Will electrolysis work for me? (Photo)

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I’m struggling with treatments right now and I need some advice. I have had six thermolysis treatments so far, about 45 minutes each, but I see growth so quickly that I’m depressed. I’m just concerned that it’s not working or that I’m going to get so discouraged and stop. I know this won’t be fixed overnight. I only shave between treatments, but I’m just not happy.

I have facial hair that’s literally spaced out. It’s like a man’s beard, but not as bad as I know it could be. The photo attached is a week or so after my last treatment. Why do I see this ugly appearance so quickly? Will it ever stop? Why am I full of red bumps? I need this to work for me so badly. My life will be so different. I’m tired of being the ugly, hairy girl. I’m told I’m so pretty, but how can I be pretty with this crap growing on my face?

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#2

What form of hair removal were you using before commencing electrolysis? Are you having a complete clearance on each visit?

#3

Hi. Thanks for reply. I shaved for many years and started plucking less than a year ago. I haven’t plucked since early September.

I am having complete clearance on each visit as best as possible. We stay under one hour, but she is able to clear 80% of visible hair.

#4

You need to give this some time, because to treat every single facial hair takes 9 months.(due to hair growth cycles and dormant hairs) It is just early days yet. Most people have no idea how much facial hair they really have, they are not the same hairs you tweeze out every week!!

#5

Continue with treatments and take a picture of the same area (same angle) in 2-3 months. You should be able to see the reduction (AKA results then. (but you won’t be done, yet) Electrolysis takes time - you must be patient and persistent.

#6

You say this is after 6 sessions. Did you take a before shot to see if you have made any progress at this point? How often are you going? (Some people seem to need to go weekly at first) When your electrologist removes the hair is it truly zapped and sliding out or can you feel it being plucked?

I tried electrolysis when I was 18 and the lady definitely plucked. And I saw zero results. I am giving it another go 18 years later now and a week after my first session I have a ton of irritation still but only one whisker has regrown so far. I know this isn’t the final result yet but it is promising - I have the kind of hair that comes back super fast so a week of no hair is an amazing outcome, short term or otherwise. I know everyone is different and we’re not all going to follow the same progress as we are treated but I have a TON more hair this time and saw much different (better) results so it’s possible - in my non-professional opinion - that it might help to consider a different plan of attack, either in terms of how you are treated (or by whom) or how often.

In my case I think I am going to shop around due to being alarmed at how much irritation I have - I am going to see the same lady again and see what she has to say but I am also seeing what other places around me have to offer as well. I never knew how much more there was to this besides “stick a needle in there and zap it!” Methods, types of machines, types of probes…

I’d start by having a frank talk with your person though since he/she knows exactly what has been done to you - tell her you expected to see some sort of change by now, ask if that is just unreasonable in your case, ask if there is anything she might try that is different - for example in my case we plan to use blend on on super stubborn hairs - based on some reading this might be a good plan if you have been plucking for years because it can attack distorted or deep follicles better - there are so many opinions out there though. Research, research, research, and shop around if you need to.

I don’t have a single magic answer for you but I know how rough it is. PCOS can be a completely soul crushing affliction to have. It is so hard to be confident and face people when you feel like a side show spectacle. I really believe there is hope for us going this route - it may take time but I really think there is hope. I have done many laser sessions and the hair keeps coming back so I think this may be the ONLY way - but it will be worth it.

You’re not the only one out there so hopefully that helps, too!

One thing to suggest for shaving - what are you using? I have a lot less irritation with a men’s braun shaver vs a blade. Might help in between sessions. Your skin might be more tender from the electrolysis, shaving on top might be extra rough now? Not sure what you are using.

I hope you can get some answers you feel comfortable with. Even just voicing your concerns with your electrologist might put you more at ease

#7

Crazy, I just looked at your picture. Thank you for submitting a high quality photo, it really helps.

Of course, electrolysis can help you! Electrologist strategies are different, but they all work. Get as many consults as you can so you can see the different approaches, feel the sensation and see the skin reaction.

