My hair removal headaches....

Special Issues Transgender / Transsexual
#1

I need advice and to vent my frustration a little. I have been in transition a couple years now. I first had Lightsheer Diode Laser to the face which reduced the hair some, but, also left discoloration. After four sessions with the laser, I’ve had my face cleared twice with flash thermolysis. I have spent now over $6,000 and still have a full beard.

I thought that I was making some real progress. I have, however, since ending the laser, began having massive regrowth. I just don’t understand it. I can understand the laser having a poor result, but, what about the electrology? My electrologist says that you have about 40% of the follicles growing at one time. If I had my face cleared twice now, wouldn’t that mean that I should be about 64% clear at this point? I can tell you, I am no where even near that. I look at my face today and, right now, it doesn’t even look like I’ve had any hair removal done.

Since the dark regrowth, I am getting “sir’d” a lot. It is not a pretty sight considering I have now grown out my hair and I have breasts. I am so frustrated. What should I do? continue electrology? do a little more laser to try to get rid of the dark hairs again?

Help!
Lana <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

#2

What you need is a good and fast electrologist, who can clear you out good, and then maintain that clearance.

I am sure that if you kept pictures to show your progress, you would see that there has been lots of progress, although not as much as you would like to have had by now.

One needs to put in the time and stay on the schedule to see the kind of clearance you are looking to get.

Perhaps you need to read the electrolysis section of www.TSroadmap.com for a little more on this subject.

#3

Hi James,

Thanks for the reply. I have read the hair removal section on tsroadmap and I am going to a well known electrologist that works very fast. As I said, I have been completely clear twice and still have TONS of hair. It is not a question of me putting in the time. I would be surprised if I am even 10-20% clear at this point and I have already spent over $6,000.

Lana

#4

How many hours of electrolysis have you had?

If you have read TSroadmap, then you know how much you are supposed to budget for total clearance.

It is easy to spend $6,000 on LASER alone, so saying that you have spent that much on both doesn’t really give much information on the electrolysis side.

#5

The laser was only $400 of that amount, the rest was electrology. I am budgeting for total clearance, however, I work retail and don’t make much money. I only posted because I am disappointed not to be put on trial. I knew that hair removal would be expensive. I only hoped that after spending over $6G that I would be well on my way, which I am not.

Lana

#6

You are not being put on trial, you just have not answered the question: how many hours of electrolysis did you have and how long have your appointments been, and what is the frequency Lana? I did not ask you the questions that would really help me give you any good information, because I am quite sure that you don’t know the answers, and neither would your electrologist.

(If you have an epilator that counts insertions, you at least have an idea of how many hairs you have removed, and how much progress each appointment represents, however most electrologists in this country still don’t own a machine that does that. So we can’t ask you how many hairs you have per square centimeter. We can’t ask you how many hairs per square centimeter your electrologist is removing per visit. We can’t ask how many hairs go out of phase while your electrologist is trying to get to first clearance. We don’t even know how many square centimeters or square inches of skin you have as a total treatment area. All we can ask is how many hours have you had, and guess how much progress you should have made in that time based on what modality your practitioner is using and how long your average appointment lasts, and how frequent you go. I have had transexual clients who have 100 total hairs tracing their lip line, and I have had them who have 1,500 hairs all in a row tracing that same lip line. These two people can’t even try to compare work together, because one will get that lip line clear in 15 minutes or less, and the other could need three hours or more to do the same thing!)

I am sorry things are going rough for you, and I apologize if it has seemed that I have not been sympathetic to you. I have been, even if you have not felt it. After all, I would not be answering your question if I did not sympathize with you.

#7

Thank you James,

I’m sorry. I’m home sick with the flu and that combined with being discouraged is not a good combination. I have been doing flash thermolysis since last October. I have had about 40 hours, but, about 20 of those hours, I have had two people working at once. In effect, I have had a little over 60 hours. In that time, I have been completely clear twice now. After the last complete clearing, within 3-4 weeks I already had a full beard again.

I don’t understand if this is all regrowth from the prior laser I had done or if some of the hairs are being plucked not killed by the electrology. At any rate, my partner and another friend of mine both have looked at my face this week and said that it doesn’t look like I have had any hair removal done at this point. Is it normally to be completely clear twice and still be able to grow a full beard?

Lana

#8

Hi Lana:

That certainly must be disheartening to you to have so much regrowth. I know at times I have felt the same about it.

You really don’t have a lot of choice but to continue. I think with a regular schedule you should be able to get rid of the rest of the hairs.

I had 9 lightsheer treatments on my face before I switched to the electrolysis. I was also disappointed in the number of regrowths, even though I do think it helped somewhat.

Since I switched to electrolysis I have had 66 hours so far with the same electrolygist. I feel we have been making really good progress lately, and am really, extremely happy with the face above the jawline. The neck, and area below the jawline is the last area remaining and what hairs are remaining there are mostly white ones, but we are going after those too. I had a pretty good beard growth before starting all of this too.

I have heard of some girls needing 200 hours or more, including my hairdresser who still needs the occasional touchup years later.

I am sorry that it is so discouraging so far and looking at the costs to date can also be discouraging if you feel you aren’t making an real progress. I try not to think of it in those terms, since it is something we really have to do. I too have wondered at times, when will this ever end.

I wish you luck. You need to stay positive though and if you look at some areas, I am sure you must be making some progress. Keep your chin up. You are doing something you should be proud of, being yourself.

Alicia

#9

Hi Alicia,

Thanks for the kind post. I know I have no other choice other than to keep plugging forward. Hair removal is going to end up being by far the most costly and time consuming part of transition.

Thank you for the encouragment and good luck in your journey as well.

Lana <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

#10

Hi Lana:

You just keep hanging in there. It will get better as it is getting better for me now. Once you get past a certain stage of clearance you will start to be more optimistic.

Obviously the dark hairs are a concern, so maybe you might want to have the electrologist get rid of most of those each time.

I think that most transwomen will tell you that electrolysis was one of their major expenses and our nemesis. With patience and perseverence our curse can be removed though. It is a price to pay, and a sacrifice we have to make.

Good luck!

Alicia