My First Full Hour in the Chair

[Julie Marie]

Monday I had my first full hour of electrolysis. I applied lidocaine an hour before but really didn't notice much difference.

There were times it wasn't that bad but other times it REALLY HURT! My upper lip is something that gives me away all too easily if I don't apply my makeup carefully. So it's my top priority. I told her the first time I saw her so she went right to work there.

After a while I told her I'd like to get the hairs under the nose. She replied, "Okay, but remember, you asked." WOW! Yes, I did ask for it! That was pretty tough to handle! My eyes teared and she asked me if I wanted her to stop. "No, it all has to go so keep going"

I've always been the type of person to get the hard part out of the way so I can coast toward the end. This has served me well in construction when running work. So I kept this attitude knowing things will only get better.

I let her decide where to treat next and she went to the side of my face. There were areas near the ear I just wanted to scream when she zapped them! Some were more painful than under the nose! BUt I didn't say a word and let her keep going.

Actually I said a lot.  She kept my mind occupied by engaging me in conversation. It's hard to talk when the area around your mouth is being worked on but once she moved to the side I found myself jabbering away and before I knew it the session was over.

Before I left home I thought how she hasn't seen me as Julie because I go there right after work. So I brought this picture I've had a lot of fun with where I superimposed Julie over my ex in a couples picture. When I went to write her the check I remembered I had that and showed her. She looked at it for a very long time. Then said, still staring at the picture, "You look like a movie star!" The marvels of makeup!

I've posted this picture online before as "OMG! I'm dating myself!" Anyone who knows me knows I love to laugh, even at myself, and this is my silly way of finding humor in a life that almost drove me to insanity.  Thankfully I found the strength to be me.

Anyway, this is that picture of me "dating myself":

[tinkerbell]

 

Your first hour!  congratulations!

I've always been the type of person to get the hard part out of the way so I can coast toward the end.

Well, I'm the kind of person that usually saves the best for last!  , so that's exactly what I did as far as the upper lip.

One hour gone, two hundred seventy seven more to go....LOL  just kidding! , I know I'm bad!
BTW, that photo is great....I wouldn't mind dating my old me...


tinkerbell

[Buffy]

Congrats Julie...

I once did 4 straight hours of Electrolysis.... never to recommended.

Electrolysis to me and removal of facial hair was one of the keys in passing and it took me over 2 years. Clearing the top lip was probably the most painful part of my whole transition.

As for dating myself, I was never actually keen on the guy so I think I will take a rain check...

Buffy

[HelenW]

I haven't got to electrolysis yet but to find out how bad it might be I grabbed a hair just under my right nostril with tweezers and yanked it out.

HOLY ¡$4%@&#!  That hurt!

Is this what I can look forward to?
helen

[Buffy]

I haven't got to electrolysis yet but to find out how bad it might be I grabbed a hair just under my right nostril with tweezers and yanked it out.

HOLY ¡$4%@&#!  That hurt!

Is this what I can look forward to?
helen

Helen....Don't worry yourself honey.

The plucking bit is easy, the hairs virtually fling themselves out of the follicle.

The 25,000 volts is the painful part.... just wear rubber shoes and you will be OK... 

Becky

[Chaunte]

I haven't got to electrolysis yet but to find out how bad it might be I grabbed a hair just under my right nostril with tweezers and yanked it out.

HOLY ¡$4%@&#!  That hurt!

Is this what I can look forward to?
helen

Helen....Don't worry yourself honey.

The plucking bit is easy, the hairs virtually fling themselves out of the follicle.

The 25,000 volts is the painful part.... just wear rubber shoes and you will be OK... 

Becky

And, of course, you know where retired electrologists go, don't you?

To the Old Volts Home, of course! 

Chaunte

A gentleman I use to do SAR missions with got zapped by 25,000 volts.  It literally threw him across his lab.  The arm didn't stop tingling for 6 months!

[stephanie_craxford]

Monday I had my first full hour of electrolysis. I applied lidocaine an hour before but really didn't notice much difference.

There were times it wasn't that bad but other times it REALLY HURT! My upper lip is something that gives me away all too easily if I don't apply my makeup carefully. So it's my top priority. I told her the first time I saw her so she went right to work there.

After a while I told her I'd like to get the hairs under the nose. She replied, "Okay, but remember, you asked." WOW! Yes, I did ask for it! That was pretty tough to handle! My eyes teared and she asked me if I wanted her to stop. "No, it all has to go so keep going"

I've always been the type of person to get the hard part out of the way so I can coast toward the end. This has served me well in construction when running work. So I kept this attitude knowing things will only get better.

I let her decide where to treat next and she went to the side of my face. There were areas near the ear I just wanted to scream when she zapped them! Some were more painful than under the nose! BUt I didn't say a word and let her keep going.

Actually I said a lot.  She kept my mind occupied by engaging me in conversation. It's hard to talk when the area around your mouth is being worked on but once she moved to the side I found myself jabbering away and before I knew it the session was over.

Before I left home I thought how she hasn't seen me as Julie because I go there right after work. So I brought this picture I've had a lot of fun with where I superimposed Julie over my ex in a couples picture. When I went to write her the check I remembered I had that and showed her. She looked at it for a very long time. Then said, still staring at the picture, "You look like a movie star!" The marvels of makeup!

I've posted this picture online before as "OMG! I'm dating myself!" Anyone who knows me knows I love to laugh, even at myself, and this is my silly way of finding humor in a life that almost drove me to insanity.  Thankfully I found the strength to be me.

