I’m wondering if electrolysis will work on women with hirsutism. Meaning, if there are no hormonal imbalances but just sensitivity to testosterone in the body, will electrolysis even work?
Have any electrologist had experience with working on various body parts of these women?
Any advice or experiences will help. I feel so depressed everyday. I don’t know what to do anymore. =(
Uhm, yes!
See my sister’s electrolysis diary linked in my sig below. We are both the same - no imbalance reported but lots of excess hair.
Yes. Electrolysis, when properly performed, will kill every treated follicle. It doesn’t matter why the hair grew. Electrolysis will destroy a follicle’s ability to grow a hair.
@stoppit: it seems like your sister had normal amounts of hair, you as well. my hair literally is dark and fine EVERYWHERE on my body, from head to toe! and very noticeable especially in natural light and other lights. I want them ALL gone, because I feel like people will see them even if they are reduced. It will look stupid if I have some fine hairs in some places but not others. I know this is a lot of work but I am hopeful!
Please share experiences and advice on how to tackle such a major project!
Erm. We both have dark hair all over our bodies and faces. Our faces are definitely not in the realm of normal. My sister barely had a forehead! Her hairline was very low and the bit of forehead she had was densely covered in hairs. Josefa can confirm whether or not it could be classified has hirsuitism. I have to bleach my face and neck every week to keep the hairs blonde.
I guess photos are deceiving because I was like 
wow you guys are fine!!
Have you done any other areas of your body with success? I am sensitive to hyperpigmentation especially fingers and toes, any suggestions on how to avoid this?
No dear. You and your sister, do not suffer from hirsutism. In the past year I have worked in about 7 girls of Indian origin, and almost all have the same pattern of hair development. This is a very fine hair, which would not be necessary to remove if it were not also very dark. Most do not even have developed terminal hairs on the thighs.
This is a clear case of hirsutism (classified as severe). She is a woman of 18 with terminal hairs around the chin, neck and sideburns.
As you can see, Desperate, there is always someone with something worse than you. 22 years ago that this girl was spared the nightmare of the hairs thank to Electrolysis.
Ah, thanks Josefa. It seems to me then that desperate would also not be classified as suffering from hirsuitism if her hair is every where but fine?
You know, before I started electrolysis in London, my sideburns (with the same thick hair like my scalp hair) were down to my jawline and long, with a border of shorter thicker hairs. Thankfully, it was only this area on my face that had thick growth and my electrologist removed just these hairs. I completed that work some years ago, which you are now refining.
Also my front thighs had thick hair, the same as my lower legs, before I had Laser.
The definition never mattered to me. Only, can they be removed? And the answer is yes, desperate.
So what is it called if you have fine dark hairs that don’t look vellus because they are clearly visible!! and everywhere!! Its not normal, because looking at other women I see baby baby fine hairs if I REALLY look hard, but mine is not like that, it’s noticeable without coming close.
So if its not hirsutism what is it?
Genetics? Hypertrichosis. Google ‘hypertrichosis and hirsutism’ to understand the difference between the two.
What about having those dark and vellus hair all over your body (this is probably not hirsutism and just genetics) but in addition to that, having public like 1 inch to 1.5 inch (yes inches, not cm!) hair around areolas and navel without the trail to the pubic area? I’m curious to know if that would be hirsutism? How common is this?
I don’t know what you call it. But I definitely had that kind of hair around my areolas (gone now!). It seems many women have thick hair around their nipples. The thick hair from the navel down seems (entirely just to me) to be less common but I still know plenty of women of my ethnicity (cousins, friends) who suffer from this as well.
My hair does not just fall into certain places. I literally have it all over my body (HEAD TO TOE!) black hairs, they are not vellus but a bit longer and really fine and DARK! so they are very noticeable!! they cover my chest, breasts, stomach, full back, bum…the list goes on and on. I feel like crying almost everyday. I recently broke up with my boyfriend because of it.
When I wax the hair grows back within a few days it starts to feel prickly like it was shaved. So I have a few days as a window of no hair (wow really nice!)
I can’t afford electrolysis on my entire body, and I can’t live like this! It’s driving me crazy, I feel like I’ll be alone forever.
No matter what people say that a guy will love you for you, its easier said for them because they are not the ones suffering from it. And even if that is true, I can’t love me for me because I think im hideous and disgusting, so how could I let a guy touch me or love me.
I feel so alone.
Desperate18, I totally feel your situation. You probably don’t remember this but you had once told me that my hair was darker than yours (I had posted pics of my facial hair). Now I don’t mean to say that my problem is worse than yours-please don’t get me wrong-what I’m trying to say is that I still feel hopeful because I’m trying to make a plan AND implement it.
I have to say this: where there is a will, there is a way. You don’t have to get electrolysis for your whole body to improve your self esteem. Focus on the most necessary/visible areas- For me, these are face (which I bleach-you can also bleach your neck and chest), arms, legs and chest-which I plan to get electrolysis on, entire belly region-for which again bleaching works very well for me. Butts and back- yes I have visible and abundant hair there too but I can’t see them (unless I try) so I’m not so bothered YET. lol. Pubic and axillary region-well everyone has hair there, so that is not a necessity until you have money to spare. Laser is an option if you are ok with it-I’m not for my own reasons- but in my experience it does work for the right candidate.
