Youtube on hair in vagina and why electrolysis is not required for srs

[warlockmaker]

https://youtu.be/PeAMGjtJZxY?list=PL-tHqpXprv2FcNBuEHKsHsP4CFIwIkg2c

This youtube should be looked at by those considering srs and the professional opinion that electrolysis is NOT necessary nor recommended.

[Colleen_definitely]

Interesting but does anyone have a hypothesis on what sort of biological magic is behind hair bearing tissue suddenly deciding to not bear hair any more?

This really seems too good to be true (as I sit here miserably healing from pre surgical electro...)

[Brooke]

I also wonder what qualified as "severe issues" in that study. Was it specific measurable and comparable (ie numbers of hairs, complications, adverse outcomes, need for medical intervention etc) or subjective.

She said that out of those surveyed 7% reported issues, but only 50% of those surveyed had hair removal.

What wasn't clear is what the actual percentage of those who reported issues did not undergo hair removal. It could very well be that 6%+out of the 7% of those who reported issues were in the 50% that did not undergo hair removal.

It could also be that if severe issues were reported, they would be less likely to be reported by those who had not undergone permanent hair removal as they had already decided to live with a certain amount of hair. Whereas the 50% to have undergone some measure of permanent hair removal had higher expectations in there for lower threshold of the amount of hair that would be acceptable inside the vagina.  This scenario would be more likely if the reporting was subjective and not specific measurable. 

We also do not know the methods or duration of the hair removal process as laser hair removal is only FDA approved for permanent hair reduction, whereas electrolysis is FDA approved for permanent hair removal. We also know that's the timeframe needed due to multiple growth cycles is at least nine months, and up to a full year. Laser hair removal can in fact put the hair follicle into a dormant state for up to three months. So if the patient underwent laser hair removal less than three months before their surgery they would not be able to know if there will be regrowth from the laser hair removal treatment.

In regards to the study we do not know the sample size, (which is typically smaller in transgender studies than what is needed for a well controlled study). We also do not know the follow up Timeline if this is three months, six months, 18 months, five years, or even 10 years+ later. Prospective studies you're much more accurate results than retrospective as memory can be in accurate of just how much time was spent and what type of procedures undergone for permanent hair removal.

Lastly we do not know if follicle scraping was performed and addition to, or in the absence of any permanent hair removal processes before the surgery. It has been shown that the finer the hair follicle the harder it is for the scraping of the follicles to be successful, and that given enough time very fine hair follicles can repair themselves into the thicker coarse hairs that can become obvious months or years later.

I would strongly caution anyone from foregoing permanent hair removal in preparation for GCS using the penile inversion technique based solely on this video.

Hugs,
Brooke

[warlockmaker]

Brooke, interesting questions that I also thought about. We run a charity specifically for srs in Asia. The hair follicle issue, deep in the vagina, continies to baffle  us. We have reached certain conclusions which I have raised in other posts on this subject.

We concluded that the inner vigina lining using scrotal skin or penile skin, that has been cut away to form the vagina, should not have electrolysis or lazer. This is today scraped and shaped in a special equipment, before being attached to the vigina opening. As Brooke stated above; tiny follicles, caused by incomplete hair removal,  are difficult to scrape and esay to miss. Scraping is the still the best way to remove hair follicles, but the skin needs to be detached.

There is an area at the lower end of the vigina entrance that is not cut and can enter the vagina for up to an inch, especually in dilation. We recommend that electrolysis be done in that area, however, this can be done post op with a little more difficulty.

I never had hair removal and have no hair, this applies to my two western friends that had srs at the same time 2.5 yrs ago.

There remains a few of us that unfortunately suffer from hair in the vagina,  it seems to be just bad luck. We as Eurasians and Asians tend to not be so hirsute and has not been an area of concern. I  became first aware of the extent of the problem, in non Asian tgs, in this forum when I first joined.

[Seattlite]

I am going thru that now ...last one hurt like hell last week when i told her I have a surgery date in September so I am guessing she turned up the machine ...First time getting scars

[Mendi]

I´ve been in discussion with PAI-clinic in Thailand, and they recommend electrolysis before SRS, but do not require it absolutely. And they only recommend 1 to 2 times before surgery.

Not sure if I will go through that ordeal or not, or if I even can find anyone doing electrolysis to genital area.

[AutumnLeaves]

My electrologist works on a lot of trans women and has for decades, and she told me she has seen hair inside the vagina of many trans women, including (especially?) from surgeons who claim you "don't need electrolysis" because they "scrape" the follicles. Sometimes it's near the entrance and she can get them, but other times it's so far in there it's impossible to remove. Personally, I strongly urge all of my trans women friends to get the hair removal and start it as early as possible, no matter what the surgeons tell you about scraping or skin magically turning into mucous membranes. It's not that painful, it's not that expensive, and I can think of few things worse, for me, than ending up with a hairy vagina because I was afraid of a little extra hair removal prior to surgery.

I am hoping that new advancements in peritoneal grafting with make ALL current methods of SRS, especially those using hair-bearing skin from the penis and scrotum, obsolete. In the meantime, though, I advise the electrolysis. You really only have one chance to get things right, and the boards here are full of horror stories about finding vaginal hair post-op.

[Mendi]

I received instructions which area to laser and was surprised, that it is so tiny area between anus and the start of penis.