Update/question

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#21

GH101, like they say, "a picture is worth … "

I’m thinking about all the other posts you made and none of us knew what was going on; I assumed it was "Kvetching?’ But, yes, you have a substantial hair problem, indeed.

You have received thoughtful and solid advice from Dee and I agree with her 100%. I would only stress that with that much facial hair, thorough medical evaluation is necessary.

Let me also reinforce that your "7 hours and 45 minutes’ of work, so far, is as Dee says, "a drop in the ocean.’ My guess: you are looking at 50 to 70 hours of work in total. If you don’t have the funds, that’s another issue of course.

But you shouldn’t disparage your electrologist and expect her to work miracles: 30-minutes per week won’t "cut it.’

#22

Wow. I had also been following all of the GH101 posts and I had also just assumed that the “beard” was an overblown statement. Pictures definitely provide all the missing context.

#23

Thanks for your reply.
I know I have a bad case. I have high testosterone in my blood. I just didn’t want to go on medicine if electrolysis could correct the issue.
I can only afford 30 minutes a week right now.

I haven’t been wondering when I’ll be done, I’ve been wondering when I will see some results.

Those are the best pictures my phone camera was able to take. You get a gist of my hair problem. All those hairs are coarse.

So you think it’s even possible to get results 30 minutes a week?

#24

Will it be possible to see any results with 30 minutes a week?

#25

Also, when will the sides of my chin stop having regrowth each week? She’s only been doing those spots since I started.

Can electrolysis get rid of my hair without me going on medicine?

I just don’t want to waste my money/ time if it’s just not possible for my hair problem to be gone one day unless I go on medicine or get hours of electrolysis done each week.

She clears the sides of my chin each week, when will those spots stop coming back? I’m not even taking about my whole face, I know that will take years. I just break my face down in parts and sections.

#26

eventually GH but will take a very long time.

HEre’ s my comments .

as others have indicated you have a substantial amount of growth, equivelent to a mans beard.
Many of the electrologists here have indicated they cleat a beard in 80-100 hours. I would say your “average” electrologist is not quite as skilled as that, but still should be able to do it under 100 hours possibly.
Ideally this should be performed over some period about 12-18 months. There are different strategies to accomplish this but I generally recommend to new trans clients who would have the same hair density you do 2 hours a week for 52 weeks, give or take. a week or two missed which always happens.
By doing 1/4 of that, you may be extending your treatment , up to at least 4 years. Also bear in mind that the antiandrogens used to reduce testosterone ( primarily spironolactone or in canada, Cyproterone ( nasty stuff cypro) ) are neededd to prevent new hairs from being generated. Fotr this you MUST SEE A DOCTOR. No one else should give you advice on this, dont even take mine.

So, you’ll see results at 1/2 hour a week, but it will take approximately 4 years. Increasing treatment will shorten that time. The chin, in particular, is a place I saw a lot of density and regrowth, which as you hvae been told prior is not all regrowth, but also out of cycle hairs.

Seana

#27

Thanks for your feedback Seana.
Do I need medicine to not have facial hair anymore or will electrolysis work without it?

During those 4 years, I will have less hair though right?

I just can’t wait to see a week of no regrowth in the areas she’s treated.

So since my hairs are coarse they take longer to kill?

Again I don’t even care about every hair gone, just being reduced is huge to me.
Going on medicine won’t get rid of existing hair, just prevent new ones.

I know I have a very challenging case, but trans and men beards are worse and they achieve hair free faces.

I still feel some tugging on hairs, but is that to be expected with such coarse ones and so many. The ones she’s been treating slide out, new ones have a tug.

Thanks again

#28

When should I see the sides of my chin stay clear for more than a week?

I would love to see just one spot stay cleared, it would give me the encouragement I need.

I know killing all the hairs on my face will take years, I just want one area to stay clear a week or more.

During the years, shouldn’t areas be killed?

I can’t wait to see results.

#29

here’s the theory behind it GH.

When testosterone is un-opposed in your system it stimulates previously dormant follicles into generating new hair. Once you remove hair, if you have not got the medical issue sorted then new hairs can be stimunated into growing, but this number is usually less than what we can remove with electrolysis.

Translation, you will need touch up sessions even after a full removal, unless you address the testosterone in your system with an antiandrogen which blocks those receptors. But the hairs should not be alot.

Think of it like a tap slowly draining into a pool, while you empty it with a bucket. By reducing testosterone, you stop that tap from putting more water in your pool

The chin is one of the most challenging spots. I thought the hair would never stop coming there. IT did though eventually and my face is clear. But if I forget to take my antiandrogen for a few days, I still have to take off new hairs, but it doesnt take very long.

So get the medical intervention. Then do as much electrolysis as you can afford. Eventually it will work. You have enough hair it might even be worth learning to do it on yourself.

And consistent “tugs” would mean she still erring on the side of undertreatment, which leads to poor results generally.Low kill rate I would assume.

Seana

#30

Thanks for the explanation.

So, once the hair I have now is killed they won’t return, but some new hairs could grow in. So electrolysis will work on existing hair. I will have to do touch up sessions though after I get all the hair killed.

I am worried of the side effects of medicine.
Do you take birth control too? Also did you have this much facial hair?

I can never imagine doing electrolysis on myself. I wish I could, would be quicker and save me money.

I get upset thinking she’s under treating hairs, but why doesn’t she know she is? Why would a professional not know the hairs are being pulled?

It is painful, so I can’t imagine telling her to raise the settings.

So, could the reason I have regrowth each week is because she under treating hairs. I have so many I can’t risk them being plucked, I need them to be zapped.

Are the hairs treated at all or not unless they slide out?

