Update at 8 months

Hi everyone,
i used to post here regularly the first few months of electrolysis, but then all my questions and issues died down. :slight_smile:
I thought I’d post my progress for the newbies.

I used to wax my lip and chin, but hated how it made my lip look unnaturally bald. Over time, more and more hairs grew in, and I switched to bleaching + tweezing out the thick hairs. Then the bleach worked less and less (I’d have to keep it on for 20 mins instead of the recommended 10). I had a total forest above my lip and had to bleach/tweeze that area every 3 days. It was nuts, so I decided to go for electro.

I started in May 04 for one hour/week. Half hour on lip, half hour on chin. Thermolysis, Apilus machine. The first 3-4 months the area would become swollen and very VERY red. The nights of my treatment I couldn’t go out. I’d spend the evening with a bag of ice on my face. ;-b
But my electrologist said I had the densest amount of upper lip hair she’d ever seen. After each visit, I felt confident about how I looked for about 3 days. Then the regrowth burst in like crazy. I cut it with scissors, but I still found it embarrassing.

Around month 3, I no longer needed scissors between my weekly appointments. The regrowth was under control and from that moment on, I never worried again about someone noticing my hairy lip! What a freedom! My hair was now someone else’s problem (my electrologist’s), one day a week.

Around month 4, I cut my session down to 45 minutes/week. My skin continued to get insanely red after each treatment but it didn’t swell up any more. I had developed hyperpigmentation on the chin, too. But I found a special liquid coverup to hide it.

Around month 6, I cut my session down to 30 minutes/week. Around this time I went on vacation and then got sick, etc, and I didn’t have a treatment for a few weeks. The redness and hyperpigmentation faded dramatically in that time, so I really can tell you that any redness or discoloration you have will eventually fade once the area isn’t being treated regularly. Also, during those few weeks, I never had to use the scissors until just a few days before my appointment when all the new growth got a little noticeable.

Today, I’m in month 8 and I’m still going for 30 mins/week. I could go less often, but I want to stay on top of this. Also, we have gone really slow treating the part of the upper lip that is right in the center. (That is a killer for me.) So I like to get a little bit of that done every week so I can get rid of it sooner. My skin still kind of freaks out after a treatment, but it doesn’t last. Maybe just an hour. It’s just how my skin is.

Considering the way my skin reacted every week to electrolysis, you might wonder if I have scars or damage, but I don’t. Everything eventually calmed down and I am really thrilled now that all those old worries about my appearance are gone. I am now a person who never ONCE wonders “oh, before i leave the house, i better go see if i have to do a bleach/tweeze session.” I also can really say that electrolysis is working for me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll have to go, but I’m in it till the end, and I’m REALLY glad I stuck with it and spent the last 8 months getting to this point instead of heading down the road I was on.

I hope this helps!
good wishes to everyone on this board and like a BILLION thanks to all the many pros here who answered all my questions (and everyone else’s too). You guys will never know how much you’ve changed my life!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
–susie

Thanks for poking your head back into the forum and posting your results Susie. As you recall, we frequently have newbies who accuse us of having no proof this works, and that no one on the board steps forward to say that it worked for them. I have to restate that those who are happy with their work have little to no reason to (still) be here, and those who are done and happy have even less reason to check this board and post in unless it is to give back and help the next person along.

Most people just get their answers and go on with the rest of their lives. We don’t even get to be in the favorites/bookmarks section of their browsers anymore.

I hope you posted your electrologist’s information in the referral section, so the next person from your area can find someone with a little bit less of a broad interview process than is the norm.

Thank You again from all of us at HairTell.com

Susie,

can you post some pictures of what the area looks like? That would be very encouranging and usefuly for those interested in getting thier lip done.

hey ivalina,
sorry, but i don’t have a digital camera. I will see if i can borrow one.

I’m not sure if it would really show anything, because the skin looks totally normal when I’m done. Just a tiny bit of mild redness that goes away really fast.

But I’ll try to get a camera. And I’ll answer any questions you guys have.

To anyone out there who is starting electrolysis, you should really REALLY take a ‘before’ picture. I didn’t and i regret it. It really shows you how far you’ve come and how those thick coarse hairs change. (They get much, much thinner till they finally >poof< disappear. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> )

susie

Hi Suzie:

I am glad it is working for you.

I find that aftercare makes a lot of difference in healing time. If I have some swelling, I apply ice which is probably good since you can feel the heat off the skin.
Then I apply a solution with zinc oxide and tea tree oil at night, and aloe vera during the day.I was treated for 2 hours thursday night, and today, tuesday morning my face is pretty well normal.

I used to have a pretty heavy beard and moustache, but the upper, and lower lip area, chin, and cheeks are almost clear now. I have had 52 weeks of electro, after 9 lasers.
At first when the hairs were more dense, it would be too much to clear some areas, as it was too potentially damaging.

I know what you mean about the upper lip though, especially near the base of the nose. Emla helps somewhat, but doesn’t seem to last 2 hours as I need.

Sorry I don’t have photos either, but beleive me it is somewhat of a miracle compared to before.

Alicia

Susie,
If you don’t mind me asking what state are you in? I’m around Chicago and looking for a rec.
The hair on my face is very blonde and thin but getting longer as im getting older. It runs in my family. I had some blood work done yesturday but im expecting it to come back normal because my mom and her sister have this same problem. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

Hi Blonde,
sorry, i’m in ny. You should do a search on All Forums for Chicago and see what posts turn up.

The only suggestion I have for you is to try out a few electrologists till you find one you like. After each visit, post details of how it went and how your skin reacted. The great people here will tell you if you’ve found a good electro or not. That’s what really helped me find a good person.

Because of your hair color, it sounds like laser isn’t a good choice for you. But electrolysis will work on any hair color, so this could free you from the chore of shaving for the rest of your life like your mother does.
Good luck!!
susie <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

VespaSusie, I want to thank you for coming back to share your consumer experiences! Long-term follow-up like yours is the best way to get a sense of how well these methods do.

Yay for our readers, and I hope everyone will consider following VespaSusie’s wonderful example and report back!