Starting electrolysis! Some questions...

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

A brief intro: I just turned 20 a few months ago, and I’ve had a problem with unwanted facial hair since September of last year. I began birth control in August of last year. About a month in, I noticed I sprouted hair all over my cheeks. I know the birth control caused it - the timing was too close for me to think otherwise. I literally never had facial hair before I started. In any case, I promptly sought out laser hair removal. It didn’t help. I turned to threading for about a month before I started electrolysis - it made it worse. So it goes.

Well, now I’m off the BC and starting my electrolysis journey. I found a woman on Yelp who got rave reviews (I live in Los Angeles) and have had a handful of sessions. I’m shaving in between as instructed (being a girl who has to shave upsets me quite a bit, but I digress). So here are my questions (keep in mind I’ve googled these questions to no end, but would prefer answers from people who’ve been through it/have seen it first hand):

  1. Is electrolysis TRULY permanent? I’m willing to take all the time necessary to achieve this, be it a few months or a few years.
  2. My electrologist told me that because I’m on Retin A (I just started it) I have to go off it and wait for SIX WEEKS before I start up electrolysis again. This sounds really excessive and I really don’t like the idea of waiting that long between sessions (I’m so self conscious about this hair). Is this true?
  3. As my electrologist put it, I have tiny pores and thick hair, which is why the process is especially painful for me. She recommended a topical anesthetic. Can anyone here recommend a good one for the face? Preferably one that won’t break me out.
  4. Speaking of breaking out, I noticed that after a session, I’m more prone to breakouts. Is there anything I can do to help this?

Well, that just about sums it up. I’m really hoping electrolysis will answer my unwanted hair prayers. If anyone has any extra advice for me to consider, I’d really appreciate that too. Thanks so much everyone! :slight_smile:

#2

  1. A follicle that has been destroyed will never be able to produce a hair again. However, just as you noticed that birth control may have stimulated dormant hair follicles, this can happen again later in life i.e. during menopause. The electrologist can only kill follicles that are currently producing hairs.

  2. Most likely this is correct. Retin A thins the skin and is drying, you may get a much worse reaction than you should if you start electrolysis before your skin is back to normal.

  3. EMLA is one of the usual topical anaesthesia’s used.

  4. The recommendations here are to use tea tree oil, aloe vera and witch hazel. Straight after treatment you can spot treat with tea tree oil, I would recommend one that already comes dilute and is safe to apply directly to skin. You can then cover the area with aloe vera. Personally I like witch hazel for cooking the skin and helping it get back to normal.

#3

Cooling skin, right?

Have you discussed this with the physician who prescribed the BC? Sometimes a different b.c. selection can make the difference… Are you on it for birth control, regulating periods, clearing skin or all/other reasons?

Electrolysis, when properly done, is permanent.

Retin-A can thin skin, make it more irritated and flaky. I don’t make people wait 6 weeks, but you really need to go with your electrologist recommendations.

LMX or PFB are topicals you can apply, but pore size really has nothing to do with sensitivity. There are tons of sensitivity factors…insertion accuracy, needle size, current application techniques, your own genetics…

You are on Retin-A for blemish issues, I presume? So, your skin may be more sensitive to the irritation from electrolysis. Witch hazel and avoid overdoing lots of skin product, is my suggestion.

#4

Good information Barbara. I “ditto” all of it. Of course tretinoin is used for various, specific reasons; the formulations are different. Probably the irritation will make the treatment a bit more painful. But, I wouldn’t wait 6 weeks either — I’d get started and see how it goes. Start slowly at first.

I found the following on the internet (Tretinoin Cream @ 0.1%):

It is believed that tretinoin stimulates the fibroblast. Some studies suggest that tretinoin can help firm the skin by stimulating fibroblast activity. Fibroblasts produce collagen, elastic fibers, and the ground substance of the dermis. With age fibroblasts become smaller and less active.

