I frequently warn Hairtell clients to never be aggressive with their upper lip. I watched a documentary about Dr. Renee Richards (see internet), and found a photo of her that illustrates the negative aftermath of aggressive electrolysis treatment (see her upper lip in the photo below). (She said her electrolysis was completed in FOUR months! Actually, not possible! But I’m sure it was a very aggressive four months.)
Such injury is all too common with trans-women. They are (understandably) always in a gigantic hurry to get the upper lip hair removed. Every trans-woman I have worked on has said, “I don’t care how swollen or horrible my lip gets … just remove it all NOW!”
I won’t do it!
Of course, with local anesthetic there is a great temptation to “remove all of it.” As one Hairtell poster commented: the damage usually shows up much later … after treatments are completed (I think the quote came from a “trans-site” and, of course, that makes perfect sense to me.) Too many trans-women end up with mangled upper lips!
Indeed, an upper lip CAN look just fine, as treatments are on-going. Why? Because the swelling keep the tissue pumped up … and it looks terrific. It’s only when the swelling totally subsides and the skin then collapses (shrinks down) to its normal state.
PLEASE all of you doing face work … do NOT get desperate and do NOT ATTACK your facial hairs. PLEASE listen to your electrologist and then be super-careful. You are going to have to live with the final results of your treatment for a long time! Do not focus on “immediate gratification!”
I don’t want to EVER see another destroyed upper lip like this!
