Skin care and transitioning

[HappyMoni]

Anyone tried  laser treatments on their face to reduce pore size or remove hyper pigmented areas? I am going to have my GCS and BA scars treated with laser to make them less obvious. I saw in the literature that they can target the face for the issues I listed above. My skin program has made a big difference, but I still want to make it better. Any thoughts?

Moni

[Linde]

Anyone tried  laser treatments on their face to reduce pore size or remove hyper pigmented areas? I am going to have my GCS and BA scars treated with laser to make them less obvious. I saw in the literature that they can target the face for the issues I listed above. My skin program has made a big difference, but I still want to make it better. Any thoughts?

Moni

I got microneedeling, which i more intensive than laser.  I had it done for the entire face and neck.  This was followed with spot laser treatment of skin discolorations (sun damage mostly), and some red blood vessels on one side of my nose.

My face is now absolutely spot free and has the same appearance across.  The skin is nice and soft, I almost could fall in love with myself with this skin!

[HappyMoni]

I got microneedeling, which i more intensive than laser.  I had it done for the entire face and neck.  This was followed with spot laser treatment of skin discolorations (sun damage mostly), and some red blood vessels on one side of my nose.

My face is now absolutely spot free and has the same appearance across.  The skin is nice and soft, I almost could fall in love with myself with this skin!

Expensive Linde?

[Linde]

Expensive Linde?

The microneedeling, yes, pretty expensive.  The spot laser about $200.  They did a follow up for free for th laser, to treat little spots they missed before.  They also could do a setting to kill the hair inside my nose, and in the ears.  No more nose or ear hairs for this lady!  But I did not have many to start with.

[KimOct]

I never looked at this thread before until now.  If I had seen it was started by you Moni I would have done so just for the occasional humor. 

I have been thinking about micro-needling or Retin A or some sort of skin treatment.  FFS is doubtful for me but I have had some juvederm injections in the past which I really liked.  If I can maybe just do something with my skin and some filler injections I will leave it at that.

I did 80 hours of electro and could use more but it really left some major 'potholes' as Moni said.  I did a one day two techs simultaneously mass clearing.  Big mistake my face looked like I was in an accident for weeks. 

[Linde]

I never looked at this thread before until now.  If I had seen it was started by you Moni I would have done so just for the occasional humor. 

I have been thinking about micro-needling or Retin A or some sort of skin treatment.  FFS is doubtful for me but I have had some juvederm injections in the past which I really liked.  If I can maybe just do something with my skin and some filler injections I will leave it at that.

I did 80 hours of electro and could use more but it really left some major 'potholes' as Moni said.  I did a one day two techs simultaneously mass clearing.  Big mistake my face looked like I was in an accident for weeks.

Professional microneedeling (pretty painful) will cause a new layer of skin to grow, and after that I had some laser touch ups.  Everybody is ah-ing and oh-ing about my skin now.  It was not dirt cheap, but now I don't look like an old hag anymore.
I want something done about the crows feet around my eyes and an, for me ugly, wrinkle at the top of my nose.  I am pretty much set after that, and just go for a monthly facial to keep everything nice.

I do put toner on in the morning and night, and follow up with acid for hydration.  During the day I always apply a slightly colored sunscreen which is also my foundation.  I like it a lot when people guess my age to be early to late 50s when I wear the right makeup.

[HappyMoni]

I would never do an all day clearing involving a big emphasis on face. I hear it is pretty bad. I don't want to know how much money I spent on electrolysis, but I am very close to being done. Think I will do a few remaining leg hairs as a treat. I never did drugs or alcohol or took expensive trips or have fancy cars. I decided this is something I would do, become a hairless chihuahua. Woof woof!
If it doesn't snow next Tuesday, I will go for a moderate chemical peel on my face and also my first session with the laser on my breast and GCS scars. I signed up for a special of 300 dollars for three 15 minute sessions. This laser targets the pigment and makes the color difference less noticeable. I will let you know how it goes. I have some dark spots on my face so I will  ask about them also.
Moni

[Linde]

I signed up for a special of 300 dollars for three 15 minute sessions. This laser targets the pigment and makes the color difference less noticeable. I will let you know how it goes. I have some dark spots on my face so I will  ask about them also.
Moni

I did the spot treatment on the face, and it really works like a cham!  I don't know what color difference you need to correct on your chest, but I do not know your chest either 

[KimOct]

chihuahua  LMAO  Yeah the mass face clearing is a nightmare, later on tonight I will post some pics.  It was pre-transition
so it is REALLY scary.   

I strongly advise against mass facial clearings.  When I find the pics later that should scare everyone off.

[KimOct]

This is 3 years ago before transition.  The first pic is a few days before a mass electrolysis clearing.  8 hour day and a tech on each side of me.  They gave me lidocaine injections into my face which did not help much.  My skin still has pock marks 3 years later that were not there before that day. 

Don't do this.  It took a month to look normal again and I was still in the closet - I couldn't admit what it really was.  I made up some ridiculous stories.  Sound much like someone in the closet? 

