Laser/Electro Consultation 11/11/2014

[Jessika]

Hi all,
Just got back from my Laser consultation and I'm kinda unsure about things.

My face has like 60% Dark, 40% White/Gray Hairs.

I was quoted $1,850 for 6 sessions since I have a lot and "coarse" hairs. That does not include going to an Electro for the White hairs.
Is that a decent price? For removing 60% of my face/neck hair?

They use the Emvera DioLux Laser.

I'm thinking maybe waiting until I start Hormones then doing the hair removal, not sure.

I'm so lost.

I have a consultation tomorrow with a different place that does the Electro. I want her take on it also. If I go strictly Electro it will take a lot of time to remove all my hair on my face. Is it worth it rather than starting Laser for the Dark hairs? I can deal with pain, I'd rather save money overall and get it done right from the start.

Any insight?

Jessika

[Alexis2107]

You'll want to do laser before HRT.  And wow that's high for 6 sessions, shop around some -- sometimes can find coupons.  My provider was $1200 full price and with coupons and discounts, got it knocked down to $625 for 6 sessions.  But any who, my laser doctor said it's best,but not required, to start HRT after laser is done.  Take care

[darkblade]

From what I know (I'm not MtF), laser would only make the hairs lighter/thinner and you'd have to get electrolysis later on anyways, so you might as well just go for electro right away if you're concerned about spending.

As a female I've been doing laser/IPL for about 6-7 years and my facial hair is still pretty much there...

[Alexis2107]

From what I know (I'm not MtF), laser would only make the hairs lighter/thinner and you'd have to get electrolysis later on anyways, so you might as well just go for electro right away if you're concerned about spending.

As a female I've been doing laser/IPL for about 6-7 years and my facial hair is still pretty much there...

Laser does not alter hair's thickness or color.  Laser only targets dark hairs not white, gray, or red hairs.  Also, laser don't work well if you got dark complexion.  Laser works well if you're fair skinned and dark hair.  After laser is complete, it is best to do electrolysis on blonde hairs that come up if they bother you.

[Jessika]

So should I try and look at "Groupons" also? I'd love to save money, but I want good results, not cheap results. 

[Alexis2107]

As long as it's a real laser machine, then it should be okay.  I wouldn't go to a salon or mall type places.  I went to a doctor at a surgery center. 

[angie]

it was quoted a very high price for laser and was told by a few people that it didn't really work for them so I went ahead and started electrolysis it is very pricey also and the results are slow I've only had one session that was 3 hours long and it didn't really show that much was done I've got 7 more 3  hour sessions paid for and I'm really anxious to see what it does very expensive can only imagine how many more hours it's going to take, I start HRT next week and I'm not sure what effects that is going to have on electrolysis how much it slows down hair growth if any at all guess we'll find out

[Kitty June]

So how is it going?  I had the same question regarding this.


Wherever you go, then there you are

[Jessika]

So how is it going?  I had the same question regarding this.


Wherever you go, then there you are

Just had my 2nd Laser session last Wednesday. Hurt like hell. The setting was set higher as they usually do with each session.
Hopefully it will get less painful as more hairs disappear.

I will be on HRT probably by the 3rd session or before the 4th. Not sure how that will effect it outright.

Jess

[Kitty June]

So I wonder, is it as painful as say using an epilator on your chest?  Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I'll be starting hrt before any laser. 


Wherever you go, then there you are

[JessicaAnne]

I am going for my first laser session this Friday for my face.  I haven't started HRT .

Any suggestions about preparing.

Thanks

Jessica

[Jessika]

I am going for my first laser session this Friday for my face.  I haven't started HRT .

Any suggestions about preparing.

Thanks

Jessica

Hi Jessica,
I would recommend Shaving 2-3 hrs before your treatment. That way your skin does not have that "Freshly shaved" feeling if you know what I mean.
Take some Ibuprofin or Advil or whatever pain meds you have before you go. Should help with the pain.
I will not lie to you....The first session was a little painful but pretty manageable. My second was much worse. I took no pain meds thou before I got there.

