will post a picture soon!

#4

I couldn’t get a close enough/clear enough photo to show the little blisters, but they have just about disappeared by now. This is just over 24 hours from treatment. The redness is a little more noticeable this time. Anyway, it usually fades in 2-3 days, so we’ll see how I look tomorrow. (click on them to get the full image)

#5

Thanks much for the pictures, bb. It looks okay… but definitely use tea tree oil and aloe vera gel, daily, after you wipe the area with witch hazel. Help this along so it heals faster. If you get hyperpigmentation dots, they will fade with time. You will most certainly get permanent hair removal as it appears she’s punching those hairs well.

#6

Yay! Thanks so much for the reassurance. My stomach is still tender, moreso than it has been for previous visits, but I know it will all be worth it in the end. I have never had any scabbing before (which it’s doing now), but I’m trying hard to take really good care of it. From now until this summer I am on a strict regimen of continuous treatment and NO MORE PLUCKING (I’m hiding the tweezers).

I’m so glad I found this site, and equally happy that I finally got over my fear of “coming out” (for lack of a better term) so I could finally start getting over it and being proactive. My heart is out there for all the women with hair in other areas who are also so self-conscious. <3

I’ll be back with updates!

#7

We will look forward to completing your story with updates and thanks again for the pictures! I would show the pictures to your electrologist and ask her if she can change things a little to possibly lesson the skin reaction . It will take less time to heal if the upper layers of skin is not affected so much. At the same time, you have to expect some reaction. It’s all a balancing act. Again, this looks rough, but it will heal, so don’t freak out. Give her feedback and see what she can do. More pictures later would be great and it will be fun for you to go back and read this thread after you have achieved permanent hair removal with dates, pictures and words.

Dee

#8

Hi again, forum! Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted here. I have been busy with life (I’m a student) and horribly inconsistent at going in for treatments. I’ve also been plucking between treatments even though I know I shouldn’t. blush

Since my last posts I’ve been in a few more times and I’m happy to report that my hair is slowly but surely disappearing! There hasn’t really been much to update since I haven’t been going consistently and progress is slow, but it’s noticeable that although I still have a few dark hairs, things are growing in fewer and thinner. I seem to get growth in little patches/spurts, but it’s definitely manageable.

My last visit was Wednesday, where she really zapped me (perhaps because I’m about to leave the country for the summer). I’m attaching photos of the scabbing. Maybe it is because I was dehydrated? I have a fairly high tolerance for pain, so I’ve told my electrologist to crank up the juice so I can get the most bang for my buck. This last time was about my limit though. I don’t mind the scabbing so long as it means she’s being effective and as long as it doesn’t scar. I’m treating it with aloe, calendula, and witch hazel, and I’m about to go dab on some tea tree to hopefully speed things along. Anyway, I’ll try to get some photos of the growth this summer and post them here so people can see how electrolysis is working for me. I’m also going to make a tally of how many visits I’ve had (and when they were and how much they cost) so that people can have an idea of how inconsistent I’ve been and how much I’ve spent. My original quote was about $500 for that little area. Will hopefully update again in a few weeks!

[EDIT: I just looked at the old photos and it’s definitely a noticeable reduction!! Hope these photos are helpful/encouraging and not as scary as they look!]

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Best!

#9

Oh, I forgot to mention - I did have a check-up and everything is fine with me hormonally and whatnot. I must be the genetic oddball in my family! -_-

#10

Hello Bikini bashfull,

How many hours took you to finally clear your stomach, please let us know!! I’m saving money to start my stomach with electrolysis

thanks!!