Old member's update

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hey everyone!

I’m still not that comfortable posting pictures online, which I know is annoying (sorry!), but I wanted to return and post a BIG APOLOGY to anyone I may have offended over the years, as I know I was often skeptical about how well electrolysis might work. I felt very bitter about my hirsutism and often worried that people were trying to rip me off, etc., and I didn’t want to be too “optimistic” only to wind up disappointed.

But now I want to say that electrolysis has totally changed my life. I never come here anymore because I rarely think about the hair (or lack thereof), but it occurred to me today that I should post an update. I’m tempted to think that many of the people who never post again do so because they’ve found success, because it’s amazing how much your old problem drifts out of your mind once you’ve fixed it…

Anyway, I’m a cis woman, I had a lot of hair on my stomach and upper thighs (like a man’s amount). Because of money and location, I could only do electrolysis rarely (like a few hours every 2-3 months) and I had TERRIBLE problems with hyper-pigmentation afterward, all of which frequently made me discouraged. But sloooowly, at first, I saw the hair disappearing, and then later it started to disappear faster, and the pigmentation wasn’t as bad afterward, and what I’d previously had faded (rosehip oil helped). It’s now been pretty much three years exactly since I had my first appointment and I am 98% hair-free… The hair that remains is pretty much peach fuzz, the skin looks perfect, I can wear a bikini, etc.

The advice I would give to people who are tackling this for the first time is that it doesn’t need to be PERFECT to work. There’s a lot of talk here about three clearances and you’re done, etc, and that’s great (and I now believe that some practitioners are capable of this), but for many people it’s more like 5-6 clearances, especially if you’ve waxed/plucked in the past, and this is fine. You’ll still be hairless in the end. Also, even really bad hyperpigmentation eventually goes away–as everyone kept telling me!–so don’t expect your appointments to go exactly like anyone else’s, and just monitor your own progress by taking pictures and keeping a log of dates/hours spent/money spent.

I’m sorry about not posting pictures, but I hope this message encourages someone. Hairtell is a great resource–so thank you, everyone!

#2

Oh, in looking through my personal electrolysis diary, it looks like I had more like 8 full clearances (stretched over a long period of time) to get to this point. But I am still very, very happy with the results, and only spent around $2,500 (over three years!) to remove what would otherwise have ruined my life.

#3

Good to hear that you’re happy with results. For all the first timers worried about hyper pigmentation, expect it during electrolysis but don’t worry a lot or panic. PIH slowly fades and is not permanent but your hair will be gone forever.

#4

Apology accepted :wink: :smiley:

We have told many a skeptic that people who are finished and happy rarely come back here to say, “I’m finished and happy and it all turned out well. Thank you for all your good advice.”
Everyone is better for you having made the effort.

I have personally tried to say that while there is a grand canyon difference between the worst and the best possible experience, it is less helpful to get people to expect that X number or treatments over Y number of hours is what is to be expected. (Heaven forbid anyone get the idea that someone is purposely ripping one off if the work falls outside that expectation)
There are just too many variables, many of which are outside the practitioner’s control, but effect what is possible and how quickly one can get finished (if at all)