How to prepare for facial electrolysis

[JustASeq]

So basically I am at the point I need to start removing my unwanted facial hair. I have light color hair, but it is coarse and would grow long if I did not shave daily. After research I am pretty sure that I cannot get laser due to the pigmentation of my hair (or lack of more so) and have decided to just go straight for electrolysis.

My main concern is the time leading up to and after the session. I am out everywhere already and present as female 24/7, presenting as male is not an option for me. I am feeling so self conscious to have to grow my face hair and then take a trip through public transit to my session Then there's the healing time afterwards. I have read that you cannot shave for a couple days after as well, which would be another issue.
)
The only thing I have been able to think of is to travel to-from the work and the sessions wearing something like  this (without the hairnet):


Does anybody have experience with this? How did you deal with the situation?

Any ideas would be appreciated too, whether or not you have experience with this.

[Tessa James]

I respectfully suggest your consider some topical anesthesia such as EMLA creme or a lidocaine preparation.  Some of us can get a bit of irritated skin shortly afterwards.

And then it is almost winter here and an nice scarf might work as camo?

[sam79]

Dealing with the growth really is such a pain. And I never found a great way of dealing with it. Maybe you could come to an agreement with your electrologist about areas to work on, and only allow the growth there?

And yes, you can shave after with an electric razor if you're gentle and keep everything clean.

After, you're probably going to be fairly red. How long that lasts depends on your skin and type of electrolysis. In my best case scenario with blend electrolysis  (with lower DC ) the redness was gone after an hour. Although that is a less effective form of electrolysis. With full galvanic electrolysis, my skin stays red and scabby for days.

It's all a balance. So I hit it hard before going full time. Now my priority is my skin.

Hope this helps.

[Christine Eryn]

There's no free lunch with this, my friend. You have to let it grow for the electrolygist to be able to tweeze the hair out. After a session, my face would be lobster red for hours. Now that there's not much left, my face is only red for maybe 30 minutes, then looks like almost nothing happened an hour after. I've shaved the next day with no issues.

[ImagineKate]

Pretty much why I started ASAP before I go FT. That said, suzifrommd had a plan where she would cover the area the electrologist was working on with a sport bandage. Maybe you can work it out that way with your electrologist.

As for pain I can bear it but I take two Aleve (naproxen) a couple hours before I go. It really helps take the edge off.

I am hoping my face would have a manageable amount of hair on it that I can shave and conceal with makeup when I go FT.

[Cheska]

I haven't gone full-time yet so I don't have to have to worry about covering up for now but with it being Winter, a scarf or something similar and a hood or hat wouldn't look out of place and you could use them to cover up well. You should be able to shave afterwards as well I'm able to now after a couple of hours. Also, after my first session, the area that was treated was actually quite raised and swollen. Thankfully this isn't an issue since and there's barely even any redness now.

[JustASeq]

How long does it have to grow out for? Like how long must it get before your appointment?

[sam79]

How long does it have to grow out for? Like how long must it get before your appointment?

My electrologist likes at least 2-3mm of hair above the skin. Anything less makes it much harder to grab and can lead to skin damage.

[JustASeq]

My electrologist likes at least 2-3mm of hair above the skin. Anything less makes it much harder to grab and can lead to skin damage.

I feel like that's gotta be close to week of growing it

I might just have to work out a work from home schedule for a week and as for the trip to the electrologist... I can deal with that by covering my face with something. It seems like nobody had to wait too long before shaving again, which was a big concern.

[sam79]

I feel like that's gotta be close to week of growing it

I might just have to work out a work from home schedule for a week and as for the trip to the electrologist... I can deal with that by covering my face with something. It seems like nobody had to wait too long before shaving again, which was a big concern.

I tend to schedule appointments for Saturday. That way I only need to allow growth from Wednesday night, and have all Sunday to recover. I've mostly blonde hair too. By Thursday night it's only barely noticeable with concealer. Friday is still an issue if people get close to my face, so I kind of keep a bit of distance everywhere and avoid peak-hour sardine trains. Saturday morning there would be no hiding it, and it will all be 2mm+ long, so I drive to my electrologist.

For now this works for me.

[ImagineKate]

My electrologist says 2 days minimum. Usually that works. One time I tried with one day and she couldn't grab many of the hairs properly

I can shave right away but with a clean razor. I use a disposable and use a new one every week.

