Laser on chest while on HRT

[Elena G]

I went to a clinic to get first hand information about a laser treatment. Top notch facilities and very experienced personnel, etc. I learned about how it goes and possible effects, yadda, yadda, yadda, and we walked to one of those aseptic looking rooms. Took my shirt off, got shaved in a bunch of places, and tried to imagine what was going to come next...



...goddamn! 



It was luckily just a test, and I didn't have any anesthetic on, but what's to come reminded me of how strong t-girls have to be to endure this process of going back to 'normalcy'. So what's now in my head is this question: during HRT, when my nipples get soft and tender and breasts begin to form, will I have to suffer what I think will be an insurmountable amount of pain? Have you lasered your chest months into HRT? If so, how did you deal with pain? Was it any different than before any growth happened?


Right then, pain was bearable even with a bunch of shakes and sweats, but when she shot near my nipple I was going to scream bloody murder. I just hope EMLA and self-control work out when the time comes.


Ouch. 

[Tristan]

i have not done my chest. i cant say that i need to. but i have done the face and arm pits. the pits really sting. people i know who get the chest say its not t bad after the 3rd treatment

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

Typcially, most chest hair disappears on HRT. Up until about my third or fourth year, I had some chest hairs.  Nine years in, I have a few very light velous hairs but nothing that I would consider that I would need to remove.

[JennX]

The chest for me wasn't that painful. The face, especially upper lip, hurt the most. A high pain tolerance comes in handy here. It took me about 6 sessions scheduled 6 weeks apart to clear my chest 90%. There were also a few dark/black hairs around the nipple/areola that needed electro to finally kill them.

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

I don't know why people are bothering with the chest area since HRT removes chest hair in most cases.

[Beth Andrea]

I haven't had laser on my chest, but I used to get waxed...after 4 months on menopause supplements I was getting buds behind the nips and some raising of the breasts (this was before HRT). I tried once more to get waxed, but the pain was SO intense it actually caused "ripples of pain" to transit across my chest and I almost passed out a couple times.

We could only do my chest, since we both knew my tummy was a LOT more sensitive (my tech and I had established a one-year history with each other) we had to cancel that part.  I haven't been back since (about a year ago).

We both felt the phyto-estrogen in the supplements caused my skin to become *very* sensitive to the waxing. I would think the same might happen with laser...but remember that everyone develops sensitivity (and tolerance) to pain at their own pace...

I just shave now, waiting for the hairs to go away. They're already thinned out noticeably after just 6 months of HRT.

[Kelly J. P.]

I don't know why people are bothering with the chest area since HRT removes chest hair in most cases.

Typcially, most chest hair disappears on HRT. Up until about my third or fourth year, I had some chest hairs.  Nine years in, I have a few very light velous hairs but nothing that I would consider that I would need to remove.

Curious. If these forums are still around in a year and a half, I'd be able to verify whether the third-or-fourth year thing holds any water. So far, twenty months in, I haven't noticed any reduction in chest hair (or most other bodily hair) myself. The legs are slightly affected, but it's hardly a big deal, and the hair there is certainly nowhere near the range my female family sits in.

I won't likely have the money for it, so I hope your guess is applicable to my situation. Or perhaps I'm just lucky enough to not be a part of "most" - as usual.

I'm going to say I seriously doubt that HRT removes chest hair in most cases. Perhaps a significant minority, but "most" is a long shot, and "removes" is an even longer shot.

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

Curious. If these forums are still around in a year and a half, I'd be able to verify whether the third-or-fourth year thing holds any water. So far, twenty months in, I haven't noticed any reduction in chest hair (or most other bodily hair) myself. The legs are slightly affected, but it's hardly a big deal, and the hair there is certainly nowhere near the range my female family sits in.

I won't likely have the money for it, so I hope your guess is applicable to my situation. Or perhaps I'm just lucky enough to not be a part of "most" - as usual.

I'm going to say I seriously doubt that HRT removes chest hair in most cases. Perhaps a significant minority, but "most" is a long shot, and "removes" is an even longer shot.

Everything I have read over the years is that HRT significantly reduces body hair but not facial hair Of course, results will vary. Maybe you should consider changing  talking to you medical professional about changing your regimen. I have read that progesterone may increase body hair.
Body Hair

Depending on how hirsute (possessing hair) an individual's body may be, body hair will generally lessen noticeably to almost entirely over a period of several years.  Individuals will generally notice a diminishment of bodily hair occurring on the extremities, and most of the torso.  As example, arm and leg hair as well as hair on the abdomen, chest, and shoulders will greatly lessen and in some instances disappear completely.  Hair growth in specific regions including that around the areola, armpits and pubic area will not lessen to the same extent.

http://www.transgendercare.com/medical/resources/tmf_program/tmf_program_6.asp

[Carolina1983]

I had lots of hair before, and thick ones too. After almost 4 months hrt there is a significant reduction.



Its now only a 3rd left or so from what I had before. its the same on the rest of my body too.

[Kelly J. P.]

Everything I have read over the years is that HRT significantly reduces body hair but not facial hair Of course, results will vary. Maybe you should consider changing  talking to you medical professional about changing your regimen. I have read that progesterone may increase body hair.
Body Hair
http://www.transgendercare.com/medical/resources/tmf_program/tmf_program_6.asp

Yeah. Changing my regimen isn't going to happen, but I'm not on P. So, I'm not sure whether to jump for joy or slice my wrists.

So I'll just sit here and wave my little flag, and the unenthusiastic mumble of "yay" shall be my anthem.

