Electrolysis newbie

[Kendra]

Caffeine from coffee requires 8 hours to completely lose its effect and you definitely do not want it before electrolysis.  I used coffee as a reward after electrolysis.

Later on, I learned excessive caffeine isn't a good way to prepare for surgery.  Had a horrible caffeine withdrawal headache after GCS... the caffeine headache went right past the morphine or whatever opiates were in my intravenous line at the hospital, worse than any pain from surgery.  I had been drinking two Grande size plus a Tall coffee every day for years, equivalent to 5+ servings.  After that experience I stopped all coffee until I was completely done with surgery (3 more anesthesias scheduled) and resumed at less than half what I used to consume. 

[Julie -2010]

My wife tells me I have a head like a baby's bum!
Bless her heart![emoji178]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

That is the best compliment you can get.   

[Jessica]

@Kendra

Caffeine from coffee requires 8 hours to completely lose its effect and you definitely do not want it before electrolysis.  I used coffee as a reward after electrolysis.

Later on, I learned excessive caffeine isn't a good way to prepare for surgery.  Had a horrible caffeine withdrawal headache after GCS... the caffeine headache went right past the morphine or whatever opiates were in my intravenous line at the hospital, worse than any pain from surgery.  I had been drinking two Grande size plus a Tall coffee every day for years, equivalent to 5+ servings.  After that experience I stopped all coffee until I was completely done with surgery (3 more anesthesias scheduled) and resumed at less than half what I used to consume.

Thank you Kendra!  I rise at 6 am nearly every morning, so if my appointment is at 3:30 pm, I have until 7:30 am to have a cup of joe!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Jessica]

Thank you everyone for the much needed tips!
I slept well.
Was well hydrated.
No coffee for eight hours.
Ibuprofen taken before.
Plenty of 5% lidocaine to give it a numb, one hour prior.
Went in with a fake mustache and goatee of clear Saran Wrap!
3 days growth of coarse, thick hair. The tech love it, but needed to up the juice.
I think it seemed that only about 25% of the hairs gave her trouble...they hurt.
The others... not as much as I expected.
Did 45 minutes on my chin, and 15 on my upper lip (ow)
My chin with the largest area is a bit tender, like a mild sunburn.  I'll tend to it kindly.

I'll need to slather sunscreen on tomorrow as I climb the peak above Mission San Jose tomorrow!


Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Kendra]

Jessica Yay!  Those tough ones that hurt the most are now gone.  A few may need an additional re-zap but the majority are gone forever.  Each time is gradually easier and the benefits keep getting better. 

Be super careful with sun exposure.  In addition to sunscreen I suggest a big hat or face away from sun as much as possible. 

[Jessica]

Tomorrow will be 1 week since my first electrolysis session.  My electrocutioner worked on the front of my chin and a bit on either side of my mustache.  As expected it's still clear in those areas, but some will be back. 
The question I have is why my chin (size of a quarter area) is still a bit numb and raised red.  It doesn't hurt, itch or anything, except feel numb.

Curious, Jessica ⚡️⚡️⚡️

[Kirsteneklund7]

Hi Jessica,
                   I had the same thing. The coarsest, thickest hair with the biggest roots was the most stubborn & painful. I had the same numbness ( the nerves must cop it). The numbness went away soon enough . Chin area was the worst for trauma - mustache worst for immediate pain.

Just think of the electrolysist as a dominatrix and you will be back for more in no time ![emoji4]

Wishing happy hair removal, Kirsten[emoji126]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Jessica]

@Kirsteneklund7

Hi Jessica,
                   I had the same thing. The coarsest, thickest hair with the biggest roots was the most stubborn & painful. I had the same numbness ( the nerves must cop it). The numbness went away soon enough . Chin area was the worst for trauma - mustache worst for immediate pain.

Just think of the electrolysist as a dominatrix and you will be back for more in no time ![emoji4]

Wishing happy hair removal, Kirsten[emoji126]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Thank you Kirsten!  I'm not so worried, now that I know that someone else had this happen.
The coarsest hairs were right there, so it makes sense.
See, that's the power of Susan's Place.  So many experiences to share and help!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Kirsteneklund7]

@Kirsteneklund7

Thank you Kirsten!  I'm not so worried, now that I know that someone else had this happen.
The coarsest hairs were right there, so it makes sense.
See, that's the power of Susan's Place.  So many experiences to share and help!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

I really love hearing your experience first hand.


Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[Veronica J]

If you are consistent in your appointments it does get easier as the new growth is thinner and finer hair.  It will take a couple zaps to completely deaden each follicle.  Transitioning isn't for sissy's.  It's tough work. So hang in there!

been doing some research on this, and if the zap is doing during the hairs growth cycle this tends to kill it forever.. however as i understand it, not all hairs at the same time have the same cycle. and often because one is dead another nearby starts to grow.. hence the couple of zaps..

[sarah1972]

I am glad your first session did go well!

I am about 10 hours into the process myself and thanks to prior Laser treatment, I may only have 10 hours left. After that, there will be a session every few weeks to cover some regrowth which apparently happens.

In October I'll also add bottom hair removal for more fun. It will be double sessions face and bottom.

You have gotten a lot of helpful tips, and yes, being hydrated is really the key. I usually start the evening before and on the day of the appointment, I try to double water intake. Of course, Spiro makes me go to the bathroom all the time. When I was not hydrated, it took a lot longer to heal and I had an occasional bruise too.

