Hair removal, huge stumbling block...

[MichelleZelda]

I'm basically only really worried about electrolysis now.

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[Megan.]

I'm basically only really worried about electrolysis now.

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Everyone's different,  and I'm not saying electro is fun,  but I find laser worse.
If/when you do electro they do have some control over the zap strength (technical term [emoji4]),  though it needs to be enough to do the job...

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[Ashley3]

I'm basically only really worried about electrolysis now.

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Considering all things life can send our way, the difficulties of navigating electrolysis is hardly an issue. If elec is a goal for you, you can do it! Also, in case you were not aware, this forum is loaded with older message/posts containing advice on hair removal pain management... i.e., you can search messages for "electrolysis pain" or the like. Same with laser stuff.

[MichelleZelda]

Pain is an extremely individual phenomenon, I thought that a conversation might potentially be more productive than reading alone. I read through what I could find, and wanted support rather than just information.[emoji4] thank you

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[Ashley3]

... I'm not saying electro is fun,  but I find laser worse.
If/when you do electro they do have some control over the zap strength (technical term [emoji4]),  though it needs to be enough to do the job...

I found laser painful too... but it could be adjusted. So I found both painful but ultimately bearable... my doctor helped me by prescribing pain management and I was able to interact with the person administering the laser, as well as the electrologist to optimize things. For example, the laser used was the LightSheer Duet laser... it has level adjustments... we turned it up or down depending the sensitivity of the zapped area.

[Ashley3]

... I read through what I could find, and wanted support rather than just information.[emoji4] thank you
...

That makes great sense. I just wanted you to know about that info but I'm guessing you've already seen it.

I think asking my doctor led to some nice surprises which helped... like I mentioned to her the pain of electrolysis and she said "Would you like me to prescribe a 5%/5% Lidocaine/Prilocaine cream?" and she went on to tell me how to use it... this was sort of like "secret" info I'd not seen before so I became informed and had an overall better experience.

My doctor also said more powerful prescription drugs were available but that I'd not be able to drive until they wore off... I never used those but I thought about it... like go for a 3hr elec marathon with heavy pain management.

I just think it's good to keep trying to get info... i.e., don't assume your doctor has told you everything... sometimes doctors need you to stimulate answers by telling them more about your experience. You might also check with local trans clinics even if you don't frequent them yourself... they may have some info on a new approach to pain management... I say this because pain management for hair removal has got to be something the trans community has loads of info on all over the place...hearing different people's experiences, techniques and all that.

Beyond that... I can say one thing that really helps me manage pain and recovery situations is to have a state of mind that the pain and recovery are nothing... for example, take a look at your shoulder and imagine Pain is sitting right there... then brush your hand on your shoulder to brush off Pain... see it get brushed off by the stroke of your hand and do the same with the other shoulder and think of yourself as above the Pain and boss of any recoveries you go through. I believe treating pain and recovery situations like gnats... those pesky things can be annoying but are easily brushed away. This is actually less of a gimmick than it sounds... I'm only describing it here but actually embodying that attitude seems powerful to me.

Anyway... here's wishing you successful perm hair removal to the degree you want with pain at a level you consider perfect or better.

[MichelleZelda]

The 5% cream doesn't require a prescription here, I actually misplaced it before my appointment lol my doctor is the foremost doctor in the province old or trans medicine.e fine now I think I'm gonna be fine now

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[Lucy Ross]

Last night I ordered some loose leaf spearmint tea, which, according to posters here, slows down the rate of hair growth and diminishes libido, here's a big thread on it:  Finally Got Spearmint Tea.  Whether this is negligible compared to what anti-androgens do isn't certain, these are just anecdotes, but I was interested enough in the testimonies people gave to spend $15 on a carton of the stuff to try it out. 

I took a break from electro, wanting to mull things over a bit, and am going back in now.  I hope the pain won't be unbearable with a month's worth of E in me, albeit with some breaks in there.  My last session was all upper lip and boy but did that sting!  Body hair just creeps me out anymore, though. 