I used prescribed numbing cream which kinda wore off by the time I got to my 2nd appointment.
Also, the Energy setting WILL get turned up every consecutive session you go.
I am scheduled for four more so I am dreading the next visits but they are needed.

Not sure if the pain gets less the more I go there since hair is/should be disappearing, but I only had two sessions out of six so time will tell.

If anyone else has more information please feel free to disclose. This is only based on my personal experience. Hope it helps.

Jessika

[Cat]

I would like to say the pain gets less -- I kept hoping the reduction in hair would make it so! -- but that has not been my own experience.  I've had six sessions now and any pain reduction due to fewer hairs absorbing the laser has seemed to be offset by the increase in laser dosage each time.  They just got me up to maximum dose on my last session, so maybe now I can hope for this 'fewer hairs = less pain' effect to kick in (the technician seems to think it might, but we shall see).  If anything, the individual pulses in sensitive areas (top lip especially ;_;) were more painful than ever last time. 

I haven't tried the numbing cream.  I do take painkillers about an hour before I go (if I remember), but I find them pretty limited in what they can do.  The pulses themselves are too sharp and intense a pain for everyday painkillers to mask.  Maybe they help a little in the immediate aftermath, but it's hard to say.  That aloe vera gel though... so soothing... she always applies some of that straight after she zaps me.

It's only 15 minutes of discomfort for a huge and (hopefully) lasting benefit, so I can deal with it, but boy does it make my eyes water...

[JessicaAnne]

Hi Ladies.

Thank you both for your input.

How ever it is, I can't wait to get started.

Thanks again

Jessica

[Cat]

Best of luck!  It's so worth it when you see all those dead hairs dropping off.   

(That can take up to 3 weeks or so before they're mostly or all gone, btw. )

[JessicaAnne]

Thanks for all the information

Jessica

[Jessika]

Best of luck!  It's so worth it when you see all those dead hairs dropping off.   

(That can take up to 3 weeks or so before they're mostly or all gone, btw. )

I don't notice any hair falling off. Had 2 sessions so far. Maybe I don't notice it?

[Cat]

Possibly?  Do you exfoliate?  I think a lot of them fall off in the shower when I do that, and I only notice because at around the 10-14 days mark I see that the areas where that frustrating post-laser 'growth' existed (actually the dead hairs working their way out rather than true growth) have become clear and smooth instead.  But during that first couple of weeks I also notice that little hairs end up stuck in my makeup if I haven't removed them by towel drying beforehand (which is annoying). It's the absence of fuzzy 'growth' after shedding time and the clear patches where there was hair before that I find most satisfying, though, and most of the hairs disappear without my physically seeing them do it.  Have you noticed any reduction or thinning in hair coverage by 2-3 weeks after your sessions so far?  (Not that I would worry if you haven't, since we all respond differently and you have another four sessions to go!)   

[LizMarie]

For those curious, most transwomen are going to need 100-200 total hours of electrolysis to clear their face. Over and over again, I've seen real totals run in that range.

Sometimes someone is lucky and can get by with less. Rarely someone is far less fortunate and can take more. I know one woman who transitioned in the 1970s. She had her facial hair removal done back then and hers was just bad, taking her over 4 years, almost 250 hours (at an hour a week) to finish.

This is one reason I like the salons that specialize in sessions to clear the entire face.  You end up in the chair the same number of times, but it's one session of 6-8 hours every 6-8 weeks, instead of one session of one hour every week.

Dr. Z in Chicago has such a salon that works with his office. There's E3000 in Lewisville, TX just north of Dallas. I'm sure there are others too.

[ImagineKate]

$1850 for 6 sessions seems like a lot. I don't pay even close to that much.

I am wary of the groupon places because I've been told that they lower the energy so you come back more often.

I was doing electrolysis but I was fed up with it going so slow so laser it is. Hopefully that will kill off most of the hairs and I can finish the job with electrolysis.

Due to my skin type they have to use the Nd:YAG.

Hurts some but I take aleve plus I use lidocaine. Seems to help. Feels like needles being thrown at your face.... Actually if you have a bug a salt gun and shoot yourself with it it feels exactly like that except more intense.