These are toughly rooted hairs. You should not feel any pulling. If I feel any traction what so ever, I go back in the empty follicle and apply more energy.

First clearances and the first four to six months are always the toughest, so be patient.

#8

Thanks all for the encouraging words. It’s hard not to get discouraged or overwhelmed, especially early in the process. I’m just ready for a hairless life! Well, on my face at least…

I’m providing another photo of my chin/neck that is at a better angle. Could anyone tell me, based on what you see, if you would consider this to be an extreme case? Is this something that I’ll see progress with soon, hopefully? I’ve been going once a week OR every other week since early September. I read that it takes up to a year, but I really don’t feel that I have the amount of hair as others do…

This is just so ugly to me. I’m ready to put it behind me!

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#9

Maybe this will make you feel better:

This was me before beginning electrolysis treatment:

One year later and now it is nearly all gone (including cheeks, chin, upper lip… the whole shebang!) It’s definitely a commitment and a long journey, and there were definitely times I was discouraged, but believe me… it’s worth the commitment!

And for a comparison, the entire neck (up to the jaw line) took about 3-4 hours for a clearance.

#10

Dear Crazy,

This, to me, is not an extreme case.

The density is not very high and there is nothing unusual about these hairs that would cause an experienced electrologist to worry and lose sleep at night. There are many ways to tackle these hairs. I know exactly what I would do when I look at your picture! I love cases like yours!

It sounds like you have found an electrologist that you like working with, but you just need to be patient, get the hair off and see this through for about a year to a year and a half.

#11

I had this very issue and my hair was spaced out similar to yours. I actually documented this in my blog! I felt the same way about myself. Men hit on me all the time, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they would still like me if they knew how furry I was!!!

Electrolysis will work for you, as with anyone. But are you on any medications for your hair growth? I’m asking because when I was diagnosed with idiopathic hirsutism, I was put on medication (Spironolactone) and after several months, my facial hair reduced drastically. I was getting electrolysis treatments before hand and it seems like it was working but very, very slowly. The hair on my face now is alot weaker and finer after taking the medicine for a year now, probably making electrolysis much less of a chore. I’ve considered going to get my treatments done again now that my hair is a different texture.

Perhaps if you take get on medication, give it time to work and THEN get the electrolysis treatments, you will see better and faster results.

Electrolysis will take several treatments to get your unwanted hair at bay. I’ve heard of men and women spending 30-40 treatments to get true permanency. It is possible but with electrolysis, patience is your only friend!!!

#12

It is hard to tell how extreme your case is since women go to such lengths to remove their hair, there are a lot of hairy women walking around out there but you’d never know it because they cover it up. I know I was pretty horrified letting my hair grow in (i used to use a silk epil on my face once or twice a week) and taking a pic before my first treatment this time around, seeing how much was really there… yikes. I know for me this go around I have not really been looking at what other biological women are doing in terms of hair removal because let’s face fact, my body seems to want to be male - so I am looking at what biological men are doing, either because their beards are just so much the shaving irritation is too much or because they are going to undergo sexual reassignment surgery. If this works for full on male facial hair, surely it will work for me. I hope!!! In the past, laser treated hair has always come back for me and I am reading again and again and again the laser is not the best way to tackle this area - especially the chin specifically which is where my hair is the absolute worse, densest and coarsest - maybe a nickle sized patch on each side and then a lot of scatterings elsewhere. (I learned a friend of a friend works at a chain laser center which opened recently here and while I am skeptical of these big chains I asked her anyway for a price quote and even she said the chin is notoriously hard to treat) Again and again and again I read electrolysis is the only way and there are success stories out there - no matter how extreme the case.

With PCOS you have another thing going against you since, if you are starting as a male, most likely all the follicles on your face have at that point turned terminal so you have all the hair you are ever going to get - whereas for a woman there is always the chance that the follicles that currently produce soft, downy hair will in time produce coarse, tough hairs. So it’s not that electrolysis won’t work for you, since once a follicle is dead it’s dead (whereas with laser it just seems to be unconscious for a little while)- but it’s that your hair problem might continue to worsen in the areas that have not been treated.