[Linde]

Had some fight in North Minneapolis?

[KimOct]

LOL - looks like it doesn't it.  It was in suburban Chicago, Probably don't want to give more details here or he might sue me. 

[HappyMoni]

LOL - looks like it doesn't it.  It was in suburban Chicago, Probably don't want to give more details here or he might sue me. 

Ouch!  That must have been tough explaining that. I have worse pictures but they were after serious facial surgery. My 9 hour facial surgery was out patient. On the way to where I stayed, we stopped at a light and a guy on the street saw me. I think I scared the crap out of him.

[KimOct]

LMAO !! Yeah he probably thought you escaped from intensive care.   9 hour OUT patient that is insane.  Drive through surgery is getting nuts. 

When I had my kidney removed they gave me the option of going home the next day.  I hate hospitals but I couldn't believe it.  I could barely sit up and they wanted me to go home?  I stayed an extra day.
WTF ??

[Linde]

LMAO !! Yeah he probably thought you escaped from intensive care.   9 hour OUT patient that is insane.  Drive through surgery is getting nuts. 

When I had my kidney removed they gave me the option of going home the next day.  I hate hospitals but I couldn't believe it.  I could barely sit up and they wanted me to go home?  I stayed an extra day.
WTF ??

When I had part of my spine removed, and replaced with steel rods, they allowed me 3 nights in the hospital!  They wanted to kick me out after 2 nights, but my wife almost begged on her knees to keep me longer.  It was one night she could achieve!

It is the insurances that required this, who cares about the patient!

[HappyMoni]

When I had part of my spine removed, and replaced with steel rods, they allowed me 3 nights in the hospital!  They wanted to kick me out after 2 nights, but my wife almost begged on her knees to keep me longer.  It was one night she could achieve!

It is the insurances that required this, who cares about the patient!

Spine removed? I had that surgery the day I got married! (Sorry, old male humor alert!)

LMAO !! Yeah he probably thought you escaped from intensive care.   9 hour OUT patient that is insane.  Drive through surgery is getting nuts. 

When I had my kidney removed they gave me the option of going home the next day.  I hate hospitals but I couldn't believe it.  I could barely sit up and they wanted me to go home?  I stayed an extra day.
WTF ??

When I woke up after 9 hours, I found my nurse on a speaker phone trying to get the doctor to return to fix my drain that wasn't working. The doctor was an absolute a**! She very rudely refused. The icing on the cake was that it was an outpatient hospital and the staff was packing up to leave for the night. I felt like, "What about me." Take the money and run, right doc?"

[Linde]

Spine removed? I had that surgery the day I got married! (Sorry, old male humor alert!)

It was almost at the end of our marriage, it took her 36 years to get me there, she finally got me, and I chickened out!

I felt like, "What about me." Take the money and run, right doc?"

My endo seems to be of that type.  I called yesterday morning if they could call me back  if I should increase my E after surgery (I think I am low on hormones, because i am tired the entire day), no call, called this morning, answer machine, and no call, called at 3:30 PM, and got the machine telling me that they have gone home for the weekend!  Here I sit, i pay lots of money out of pocket for this guy, and receive zero customer service.  I will kiss him goodbye, once I find another endo knowing to do trans stuff!

[HappyMoni]

I did laser on my scars the other day. It is really quick and hardly any pain is involved. I am supposed to get like 3 treatments. She said it would address the redness in the scar and also help to flatten it some. It looks pretty red and bruised afterwards but is starting to fade pretty well on day two. I want to zap some brown spots as well, but that device was down for repair. It is cool because she will do anything I need during the period of time I bought (15 minutes). I might do some laser hair removal on my arms if I have time. It is pretty fine hair now, so not sure if it will do anything. I'll update as I see changes. As for the facial program, I did my second moderate peal. My skin has improved greatly since I started. It looks more feminine for sure. There are still some areas of larger pores. I see they talk about a type of laser helping with this, but I didn't ask about it yet. If it tears up the face in the process, I'll wait for summer.
Moni

[Linde]

I can't really say anything what laser did to me except removing the spots they called sun damage. I am blessed with that bay skin, and never developed any large pores.  The laser worked very well for those brown spots, they are all gone.  i had a big one, almost dime size on my forehead, and that is absolutely gone.  I am pretty impressed with the results!

I have a question for all here who were rendered to be without balls, do I just think that my facial hair is growing a little slower?  I shaved on Tuesday morning, and would probably shave tomorrow morning again.  If the growth would  slow down even more, I would not do much electrolysis anymore.

[CynthiaAnn]

Nice topic to catch up Moni, there was a wealth of info shared here, thanks

For myself, I am also in the camp of years of neglect and sun worship (un protected) as a young person, I paid the price. Finished with my electro last year after staring in 2012 (I would need over 300 hours in the chair to be free). I just bought my fresh sun screen for this season (SPF 55), and take my skin care more seriously now. HRT made my skin dry up a lot more easily, and we live in a fairly moist climate here in W. WA.

Kim that was brutal, OMG

Hugs

Cynthia -