Tretinoin works by thinning the outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum), while cells in the epidermis are stimulated to produce a thicker epidermis layer. Collagen production and cellular growth in the dermis layer also increases. Although it is true that tretinoin does thin the stratum corneum, it actually makes other layers of the skin thicker. Thinning the stratum corneum isn’t exactly a bad thing. With age the statum corneum can become thick and dehydrated causing the appearance of fine lines and rough, sallow skin.

#5

with regard to the permanent hair matter.

What are the chances of hair establishing its root again after electrolysis if you start taking body building protein shakes?

I believe those proteins contain a lot of stuff that promotes higher testo in men.

I am a male by the way.

#6

After electrolysis, the follicle has been calloused over, and the blood supply walled off from the interior of the follicle. That treated follicle can not return to hair growing again. HOWEVER, your body has at least 1,000 follicles per square inch, and even after clearing an area once and for all of hair, if you do things that trigger the body to recruit new follicles for hair growth, then follicles that never grew hair before will start growing it and you can repopulate an area with hairs coming out of follicles that never grew it before, in follicles near by the ones previously treated.

#7

ok, that means the place treatment will never see hair again, however, places nearby it could face potential hair re-growth.

#8

can you call it re-growth, if the follicle in question never grew hair before?

#9

James

What can you do to avoid these other follicles that was dormant before to not produce any hair after electrolysis? I am not talking about the one’s that was treated, but the one’s that are beside the one’s that was treated. Can all of the follicles be cleared with electrolysis eventually without any regrowth from new areas or is this always a concern?

#10

Well I guess I can answer this one, since James is getting some much needed sleep.
The mechanism that stimulates the other folicles to grow is guided by a class of substances called Androgens, primarily, testosterone. Things that stimulate Testosterone production are the following:
Regular Exercise
Vitamin D and zinc.
Ground Maca root supplements.
Regular Sex (yes really) in males.
high Cholesterol intake.
In some cases, hormonal imbalances caused by other disorders such as PCOS.
Therefore to prevent those same folicles from producing, the inverse is true, reduce testosterone by:
Intake of Soy or or estrogen intake in females.
Avoid excesses of Zinc and Vitamin D
keep a low cholesterol diet.
Avoid Maca root supplements
Have your hormone levels and have your doctor adress anything which may be causing high testosterone such as PCOS.

Seana

#11

Most of us are extremely deficient in vitamin D, which helps prevent disease, helps our body utilize magnesium (another one most are super low in) and calcium. Consuming soy that is not fermented is a major cause of endocrine disruption, and over 90% of it is genectically modified.

Regarding exercise increasing your testosterone, it depends on what you’re doing and the length. A woman with PCOS can benefit greatly from healthy fats, little to no sugar, and exercise!

I just needed to share that. Hair is an annoyance but I refuse to harm my health by eating a bunch of soy and becoming deficient in vital nutrients for the rest of my body to function well.

#12

I read that if you have PCOS Soy is to be avoided like the plague on many of there sites? although I dont’ have this condition myself my understand that the reason they get facial hair etc… is different to those that simply maybe sensitive to testosterone i.e runs in the family or those with high testosterone levels. ?

#13

Soy contains phytoestrogens ( estrogen identicals) in varying amounts. If you dont want soy, then avoid it, but you will want to look at elevating estrogen levels.
Similarly Vitamin D is known to increase T levels.

I’d recommennd doing a web search on methods to boost testosterone. Then avoid the things described, but a doctor can give you a FAR better medical opinion.

Seana

#14

My understanding is that pcos is estrogen dependent i.e they have too much which can make them over weight and also too much testosterone which makes the facial hair, too much estrogen sometimes produces more testosterone and therefore instead of trying to help it makes it worse. Instead I have been trying to focus on decreasing testosterone than increasing estrogen. Male and female bodies are different and will react different to the same products and foods some times. I need to do a lot more research on this subject I think very confusing now as to what is good and isn’t.

#15

Insulin resistance and PCOS go hand in hand. I do not have PCOS either but genetics, laser stimulated growth and years of tweezing have made my problem. And yes, avoid soy please.