I need to think back a bit, but yes I do remember how things felt at that stage. You have my sympathies. But it does eventually get to a point where it's just 'maintenance'.
I started with facial (and torso) hair removal a good couple of years before I transitioned. But I chose the IPL route rather than electro. That meant an afternoon session once every 6 weeks. So prepping for that wasn't too much of an ordeal. After a few years I felt my facial hair was under control enough for me to be able to transition. I really planned things out, years in advance (unusual for me). I even gave my company almost a year's notice of what I was intending on doing, and they worked with me to make sure it all went well. The HR dept organised two large meeting sessions (I wasn't invited to those, but I heard about it from others), where all the people in my department (it's a big company) were told about my impending transition, and given a crash course on transgender people and what it's all about. Anyway, I digress.
I still went to my 6 weekly IPL sessions after I transitioned, but it was much harder to grow the hairs needed once full time. So I generally stopped shaving on Thurs, and by Sat I just stayed in the house as much as possible, until the IPL session on Monday. It certainly made me feel a bit inhuman, and restricted, and very "not girly", but what else can you do?
Once All the dark hair had been zapped by the IPL, I was left with all the hairs which didn't have enough colour in them to be affected by IPL. These hairs were much easier to live with, and so I then started electrolysis. I had moved to a different company by then, to one that had a company health spa for employees, based in the same building where I worked. They had a lady there who did electrolysis, so once a week I used to let a small area of my facial hair grow, and she'd treat just that area. Sure I didn't feel great on those days, but I was still amazed at how well I seemed to pass with a small patch of lightly-coloured hair on my face!
It was all very difficult, and the whole ordeal lasted 10 years. I am cursed with very virulent hair growth on my face, and even now, 13 yrs post-op, and 16 yrs on hrt, and 10 yrs of hair removal under my belt, I still get new strong stubbly facial hair growth. These days I just spend 1 hr each morning plucking it out as part of my morning routine.
Hopefully you won't have this.
It's a tough rite of passage for sure, so I really understand it when you crave some girly time where you are just coming from or prepping for, another bout of hair removal.
