I'm having two hours of electrolysis every week. I started with only one hour per week last November, but we couldn't get far enough fast enough, so I increased to two hour appointments in January. We started with my lip lines, then focused on my upper lip. I was fortunate to have Vicodin left over from gall bladder surgery last year, and I take one of these plus one Benadryl before each two-hour appointment. Unfortunately, this was still not enough pain relief when treating the area in the center of my upper lip, beneath the nasal septum. This is typically the most sensitive area on your entire face, even moreso than your lip lines.
If you have either a regular dentist or GP who is willing, they can help you. Dentists can inject anesthetic to block the nerves in the area being treated, just before your treatment. A GP can prescribe a higher-concentration lidocaine cream to be prepared by a local compounding pharmacy. The strongest precaution when using the high-strength lidocaine cream is not to apply it to too large an area. For instance, apply it to only one side of your upper lip before your session begins. Thirty minutes later, apply it to the other side of your lip.
One final option (and extremely fuzzy/gray area) is to use an online/offshore pharmacy that sells 10% lidocaine spray, to be applied by your electrologist before treating each area. A small bottle contains approximately 500 precisely metered sprays, at an average cost of $75. The same precaution applies as with the compounded cream: don't apply too much to too large an area at one time. Our skin can only metabolize a certain amount of the anesthetic over a specific period of time. Applying too much anesthetic overloads your system and causes problems.
Another thing about electrolysis is the cost. An hour of electrolysis costs more than my hourly wage, making it strictly a losing proposition from a financial perspective. I have to remember that each zap of the needle is providing an emotional and psychological benefit far greater than the financial cost, especially after the physical effects become apparent.
After you achieve the first clearance of an area, the hair that regrows was either not completely destroyed, or was dormant and not visible at the time of treatment. The good news is, with a skilled electrologist you can expect at least a 60% to 70% kill rate. What hairs are not completely destroyed, come back many weeks later as much finer hairs. These require less energy to destroy and remove. After you finally achieve the second complete clearance of an area, it requires much less time to remove the small amount of fine regrowth that appears.
The only advice I can provide about feeling drained for hours after treatment is to insure you drink LOTS of water in the hour or two before your appointment. Keeping your skin well-hydrated makes electrolysis work faster and easier. If you can possibly do it, avoid coffee or tea in the hours before your appointment, as well. Caffeine tends to amplify the pain response in a lot of electrolysis patients, so avoid it if you can on days when you have appointments.
I know this is a LOT of information to process, but I hope some of it is useful and helpful to you. Feel free to PM me if I can help explain any of this in more detail.