[MichelleZelda]

Upper lip is the worst. Along with jawline and or chin. Emla (brand) / lidocaine cream is something a lot of people use, some states don't require a prescription for it. It doesn't do much for me

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[KathyLauren]

Upper lip is the worst.

I am dreading getting my upper lip zapped.  Emla takes the edge off in other areas, but I don't think it will do much there.  I have already had my dentist agree to give me a dental block for those electro sessions.

[Dena]

When I had my upper lip done, my eyes were leaking water the entire session. I had salt water streams running down the side of my face to my ears and in my hair. It felt so good after the session was done to wipe the salt water off my face as it was somewhat irritating. Doing the upper lip truly brings tear to your eyes.

[LizK]

Dental blocks are the only thing that has allowed me to have my top lip done and in fact I am having both top and bottom lips done in about 10 days with dental blocks...I am so hoping this the last one and I am still 3 weeks away from my hypnotherapists appointment...

[Ashley3]

My Lidocaine(5%)/Prilocaine(5%) prescription would only work well for the upper lip if I washed my face beforehand, placed a generous amount of cream, and covered it with plastic wrap (i.e., Syran wrap used to cover glass bowls). In fact, I'd use 3 strips of plastic wrap: left cheek/jaw/chin, right cheek/jaw/chin, and strip for upper lip. I'd use a generous amount of cream throughout, but I'd add more to the upper lip if it became clear, like from either being absorbed or washed away from sweat. I'd start this no less than an hour prior. My upper lip can perspire so it was key to put more cream... the goal was to keep white cream present as a thin film throughout the areas to be treated where the plastic wrap would keep the cream from drying to fast, and also keeps it pressed against the face. I found my upper lip was the hardest to get numb but usually only on the days where I'd rush and start like 20 mins before, didn't have time to wash my face. Just using the cream directly without plastic wrap was never any help. It dries too quickly and seems less effective than layering under plastic wrap.

[KathyLauren]

I find the biggest problem around my lips is how fast the stuff wears off.  I can put on lots of cream and cover it to be good and airtight, so the skin is actually good and numb when I get to the electrologist's.  But the moment she wipes it off, the clock starts ticking.  If I am lucky, she has five minutes to work before full feeling is restored.  By the end of the five minutes, it is really hurting.  I quess the blood circulation is just too good there, and any lidocaine that has been absorbed quickly gets flushed away.

[SailorMars1994]

You are all doing it wrong! The best way in my experiences is an ice roller. When i was getting laser done around spring time 2016 my laser lady gave me an ice roller thing. Basically, it was beauty face roller with a metal roller on it. She put it in her freezer the night prior and took it out for me when I arrieved at my appointment. I was skeptical at first but it was a god-sent. I put it on all the areas i needed and the pain went from me needed to take pro-longed breaks, tensed/flexed body muscles as a reaction to soon to come pain and wanting to cry  all the way to being frozen physically in those areas and not needing any breaks. Some areas felt no pain what so ever and other areas just mild but highly tolerable pain. I wish I knew about it when I first started in 2014, but didnt know then in addition to having laser done by someone else and the lady doing it I dont think had one of those rollers.

Emla does little in my experience, so try the rollers!

[LizK]

I find the biggest problem around my lips is how fast the stuff wears off.  I can put on lots of cream and cover it to be good and airtight, so the skin is actually good and numb when I get to the electrologist's.  But the moment she wipes it off, the clock starts ticking.  If I am lucky, she has five minutes to work before full feeling is restored.  By the end of the five minutes, it is really hurting.  I quess the blood circulation is just too good there, and any lidocaine that has been absorbed quickly gets flushed away.

How long are you putting the cream on for? I was only doing 1/2 before and then I watched some stuff on utube about Emla cream. I put it on for 1 1/2 hrs before hand and get about 15 minutes of numbing...I will do two area's on my face/neck...the electrologist leaves the other one wrapped whilst she works on the first area...if you can see you skin through the cream then you don't have enough on was the other tip from the video. I found I got the best results on the cheek area.

