Today I paid a beautiful woman to attack me with a lightsaber

[Colleen_definitely]

And I'm pretty much totally OK with doing this a few more times.  OK, probably a bunch more times but I'm trying to think positive...

Yes the upper lip was pretty bad, along with the edge of my jaw in places but all in all not quite as awful as some made it sound.  Maybe she was breaking me in slowly?  The worst was the bottom of my nostrils or the little crease between my lower lip and chin, that got my attention and there was definitely some watering of the eyes.  Hopefully things will be a little less uncomfortable as things start to thin out.

This place has a 9mmx27mm wide tip with suction for the laser so it made the neck and parts of the cheek go way faster.  The detail work... yeah I'm just glad she gave me some stress balls to smash and took a little break between passes.

Yay technology

[JeanetteLW]

 I laughed out loud when I read your topic.  I love it.

  Congrats on starting your unwanted hair removal. I should stop thinking about it and just find out where I can have it done myself.

  Hugs,
    Jeanette

[Wanda Jane]

Good news and bad news. I just had my 3rd treatment a couple of weeks ago. The first was definitely the worst. Especially after 55 years of testosterone poisoning. The bad news is each treatment gets more power, so more pain in less area. Not as bad as first. After 3 I hardly have to shave and pluck the greys. I'm thrilled so far.

[Colleen_definitely]

I guess my best defense is humor, so I'm glad someone got a kick out of it.  But I'm not kidding, this lady is basically everything I wish I was (stupid nature...) and really nice to boot so it made things a little less traumatic.

While I'm still in my 30's, I definitely have my fair share of white whiskers and my head has gone gray way early.  So I'm going to take advantage of laser where I can before going down the electrolysis route.  Or perhaps mix it up as things thin out.

And on that note, since this works by irradiating an area with a frequency of light that will be absorbed primarily by the darker hairs and not the skin thus causing the hair to heat up and destroy the follicle why can't we simply dye the white/gray hairs prior to the zap session?  Is hair dye simply too superficial?  Hmm...  Anyone have a spare ~810nm laser I that can borrow to do some science with?

Also, Jeanette, just make triple sure that whatever place you get to uses an actual laser and isn't falsely advertising an IPL machine as laser.  There's a lot of that going on, especially with places I'm seeing on groupon in my area.

[Dani]

We have all been there. Laser for the black hair and electrolysis for the grey hair. This is expensive way of doing this, but what other options do we have?

[Colleen_definitely]

Belt sanders and angle grinders, while inexpensive, tend to have mixed results so that's out...

The bearded lady look just doesn't jive with the current career path...

Claiming to be Italian is just exploiting a stereotype so yeah no...

I guess I could just stick my face in a radioisotope locker at work for a while.  I hear face cancer builds character but I kind of like my hair and with the chemo thing...  no.

So yeah I guess I'm stuck with the rest of you getting cooked by one method or the other.

[Dena]

Well you could always do it the old fashion way with electrolysis only and no pain killers. I spent many relaxing hours on the table getting the daylights zapped out of my face without a pain killer. Judging from what I have seen on this site, the mixture of laser and electrolysis is a far better option and much cheaper that what I had.

[Colleen_definitely]

Believe me, I am extremely thankful that I do not have to go through things the way that you had to.  What a way to make an awful situation even worse with no HRT full time hazing rituals and primitive hair cooking.

While this was definitely no massage, and not something I'd go do for fun, it really wasn't bad.  My face feels about normal this morning and there's just a little bit of redness at the back of my jawline.

[ainsley]

I did the lasing and now am doing the electro.  Never used/use pain killers.  I just cry tears of joy.  Good times.  Good times....ugh.

I will say, that much like you, my hair was part white/grey and part dark.  So, the laser took care of most of the dark. However, as I am now doing just electro, and I have to grow it out for that, I see black hairs every time I grow it out.  Not just a couple, either, dammit.  So, what I am telling you is that laser is not 100% permanent.  It will kill a lot, and lessen the regrowth, but depending on growth stages when you get zapped, it may not permanently remove that hair.  Don't get me wrong, lasing did get rid most of my growth --and quickly, but electro is the only permanent solution.