I can’t afford more than 30 minutes a week. I just hope I will still see progress soon.

#31

So should I keep looking for a new electrologist or the one I have seems good? I mean I haven’t given her a fair chance yet realizing how much of a challenging case I have.

How many hours should it be on the sides of my chin before I see lasting results. I’ve done 8 hours and 15 mins.

Also, why are the hairs she treated several times coming back again and again? They just weren’t treated enough or at the right phase?

#32

they arent the same hairs. There are far more follicles on the chin than you think there are. What you can see is only a small portion of the hair bearing follicles. They have to come in over at least 9 months for them all to have been visible, once , to be removed.It is by far , the densest area.

Seana

#33

Oh okay, but they’re not exactly on my chin, it’s the sides of my chin outward to my jawline. Is it the same for all the areas?

#34

not necessarily . usually the cheeks arent as dense,but would depend on your own particular pattern of growth.In general terns there ar more follicles per square inch on and surrounding the chin that there are most other places on the body. We get people all the time who will tell us "We know this hair I know this spot on my chin, when in reality there are other follicles microns apart.

Seana

#35

GH,

Your situation is made worse by going at this doing small sections at a time. You need an aggressive, safe approach to clear your face as fast as possible. Get the money part lined up and get on the table of an Electrologist that will work on you more than thirty minutes a week. CLEAR YOUR FACE OF THIS HAIR and GET TO YOUR DOCTOR.

I think this has been talked to death. Wouldn’t you love to get on with a good plan?

Below is my opinion on how I would handle your case ( a plan).

I may be able to suggest an Electrologist that can do Synchro thermolysis on you near Philadelphia, assuming you actually live there. She has an Apilus Platinum, with Synchro thermolysis. Synchro can destroy those hairs in one swipe of the probe, as in a “one and done” approach . I swear to God this is a great modality for strong hairs like you have. Those hairs will be history, with little effort, if you can possibly find a practitioner that uses Synchro.

That’s been my approach for clients like you and it is as effective as galvanic electrolysis, but much, much faster.

There are other effective approaches, too. I speak for myself. Mike Bono uses a fast blend, which would be wonderful as well.

That’s all the advice I have for you after this. Everything has already been said, now it is time to act. This is not easy for you or for the Electrologist who has the privilege to work with you. As I said before, the first 4-6 months are the hardest, but when you get a hint of success after a couple of clearances and you understand that you have turned the corner, that’s where patience pays off. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY, BUT IT DOES WORK, IF THE PRACTITIONER IS SKILLED AND HAS A GOOD SET UP.

Just working on the sides of your chin is not very satisfying. It will take a lifetime of electrolysis at that rate, with plenty of talking along the way .

#36

I appreciate the advice and help dfahey. I can only go once a week to fit my schedule.
It’s also painful and I am working my way to maybe an hour a week.
An hour a week is probably the best I can do.
I just wanted to see the sides of my chin clear before I moved to other areas.

I want to work in sections and don’t need to tackle my whole face right now.

Believe it or not I clean up my face very well through shaving, bleaching, trimming and make up tricks/foundation.

My sister and friends say they would never know, so I am grateful I can hide this well.
However it takes 25 minutes and makes me upset.

I just would love a reduction and for it not to be so bad.

Medicine won’t do anything for existing hair correct?

I live in Philadelphia, I would love the recommendation.

So you don’t think it’s possible to do my face sections at a time?

I know it will take longer, but eventually it will work right?

Thanks again

#37

Sure you can do that. There are "many roads to Rome.’

I "shape’ guy’s beards all the time: remove the neck hairs only, remove upper cheek hairs and take out two "classic’ patches at the chin … looks good and well-groomed. These sections, once removed, will not grow back for the rest of the guy’s life … it’s permanent. You know, as in PERMANENT!

If you can "only do 30-minutes per week,’ okay that’s all you can do: case closed. Get on with it, and best wishes.

Now, don’t start with the "I’m confused, I just want to know if she’s doing a good job’ diatribe again. None of us can tell you that. That discussion is a "dead horse.’

Get the chin area worked over (cleared) a bunch of times … for (minimum) 8-months or so … and see if the damn hairs grow back or not. You can judge the efficacy yourself … the hairs are either there or they’re not there. It’s simple: hair or bare, plus or minus, on or off. It worked or it didn’t work.

And, if it didn’t work, that’s a shame. Move on until you find someone who CAN kill hairs. AND … "join the club.’ Nearly all clients seeking permanent hair removal get "screwed’ a few times before they find a "master hair remover.’ Sad, but true.

#38

GH,

there is a CPE named Jerry Pascal, has 8 glowing reviews on yelp:
Edit
525 S 4th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
United States
Society Hill
Get Directions
Phone number (215) 704-5555

Also Feri’s who has a number of positive reviews on google:
146 N Eagle Rd., Havertown, PA 19083
Phone: 610.446.3535
Email: feriselectrolysis@yahoo.com

Probably a good place to start, I know nothing about these practioners however happy clients / positive reviews tend to indicate success…

Seana

#39

I totally agree with everything Michael said.

It takes 9 months for every hair to cycle into on a given area. Let her do her thing on the area of your choosing, over that nine months. No tugging should be felt.

I think we understand your situation better.

You don’t need to keep asking if this is working anymore. You just need to wait for the passing of the months and then you can evaluate where you are in the process. Have faith and trust in your electrologist. I bet she is doing her job well, but she (or you) have no control over how many active follicles you have in a given area and neither of you have any power to control the hair growth cycle.

You can take a break from HairTell now, but please come back in 9 months and update the community about your progress. Okay?

#40

Oh Dee Dee … you made me laugh! And, it’s only 6:00 AM … nice way to start the day?