Also after care is important. She recommends only witch hazel and bacitracin (antibiotic).

[Ms Grace]

Even though I have gone full time I still go to the electrologists in guy mode, no way is my face presentable as female after that treatment.

I hate having to do it but it is the more preferable option. The real kicker is that you shouldn't shave for a few days afterwards to allow the skin to heal and avoid kicking off micro scabs and causing scars or infections. That's why starting before transition is a much better strategy, really difficult to juggle once transitioned.

[JustASeq]

Even though I have gone full time I still go to the electrologists in guy mode, no way is my face presentable as female after that treatment.

I hate having to do it but it is the more preferable option. The real kicker is that you shouldn't shave for a few days afterwards to allow the skin to heal and avoid kicking off micro scabs and causing scars or infections. That's why starting before transition is a much better strategy, really difficult to juggle once transitioned.

Yeah, hindsight is 20/20 ;(

[Ms Grace]

Absolutely. I was actually planning on delaying transition because of electro but then realised I could take the Friday off work and then work from home on the Monday, come Tuesday I would be presentable again. It allowed me to bump my transition to full time forward by several months but wow do I still wish I had started the process a whole year earlier.

[Wynternight]

HRT has slowed my growth and lightened the colour of the hair dramatically so I need almost a full week before a session. I only shave once a week now and even thought it can't really be seen I still feel it. Sadly my hair was too light before for laser so it's old fashioned electro for me.

For the pain I take two naproxen an hour before and apply EMLA cream and cover the area to be worked on with a tegaderm dressing. The numbing helps but there are some areas it does nothing at all for. Be ready for the upper lip. I'm crying throughout that entire area and feel close to tears most of the night afterwards.

The first few sessions your face will be red and puffy for days afterwards and you'll get this itch that just drives you mad but, the good news is, skin seems to get de-sensitised eventually. I'm usually free of the redness and irritation before bed the same day as a session and shave the next day.

I haven't socially transitioned so I can't speak to that aspect but it's coming.

[Ellesmira the Duck]

I really should have done this before going full time, but I just got to the point where I couldn't wait any longer and took the first opportunity. At the moment I'm just good friends with my tweezers and shave if I'm going to be out of the house longer then a few minutes. I'm not sure how I'll manage to pull of getting electro once I find work >_< I don't like presenting male at all any more and having to grow my facial hair out is even worse. The cruel irony of wanting your facial hair removed by requiring you to do the exact opposite. If anyone has any good tips or tricks about pulling this off while full time, that would be greatly appreciated. 

[Julia-Madrid]

In my opinion Electrolysis is probably the worst thing we have to face at the physical level as we transition, as it lasts so long and hurts so much.

• Topical anesthetic is a massive help - some places will formulate a stronger one than EMLA, and for me this just about makes the pain bearable.
• I recommend some long sessions at the start - say 3-4 hours if you can - to hit the process hard.  Long sessions are nasty nasty nasty, but allow you to knock out the coarser and more visible hair quickly.
• There is no easy way to totally camouflage the hair, which will need to protrude at least 2-3 mm.   I wear makeup, and this makes it easier.
• I recommend taking with some podcasts so that you can divert you mind away from the discomfort

The good thing is that after a few months you may find that you're left with mostly fine hair which is not so noticeable.  But this hair may also grow slowly, so you end up having to wait longer between sessions.

[ImagineKate]

Upper lip was more painful but not unmanageable. The most pain was when she put the probe in the pore. I felt a small "shock" when she applied the current.

[JustASeq]

Thanks for your advice everyone. So I bought a Groupon for electrolysis (5 - 30 minute sessions 119$) and have my appointment set up for tomorrow already and the worse part is currently in progress. I had to go to work, which I take public transit to, today. I forgot to take my HRT meds this morning being too worried about my face and stressing about it but will just take em tonight instead. I ended up not wearing makeup at all since I feel like it crap anyways and thought it might make it look worse. I can't wait to get this first session over with so I have a better idea of how many sessions I will need total, my tolerance to the pain and recovery time, oh and to take this embarrassing hair off my face of course. Although I am not happy about my appearance, I will post pics before and after tomorrow.

[Wynternight]

Hair removal tends to be one of the longest parts of the whole transition process. I've been going since July and fully expect another year or so.