Anyway, this is that picture of me "dating myself":

Betcha didn't know it was soooooooooooooooo much fun huh!





NOT........

Steph

[Melissa]

Congratulations Julie.  You still have a long road ahead of you though as Tinkerbell said.  I started on my upper lip and it was persistant.  It's still the part that seems to have the most hair.  Everywhere else is manageable.  I still have some electrolysis in my future because of some light colored hairs, but oh well.  Anyway good luck on your hair removal and I wish you a fast clearing.

I haven't got to electrolysis yet but to find out how bad it might be I grabbed a hair just under my right nostril with tweezers and yanked it out.

HOLY ¡$4%@&#!  That hurt!

Is this what I can look forward to?
helen

It's similar Helen, but try pulling it out over a 10 second period and that's a lot closer to how it really is.  The electricity is more of a tingling than the pain you feel from yanking.

Melissa

[Sheila]

I went for 2 1/2 years at 4 hours a month. I'm really still not done I have to shave still. My hair doesn't show though and it is in some places very fine. I know about under the nose and around the lip line. OUCH!!!!! My electrolysis gave me a shot to deaden the area. It worked great but still felt the pain. I feel now that I can just get up in the morning and shave to get rid of it, Pat says she can't see anything, but you can feel it. So I don't have to worry about a 5 o'clock shadow. I wish you the best.
Your picture is very lovely. You both do have a very strong resemblance.
Sheila

[Kate]

I haven't got to electrolysis yet but to find out how bad it might be I grabbed a hair just under my right nostril with tweezers and yanked it out.

HOLY ¡$4%@&#!  That hurt!

Is this what I can look forward to?
helen

BEE STINGS!

That's what it felt like for me - at least with a home OneTouch unit many years ago (one of the few home gadgets that actually works, being a purely galvanic unit).

We (wife did it on me) did a four-hour session once on the mustache area. I swelled up like a baboon for days.

Coincidentally, I go for laser torture session #5 in 2.5 hours (huge rubber band snapped against your face a hundred times, then the worst sunburn you've ever experienced for a few hours)

Anyone who thinks this is a whim, a fetish, a fantasy... lemme have 'em for a day. I'll have them crying like babies, lol.

[Hazumu]

I tell Lisa "If there's something on my plate I don't like, I eat it first to get it out of the way."  That's why we're concentrating on upper and lower lip.

I use canadian Betacaine gel and take motrin an hour before the session.  I also put off the dose of Spiro until after the session (it's a diruetic, and could lower your hydration level.)  I also drink two liter bottles of Calistoga sparkling mineral water (it's got a good level of sodium in it.)  I'm as bad as a MLB pitcher, what with all the ritualistic stuff I do!

But, it's gotta' be done.  Same thing with 'south pole' electro, which I'm not looking forward to...

Karen

[LostInTime]

I did my first session without any lidocaine.  I paid for a tube on the way out the door for the next session. 

Congrats on another step. 

[Julie Marie]

I did my first session without any lidocaine.  I paid for a tube on the way out the door for the next session. 

Congrats on another step. 

That's what I did too.  The first session was only 15 minutes though.  I did the lidocaine last week but it doesn't seem to make any noticeable difference.  I put it on thicker this time and I still couldn't notice any difference.  A friend of mine said she puts plastic wrap over the lidocaine to keep it from evaporating too quickly.  She said she'd never do electro w/o it so she must notice a difference.

[mefree]

Hello Everyone,

I am thinking about going to a laser hair removal establishment here, but I am curious about the price is 75$ for an hour typical or is that low??  If I do go in for it this month then I will most likely concentrate on the hairs above and below the lips and two problematic spots on the cheeks, if I can manage that.    Any suggestions before I go in??  Congrats on the full hour, that's a great step!!!!! Congratulations.

[Lisa CPE]

Julie,
Have you been using a 4 percent or 5 percent of solution of lidocaine?  I highly recommend the 5 percent cream and be sure to apply it fairly thickly.  I have my upper lip done by another electrologist and I dab the cream on. 

I do have clients who try rubbing it into the skin, but on the box it says not to apply it that way.  With some brands you are supposed to cover the cream with plastic wrap.  It does help, although all sensation will not be eliminated.

[cindianna_jones]

The first time I had my face cleared, we spent three whole consecutive days or so on it. 14 hours the first day. 12 the next, and 10 or so the third. My face was incredibly swollen.  I couldn't even close my lips for a couple of days after that. But afterwards, I took whatever time it needed to keep my face clear every week.  It was really bad at first but within a couple months, I was down to two sessions a week of about 2 hours each. 

Cindi

[tinkerbell]

The first time I had my face cleared, we spent three whole consecutive days or so on it. 14 hours the first day. 12 the next, and 10 or so the third. My face was incredibly swollen.  I couldn't even close my lips for a couple of days after that. But afterwards, I took whatever time it needed to keep my face clear every week.  It was really bad at first but within a couple months, I was down to two sessions a week of about 2 hours each. 

Cindi

You are a brave girl Cindi.  I coud only do that under general anesthesia

tinkerbell

[Melissa]

I am thinking about going to a laser hair removal establishment here, but I am curious about the price is 75$ for an hour typical or is that low??

That's weird.  Laser is usually charged by the session, rather than the hour.  The reason is, because it usually only takes about 15 minutes or so to clear the entire face.  If it is $75/session for laser, then that is extremely cheap and I would be very cautious about using them.  If it is $75/Hour for electrolysis, then that is at the upper end.

Melissa

[sheila18]

$175/hr in upstate ny
plus 3 to 6 more visits depending on the girl
sh18