And there's always the possibility that I'm just one of those super-lucky people that don't get body hair reduction.

[kelly_aus]

After 15 months of HRT, my chest hair is mostly gone. I get a dozen or so blonde hairs in the middle of my chest and about 3 or 4 around each nipple. The middle is nothing that can't be dealt with with a wax strip and tweezers deal the the strays around the nipple.

Frankly, I don't get why so many people get so much laser/electro on the their body hair - being hairless is for reptiles.. I have hair in all the usual places a woman does, I deal with it just like a woman does. I do have hair in a few odd places, but as time goes on, they become less and less of a problem.

[Kelly J. P.]

After 15 months of HRT, my chest hair is mostly gone. I get a dozen or so blonde hairs in the middle of my chest and about 3 or 4 around each nipple. The middle is nothing that can't be dealt with with a wax strip and tweezers deal the the strays around the nipple.

Frankly, I don't get why so many people get so much laser/electro on the their body hair - being hairless is for reptiles.. I have hair in all the usual places a woman does, I deal with it just like a woman does. I do have hair in a few odd places, but as time goes on, they become less and less of a problem.

Easier for some to say than it is for others, I guess. Those gorillas among us find the reduction from laser and electrolysis a very welcome improvement, and an adjustment that would end at a more natural state of body hair. While one is at it, it is easy to just eliminate it entirely to reduce the hassle of manual removal periodically - after all, why not? Being hairless is in, and will be for as long as anyone can possibly tell.

[kelly_aus]

Easier for some to say than it is for others, I guess. Those gorillas among us find the reduction from laser and electrolysis a very welcome improvement, and an adjustment that would end at a more natural state of body hair. While one is at it, it is easy to just eliminate it entirely to reduce the hassle of manual removal periodically - after all, why not? Being hairless is in, and will be for as long as anyone can possibly tell.

I would have described myself as a gorilla to start with.. And manual removal is hardly onerous, about every 6 weeks I lie around while someone else waxes my legs.. I shave my pits about every 10-14 days - takes less then 5 minutes.. As for being hairless being in? That's open for debate, depending on who, what and where you are..

[Beth Andrea]

Originally posted by kelly_aus:

Frankly, I don't get why so many people get so much laser/electro on the their body hair - being hairless is for reptiles.. I have hair in all the usual places a woman does, I deal with it just like a woman does.

I don't know about the others, but there are people who simply don't like body hair (men and women). In my case, I had to get rid of it because of the association with childhood traumas...body hair = molesters = I felt trapped inside their bodies. Incredibly agonizing mentally...being almost totally bald not only relieved that anxiety, it also made me feel very sexy, in a healthy and self-respecting way.

So, even if one doesn't understand it...it's always a "Good Thing" so please don't say mean things like "being hairless is for reptiles."

Please. 

And, it SUCKS that the hair around the nipples is the last to go...the nipples are probably the most sensitive area to de-hair...   

[Carolina1983]

After 15 months of HRT, my chest hair is mostly gone. I get a dozen or so blonde hairs in the middle of my chest and about 3 or 4 around each nipple. The middle is nothing that can't be dealt with with a wax strip and tweezers deal the the strays around the nipple.

Frankly, I don't get why so many people get so much laser/electro on the their body hair - being hairless is for reptiles.. I have hair in all the usual places a woman does, I deal with it just like a woman does. I do have hair in a few odd places, but as time goes on, they become less and less of a problem.

I might be the only lunatic here... I dont want that hair to get back, ever! My greatest fear is if I have to stop HRT.. Thats also why I want FFS so badly. I have a bad habit to think of possible nightmare scenarios.

[Brooke777]

I had my first laser session on my chest about a week after I started hrt, and it was not too bad. I just had my second treatment yesterday. I have enough breast growth that I need to wear a sports bra to hide my chest through my shirt. Anyway...yesterday hurt so much more. I had only put on a little numbing cream which was a bad idea. I should have used a lot more! Luckily the lady is super nice so she took frequent breaks and we talked.  But, yeah it hurt a lot more. It is definitely worth it though.

[Carolina1983]

I had my first laser session on my chest about a week after I started hrt, and it was not too bad. I just had my second treatment yesterday. I have enough breast growth that I need to wear a sports bra to hide my chest through my shirt. Anyway...yesterday hurt so much more. I had only put on a little numbing cream which was a bad idea. I should have used a lot more! Luckily the lady is super nice so she took frequent breaks and we talked.  But, yeah it hurt a lot more. It is definitely worth it though.

Crap you just made me scared :S. I was thinking to do laser on my chest in September.


It seems that I will feel some pain .  And.. My upperlip has a few dark thick ones now too (, oh my..

[Brooke777]

Carolina, I did not mean to scare you. One thing to keep in mind is the more hair you have the more it will hurt. The reason it is so bad for me is I have a horrible amount of chest hair. My stomach does not have as much, so it barely hurts at all. Just use the numbing cream and you will be fine. Also, keep the end goal in mind. That is what I do. I imagine how great it will be to finally be able to show some nice cleavage.

Be brave, you will be fine.

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

Reduction and eventual disappearance of chest hairs for me took time. Up until about my fifth or sixth year, I thought I would eventually need to electro my lat remaining chest years. But voila! Now approaching my tenth year, my chest is virtually hair-free. 

[JadeS]

i never really had chest hair, thankfully, the most I ever had was a stray hair or 2 that somehow grew to 1". I know a few people who went from having body hair everywhere to nearly none with just hrt though, and they told me finasteride and/or dutasteride help a LOT to get rid of body hair, so you might want to check that out