If money is the problem, save it. Can you save at least 5-7000 USD-that will take care of the majority of your problem with an electrologist who can guarantee you results. It seems like a huge amount and it is huge but I think it’s possible. Are you a college or grad student? If you are, take advantage of the loans you get. Apply for scholarships so that you can allocate your financial resources to serve your needs. Find an internship which pays. I know it’s not easy. I’ve applied and not had success for the most part. Do you have some useful skills? Tutor if you can. And if nothing works while you are still a student, wait till you graduate and find a job.
I think a good electrologist (like the ones on this forum) should be given more priority/consideration than the distance to an electrologist. If you have to go across the border for that, I really think you should.
And if nothing above works, try DIY. Take things into your own hands.
I know it’s easy to give a motivational speech, but in general, everytime I look back in life, I realize how much in control I was/am of the things that happen to me.
Think of it as a little project for yourself. One thing that motivates me is my lower legs. I experienced enough hair reduction/removal in this area that now I can maintain it with just shaving. Since the day I had my last laser appointment (1.5 years ago), I have never let my hair in that area grow more than a stubble- I was able to do that because taking care of it became so less burdensome. It takes about 5 of running the shaving stick once every weekend and I’m done. Since that time, I’ve never had to re-consider my clothing choice- I can wear capris whenever I want to. The thought of feeling that way about the rest of my body (which I’m currently very conscious about) is very motivating.
I agree with all zaphair has said.
No one would belittle your problem because we are all suffering it or have suffered it.
That facial hair you may have seen in my photos is naturally black… not brown but black. With many hairs longer than 5mm. Before I used to bleach, it looked like the same beard my 16yr old brother has. Thick sideburns and fluffy black hair over my beard, upper lip and neck area. Guys I barely knew at university would make comments that I need to shave.
There is not an inch of my body that doesn’t have black hair growing on it. Some areas - such as my shoulders, it is quite short, although dense, and if I bleach it, it is passes as not very noticeable. I used to wax my hands (along with my arms) every two weeks as the hairs were so long and noticeable. I bleach my chest/breasts and stomach but I still need to have electrolysis here because in the center of the chest and tummy, the hairs are very long!
Recently, my husband informed me that my back is not much better than my front and helps me bleach that in the summer. Will I get electrolysis here? Probably not… perhaps just the lower back where it is more dense and thick.
My sister’s situation is the same as mine. Worse in some areas as bleaching does not work well for her. She is not working full time, she is a student. She gets a loan for ‘maintenance’ for rent etc, which she saves practically every penny that is not necessary to spend, for our yearly electrolysis visits to Spain. She’s working over her summer.
Since my teenage years, I focused my depression on finding a solution. When I was 18, I thought it was Laser and it took me a good 7 years before I was in the financial position to actually go for it. Then, when the help if this forum, I have done both Laser and electrolysis to the point where I am mostly content.
I know what all of you are saying, but I am trying. I have had many session of electrolysis, that apparently are clearances, but the hair is still there! I’m more concerned over the hairs on my breasts/chest, bum, hands and feet. I feel like stomach is necessary as well… Back I could wax I guess…anyways, I will try to find a solution. I just like to rant sometimes.
I wish this hair problem would just disappear.
@stoppit- you mentioned you’re married, how did you tell your husband about the problem? Are your breasts fully covered with hair or just nipple area. Sorry for the personal questions, but I just like to know I’m not the only one, and maybe I can learn from your situation to let a guy know and not feel embarressed as much.
I met my husband when I was 21, years before I started permanent hair removal. I didn’t need to tell him… it was obvious because I didn’t hide it but he never had a problem with it and still doesn’t. My hair removal is completely for me and so that I don’t feel self conscious.
Yes, they are fully covered with shorter, dark hairs. I sometimes bleach them. I had quite a lot of thick, long hair around my nipples which I had removed with electrolysis some years ago.
I don’t know what to say? I think you have to accept your situation and not try to fight it by trying to hide it. There are men out there whose idea of a woman does not come from the airbrushed models in magazines.
I guess its hard when everywhere you look all women are hairless or have baby fine soft hairs. I feel like a monster. I feel like I’m hiding myself and trying to cover up more than I try to enjoy life =(
Bleaching hairs look weird on me because I have dark skin, I hope this journey comes to an end…one day.
Same here, desperate18, every woman around me seems as smooth as a dolphin, while I’m most definitely and obviously not.
For me the legs are the worst, after much trial and error I finally found a way to shave with less irritation but it doesn’t matter; you can still see the hair quite clearly beneath the skin and as soon as there’s a breeze or a sneeze they pop out again.
It’s bad, no doubt about it. But I have to admit some of my suffering is psychological as well.
This is not much different than lets say, being hopelessly obese in a culture that celebrates thinness. Yet I know a few who manage to have great lives and are beating men off with a stick. Attitude can go a long way too and, in the middle of hot weather and velvety women in daisy dukes, I’m working on that since I don’t have any other choice. 