Sailor my laser tech also used ice to numb my face when I was getting treatment...I found it pretty effective

[staciM]

My laser clinic always uses an electrically cooled gel roller, it makes a big difference.

As for electrolysis on the upper/lower lip area, I always have that done for the first 20min or so and then move onto other areas for the rest of the session.  Once that is over, everything else feels like a breeze in comparison.

[Ashley3]

... I put it on for 1 1/2 hrs before hand and get about 15 minutes of numbing...I will do two area's on my face/neck...the electrologist leaves the other one wrapped whilst she works on the first area...if you can see you skin through the cream then you don't have enough on was the other tip from the video. I found I got the best results on the cheek area.

I pretty much had the same experience/findings... putting cream on far in advance was always critical... rushed jobs didn't work. Any skin showing was an indication I needed more... and even if I had enough at one point, even with plastic wrap, it can soak in, perspire off, wear down so skin can appear in that scenario too... where I took off the upper lip plastic wrap, added more cream, put back the plastic wrap. I too got the best (easiest) results on the cheek... meaning for the time the cream was on face, the cheek got relatively more numb than other places... but upper lip could get fairly numb if I ensured it constantly had full coverage. I believe the upper lip may be a more vascular area... if so, perhaps the increased blood flow wears off the effect faster for that reason.

I found getting to my electrologists office and sitting the waiting room for the hour before hand was a nice way to relax, drink water, prepare and monitor the cream.

I find the biggest problem around my lips is how fast the stuff wears off.  I can put on lots of cream and cover it to be good and airtight, so the skin is actually good and numb when I get to the electrologist's.  But the moment she wipes it off, the clock starts ticking.  ...

My electrologist keeps the plastic wrap in place while working except for the area being worked on... she generally starts on one cheek working slowly toward the other side (crossing over the upper lip)... as she goes, she lifts up the plastic wrap little by little... there is often excess on the wrap, or I have a tube of cream on hand... we make sure there's plenty on exposed areas she hasn't reached yet, perhaps rubbing it in on areas she just uncovered and was going to start working on.

I agree it can wear off fast. Putting full coverage cream on for an hour, arriving at elec's office, wiping off the cream, and waiting 10 minutes before it's your turn... that will not work. The cream stays on to and through the appointment.

I find cream is effective but tricky to get right and offering little runway for either error or for doing the actual work... it must be present to and through the time of work.

All that said, even with cream numbness, there will be occasional zaps that hurt more than others. It's never not a no-pain-no-gain thing but I wouldn't trade the cream numbness.

I've never tried dental anesthesia but I've heard great things about it... I'm betting that's the most effective though I can't say firsthand.

... The best way in my experiences is an ice roller. ... Emla does little in my experience, so try the rollers!

Very interesting, first I've heard of ice for electrolysis... in my experience with facial filler injections, they use little ice packets before injecting to ease pain... it works, reducing pain, but not eliminating it by any means... I may try ice next time after removing cream or some combo. Thanks for sharing that.

[JoanneW]

I have botox, fillers, electrolysis and I dont mind the pain because I can see the results.

If I may ask, did you have or do you know of an electrolysis place in Thailand that is happy to do "all the bits"? I am having laser at the moment but there will be lots of bits still needing clearing by electrolysis. Thanks)

[Lucy Ross]

You are all doing it wrong! The best way in my experiences is an ice roller.

They're cheap, too.  I'm going to order one and time my next assault on the upper lip after it's arrived, you read nothing but conflicting reports of creams and topicals.

How long does it stay frozen?  Undoubtedly that's a question someone asked on my link but thought I'd ask you anyway.  My electrologist is a half hour away.  I could keep it in a lunch pail with coolers I suppose.  Thanks for what sounds like a great tip!