[Colleen_definitely]

Oh I know, I'm just using this as a cheat where I can before moving on to zee final solution. 

Then again the girls at the group session were talking about a place in Chicago that will zonk you out on anesthesia and proceed to hamburgerize your face with two techs doing electrolysis simultaneously.  $3,000+ (eek) but there is a certain instant gratification appeal to that route.

[AnneK]

When I went for laser, I was advised to take some Tylenol before the session.  While there was some pain, I found the worst pain was in areas where the bone is close to the surface, such as ankles & knees.  They hurt much more than even my genitals.

[ainsley]

Oh I know, I'm just using this as a cheat where I can before moving on to zee final solution. 

Then again the girls at the group session were talking about a place in Chicago that will zonk you out on anesthesia and proceed to hamburgerize your face with two techs doing electrolysis simultaneously.  $3,000+ (eek) but there is a certain instant gratification appeal to that route.

I contacted aboutyouhairremoval.com because I thought the same as you.  Let them knock me out, a couple aesthetists go at it, and get it done in one fell swoop.  However, my impression was less than ...uh...let's just say, I was not impressed with the response I got, professionalism impression, etc.  That is just me, though.  You may have good luck with them.

Here is one example of what led me to say no thanks:

They said they needed 4-6 days of growth for the consult to determine the package appropriate for me.  I said:

I will say that 4-6 days of growth makes me go ooof!  Not sure how to accomplish that and still go to work....  I will endeavor to do it and get pictures uploaded, though.  Like, maybe a Fri 5am shave, then pics late Sun night or Mon morn?  Would that work?  I will see what I can do, though.

Thanks again!

Her response (Mind you she is mtf):

Shortchange us on either of these and you short change yourself.
I'm sorry for putting you through this, that's why facial hair removal should start before full time.

Emphasis mine.

I was like, B!#ch, Please!!  I did not ask you to evaluate my transition, nor for your advice about transition!!

I felt like Simon Cowell on American Idol.  "Uh, yeah, it's a no from me".

[Colleen_definitely]

Wow.  I can understand her reasoning for wanting that amount of growth but there is no excuse for that kind of response. 

Is the really great lady you're seeing the one I've heard about up in Cedar Rapids?  That seems like a little less than 4 hours from mid-MO though.

[ainsley]

Wow.  I can understand her reasoning for wanting that amount of growth but there is no excuse for that kind of response. 

Is the really great lady you're seeing the one I've heard about up in Cedar Rapids?  That seems like a little less than 4 hours from mid-MO though.

Yeppers, that is her.  I found her on Marci Bowers' website.  Yea, it is like 3.5 hours from my house, but I drink coffee and have to stop and pee usually, so it is a little longer than 3.5 hours. ha!  She is very meticulous and wastes zero time when you are there.

[Colleen_definitely]

Oh OK.  I end up working on things at U. Iowa often enough that I might just be able to get in without making too many special trips.  And yes, coffee is life on the road.

[ainsley]

Oh, yea, I suggest giving her a go if you are in Iowa City anyway.

[KarynMcD]

The bad news is each treatment gets more power, so more pain in less area.

On my second visit, my technician said after going for a bit, "Oh, I turned up the power a little."
I was thinking, "YES! I KNOW!"

why can't we simply dye the white/gray hairs prior to the zap session?

The dye needs to go all the way into the root. It never gets that deep.

[LizK]

Remember with laser it should get less painfull and quicker the more sessions you have. When the laser goes over completely cleared spots there is no pain at all...so it does get better

Liz

[Colleen_definitely]

Round two yesterday.  Anyone who says diode lasers don't work is full of it.  This is my left cheek which now sports some pretty odd looking bare spots thanks to round one.  That was pretty much completely covered with hairs as thick as toward the left.  The existing follicles are a bit irritated still from yesterday's lightsabering so they look a little more prominent than they should in a couple of days.

[ainsley]

Laser works.  Just not 100% permanent.