The one item - which I find the most challenging - not mentioned so far is how to deal with the mandatory beard growth. I usually try to schedule 3 appointments on consecutive days and that means almost a week of growths. Unfortunately, life for me continues so I have to be out and about with this strange looking face. A really clear spot next to a bruised up spot next to a 5-day beard.  I have to admit, for me, this has been the hardest part and I have canceled the gym a few times since I was afraid it would out me. My trainer is really nice about it and ignores it. but of course, I don't want to be careful and I know it is there. With 5 days, there is also no covering up with makeup.

Good luck and I hope it stays as painless as possible.

Hugs, Sarah

[Jessica]

Hi girls, I have now had 15 hours of e⚡️l⚡️e⚡️c⚡️t⚡️r⚡️o⚡️l⚡️y⚡️s⚡️i⚡️s!
The first few 13 of them they hadn't worked out the settings to ensure that I was in complete comfort while they zapped me alive.
Session 14 they changed the current and pulsed slower.  The modality is thermolysis, not galvanic or blended. 
The bee stings dropped from about 1 in 10 to about 3 in 100....awesome!
It may be a bit slower, but it seems to be progressing nicely. 
Only 100+ hours to go!  Yay!  Oh joy!  Yikes!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Jessica]

 @sarah1972

I am glad your first session did go well!

I am about 10 hours into the process myself and thanks to prior Laser treatment, I may only have 10 hours left. After that, there will be a session every few weeks to cover some regrowth which apparently happens.

In October I'll also add bottom hair removal for more fun. It will be double sessions face and bottom.

You have gotten a lot of helpful tips, and yes, being hydrated is really the key. I usually start the evening before and on the day of the appointment, I try to double water intake. Of course, Spiro makes me go to the bathroom all the time. When I was not hydrated, it took a lot longer to heal and I had an occasional bruise too.

The one item - which I find the most challenging - not mentioned so far is how to deal with the mandatory beard growth. I usually try to schedule 3 appointments on consecutive days and that means almost a week of growths. Unfortunately, life for me continues so I have to be out and about with this strange looking face. A really clear spot next to a bruised up spot next to a 5-day beard.  I have to admit, for me, this has been the hardest part and I have canceled the gym a few times since I was afraid it would out me. My trainer is really nice about it and ignores it. but of course, I don't want to be careful and I know it is there. With 5 days, there is also no covering up with makeup.

Good luck and I hope it stays as painless as possible.

Hugs, Sarah

Yes Sarah, hydration is the key...and lots of 'emla'!

I've been trying to book two 1 hour sessions in one day, and strive to have multiple days in the week, at least that way progress is made and you can get rid of the stubble for the weekend.

[Jessica]

So since September up to this afternoon, I will have had 23 hours on my chin and upper/lower lips.  Those areas were cleared somewhat about twice now.  I have 38 hours scheduled through February.  Right on schedule!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl

[Jessica]

Passed a milestone of sorts today, 3 hours in one day. 
On in the morning, then another 2 in the afternoon.

Last week I had a morning session also and had foregone my coffee because caffeine can intensify pain, had a terrible headache because of doing that.
This morning I said "heck with that!" and had one 2 hours before with a biscotti.
Don't know if it was the biscotti or what, but my irritation seemed lessened.
I had my second cup 4 hours before my afternoon appointment and my electrocutioner mowed them down with little discomfort.

37 hours so far!

Hugs and smiles from a California girl



@Michelle_P @Donica

[Michelle_P]

Last week I had a morning session also and had foregone my coffee because caffeine can intensify pain, had a terrible headache because of doing that.
This morning I said "heck with that!" and had one 2 hours before with a biscotti.
Don't know if it was the biscotti or what, but my irritation seemed lessened.
I had my second cup 4 hours before my afternoon appointment and my electrocutioner mowed them down with little discomfort.

The idea behind 'no caffeine' is to make us more relaxed, less keyed up.  When we are too tense, we start anticipating each probe insertion and 'zap', which means that we are focused on the 'ouch', amplifying int in our awareness.

Your headache from no caffeine would have done the same thing.  If you can still relax and 'detach' from the procedure, then it does no harm.  I use mindful meditation techniques to get into a 'flow state' where I can let go of each 'zap' and stay relaxed.  That makes it much easier.

Of course, as you have more mature hairs gone, this also gets easier.  At some point you will have only smaller, shallower immature hairs, and these are easily zapped with a shallower probe and less energy.  I can barely feel the pulses on most of my face, other than right below the nostrils now.

[VeronicaLynn]

The headache from no caffeine makes it much worse, I try to avoid late afternoon appointments because of this, though they are often all that is available(probably because a lot of other people also have this problem).

I find a cup of coffee or two, but no more than that, in the early morning like before 9am is better than no caffeine for an appointment around 3pm, though I'd rather have the appointment in the morning.

[Wendi]

I've only had 2 hours so far. The pain wasn't bad at all but the only area she worked on was my left cheek.

I'd love to have my facial hair gone but I'm not sure what I'm going to do because it's so expensive.

[VeronicaLynn]

Yeah, it is very expensive. I'm not sure exactly how many hours I've had, but I've been doing it for a year and a half. I'm probably going to have to take a break from it and save up to finish it.

[Jessica]

@Wendi @Michelle_P

I've only had 2 hours so far. The pain wasn't bad at all but the only area she worked on was my left cheek.

I'd love to have my facial hair gone but I'm not sure what I'm going to do because it's so expensive.

When I first started, about 10% of the zaps hurt, which were enough to bring tears to my eyes.
My electrocutioner adjusted the power lower and pulses several times, so now it's only 3% of them have me twitching.
I'm lucky that my HMO covers hair removal for transgender women.  I do have a small co-pay but I can have multiple sessions in one day under the same co-pay. 
Check it out with your insurance, it was not a well known fact that it was available to me, my doctor didn't even know.  It was Michelle who made me aware of it.