There are a variety of ways to get your hormone levels back into the normal range and hopefully keep the problem from spreading - but this won’t affect the hairs that are already there. Spironalactone is mentioned above - personally I found the side effects on spiro too much to take (constant bleeding even with birth control pills added to try to control it) Birth control pills alone can help - although the problem will return when you go off them. Diet, exercise, metformin can attack the issue at the source for many, not all.

I suspect that age is on our side with PCOS. As women with PCOS age their hormone levels drop back into the normal range. I suspect this is why it is rare to see a woman with an actual, full on, circus-worthy beard - I suspect our hormones go a little nuts with puberty, a little more nuts in our 20s, and then things start to fall off in our 30s and at some point things are about as bad as they are ever going to get. I have nothing to substantiate this claim but it is documented that fertility improves through the 30s with PCOS and it makes sense hair issues should also improve (and by improve I mean at least not worsen). As for me I am in my mid 30s and I don’t feel like things have gotten any worse since my late 20s. So I suspect - while I can’t prove it - I suspect this is a case where having age on our side is a good thing. As you are nearing 30 - hopefully this is in your favor.

Now I know that women often develop facial hair AS they age so this might seem contradictory but I am hoping again it is because their hormones shift from normal to abnormal whereas ours shift from abnormal to normal. I’ll have to get back to you in 30 years or so if things really are at their peak for me now or not.

Fingers crossed for you and all women like us. :slight_smile:

#13

How many hours of treatment have you had so far on those areas in total?

#14

I would love to see a follow up photograph at the 3 month point. You are at the most difficult part of the process right now, weekly treatments and continuously having more hairs appearing. With electrolysis, perseverance ultimately pays off and gets the job done. And as Dee said previously, there is nothing unusual about your case, much of it was likely induced by tweezing.

#15

Dee, I’m quite curious to know what treatment method you would recommend for me based on what you see. Right now I’m having thermolysis and I’m quite pleased. Most people say that I should have the blend method since I’m having work on my face, but I’m very happy with thermolysis to be quite honest. The only downside is that I have redness and a bit of puffiness for 2-3 days afterwards. I don’t mind this side effect because it’s worth it, but people at work stare at me. I’m sure they think I’m fighting with a razor! It ends up looking like razor burn. I had a 45 minute session yesterday morning and it hurt a bit more than usual. She did warn me that she turned the heat up a bit. Oh man, I did feel it! I will attach a photo to this post.

Mo…HELLO!!! I’ve actually been on your blog MANY times! It’s nice to meet you! To answer your question, I was on Sprinolactone for nearly two years before I stopped. It put my testosterone levels back into normal range, but my estrogen levels were dangerously high. This scared me, and my doctor as well, so I stopped taking it. Several months later, both my estrogen and testosterone were in normal range. That was six months ago, so I’m sure I’m due to check again soon. I’ve kind of gone the healthier route in order to get my crazy hormones in check. I follow a low carb diet and have for a little over a year. I went from 350 pounds down to 260. I feel great. My excess hair has not worsened in the past 3-4 years, so I feel like electrolysis at this time in my life is perfect for me right now.

I’m working on patience and won’t give up. I’ve had seven treatments in total and every penny is worth it at about 30-45 minutes each. All were weekly except for two treatments when I gave my face a break and went every other week. I will happily keep posting photos! You all are a great, supportive bunch!

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#16

All modalities, under the banner word of electrolysis, will disable hair follicles. The method that your practitioner is most comfortable doing is the best whether it be multi-needle galvanic, blend or the different types of thermolysis that are offered on some brand professional epilators.

I do thermolysis on 99% of my client faces and the results are permanent. In the beginning, when there is hair close together and most hairs are coarse, the skin reaction is such that the client is red or pink and they are swollen for minutes to hours to a couple days. All to be expected. We are doing microsurgery on hair follicles, so to speak. You will have temporary side effects and it is worth it to be hair free. Same for money spent - worth it!

#17

Dee, you are wonderful. Your replies to this thread make me feel 100% confident about what I’m doing. Thank you for your contributions to this forum.