I’m a brunette, hairy as a peach. I’ve decided to go for a free electrolysis consultation. I found someone who has credentials and I plan on calling this week.
I’d like to get rid of facial hair. I have no terminal hair but a dark velus that’s been bothering me for years. It’s mostly on my cheeks and around the corner of my mouth, it’s truly a beard pattern. So far, I’ve resisted waxing or plucking the area but I just can’t deal with it anymore. It’s ruining my self-estime.
The problem is, I’d like to get pregnant in 2009. Can I start the electrolysis before getting pregnant and expect those first results to last through the pregnancy? I know I can’t clear the whole area in only six months but I’d like to at least be able to clear some of it.
It is safe for you to have electrolysis even while pregnant. Some electrologists will not work on a woman while she is pregnant due to the threat of a possible (though scientifically unfounded) lawsuit from an ambulance chasing lawyer, should the baby be born with any kind of issues. James wrote a great post about this a few weeks ago. I’d make sure and ask your electrologist their policy regarding working on pregnant women. It will take 9-12 months minimum to complete your electrolysis due to the hair growth cycle, putting you somewhere in 2009 when you would be completed.
Don’t pluck or wax the hair you wish to have treated with electrolysis. It may can the hair worse, more difficult to remove, and/or throw your electrolysis treatment schedule off. You can shave or trim the hair, it will not make the hair grow in thicker or make the hair worse (it is a myth.)
I am not sure if pregnancy itself could make the hair problem worse, so I will differ that question to the pros here.
I’m hoping to get pregnant, but of course, nature will decide. Until then, I truly want to start solving that hair problem. I was just wondering if it was a bad idea to start electrolysis while planning a pregnancy in the near future. I hope I don’t have to wait…
Also, another question: what will I look like in between treatments? Will the area be cleared each time? Will it look like I’m growing a beard?
If you find someone who can do full clearances, you will look finished very quickly, even as you continue to get work done. The electrologist can treat hairs that you can’t see yet. In short, with the right practitioner, in between treatments you just have visibly hair free skin. In other situations, you just have to clip the hairs down or shave them until your level of clearance catches up.
Whether your results will last through pregnancy depends on your hormones and what they do while you’re pregnant. The hair you will have killed before that won’t come back, but your body can develop NEW hair while you’re pregnant due to hormonal changes and you can’t really tell which hair is which.
Either way, you can definitely get started now. You can kill quite a bit before your pregnancy. Then afterwards, you can easily get any hairs that may come in during.
Make sure to not only examine credentials, but type of electrolysis, equipment, and most importantly experience. Sample treatments are a must.
It’s actually a great thing for electrolysis that you never touched the hair. It will be easier to kill.
You should ask what type of electrolysis she will be using on you (i.e. thermolysis, blend, galvanic, etc). Also, you should get sample treatments and make sure your skin reacts well and that you don’t feel plucking.
