Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I've been having a really hard time dealing with facial hair, and with having to cover it with about two pounds of makeup everyday for work, so I finally went to my first laser session.

The practitioner told me hair would appear to grow normally after the first session, but after 10 to 15 days I would be able to pull the hairs she zapped out with my fingers. I'm at day 9 now, and I tugged on some hairs gently with tweezers, but they are still too firmly attached.

At first I didn't notice any changes, but some people have told me they see them. Now I think I am seeing some changes, but I'm not sure if I'm just being influenced.

I feel as if it is growing slower, and probably thinner too, specially on the sides of my face. I shaved this morning, about  18 hours ago, and even my upper lip doesn't feel as rough as as it normally would at this time of the day. Right after shaving my cheeks feel really smooth, which is something I never achieved before, no matter the type of blade of technique used. You can still see the hair, though.

I just hope I'm not making it more difficult for the dead hair to fall out by shaving really close...

How long did it take you to see the first changes?

I didn't get any result from laser as my hair is too light. After the second treatment I just had to admit it and move onto electro. Your hair looks good for laser though. Even so, I f it's your first treatment I don't think you'd expect to see too great a change. Maybe after the second or third times (don't most people require up to six treatments?)

I bought six sessions. I'm getting electro once I move to Sweden, but I have to do something in the meantime to reduce it.

Fortunately (or not) my hair is really dark and my skin quite fair. My hair also grows really fast, so I won't have to wait that long between sessions. I'm going back after 30 days instead of the usual 45.

I thought it was supposed to take longer for it to be noticeable, but I'm not necessarily asking about dramatic changes. Just trying to gauge if I'm delusional, since the small changes I'm noticing are different from what the technician described.

It's strange, though. Just a few days ago I saw an ad from another clinic (the best cosmetic clinic in the city), where they were advertising laser hair removal, and the doctor that runs it said you are supposed to see changes after the first treatment, and if you don't you're being ripped off.

I had my first laser treatment on 11/4.  Ironically, my beard seemed coarser for the first week and 1/2.  Now I am experiencing similar changes that you have described.  My facial hair seems lighter for a longer period after I shave.  My nurse said that it is perfectly ok to shave.  I plan to do all of my laser treatments and to "clean up" with electrolysis.


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I have mid-brown hair and typical Caucasian skin tone. I booked an 8  treatment package at 1 month intervals with skn clinics in Milton Keynes UK. So far I've had two sessions. The first one was quite painful, but certainly had a very noticeable effect leaving some areas quite patchy and slowing overall growth for a couple of weeks, after a couple of days I was easily able to tweeze some of the hairs, but some still held firm. My second session was far less painful, but has just thinned areas further. Got my next session tomorrow, but very happy camper so far. Beforehand make sure you have a super-close shave, take some ibuprofen and hydrate well. Get some aloe Vera cream to apply after if they don't give you any, as the vitamin A helps the skin recover and sooths any irritation.

My hair was 75%+ gone after the first time. 90%+ after about 6 sessions. It depends on a lot of factors. I still have a few lingering hairs that I usually pluck, though I'm going for one more session soon. But most of the hairs grow a lot slower and are thinner. Also depends on how much you start with. My facial hair was very patchy and sparse at first, so that could be why I saw results quickly. And as for the shaving and all that, that's fine. Just be careful if you pull the hairs out. Sometimes you'll feel a tug but it could be the skin around the hair rather than it still being attached. So just go slow and gentle and you should be able to feel if it really is attached or if there's just resistance. Shaving will actually aid in pulling the dead hairs out too.

Thank you for the tip, Megan. Good luck with your appointment today.

For the first session I had shaved in the morning (the appointment was in the evening), but the technician advised that for the next time I should shave the night before instead, so that I could then shave again just before the session.

This is getting real. I haven't been able to pull any hairs out, but when I went to shave this morning I noticed a clear spot in my soul patch area, about 4 sq mm. The hair must have fallen out during the night. It probably has also happened in other areas that aren't as evident. I see some bumps in the skin, so it won't be long before the hair that was dormant shows up, but wow!

I definitely noticed a difference after my first laser session, especially on my cheeks and neck but I didn't *really* notice a big difference until the 2nd and 3rd session, especially the 3rd. Ive had four sessions now and my shadow is still noticeable but it's drastically reduced and I can walk out the house without any makeup without feeling like a dude in drag.

I was hairy as an ape when I started. For me, it definitely took a few sessions before I noticed much difference. She started me off on a pretty low power just cuz I had so much hair, it hurt like hell and she didn't wanna burn me. At first I would just notice small little patches on my face where there wasn't any shadow (black hair, always had shadow, even after shaving close) but after awhile it def became noticeable to me and others...around my 6th-10th sessions, I was pretty uncomfortable with it. By then I just had small patches of hair and shadow; looked like I shaved in the dark or something, half-assed shaving. I still have some left that I am working on, after like my 13th or 14th, mostly just below and above my lips, but the rest is pretty much gone.

I really need to get on laser already... I've found a few groupons, but none are responding to any of the calls/emails I've made on whether or not they take or are used to dealing with men.

Brooke, why don't you try being open and telling them you're a pre transition trans woman? They are probably more used to that.

In my case, I'm full time, but I still told them I'm trans when I emailed asking for prices, and I was surprised when they said they would bill me as a woman. That is, they're counting my face and neck as one area, despite that I have much more hair than any cis woman, even one with severe polycystic ovarian syndrome.

I guess it's worth a shot.  I'm nowhere near full time, still in boy mode.  I'm hoping it changes soon, I finally start HRT tomorrow (11:30am appointment :)), and right now I just don't have the confidence to go full time.  Still, thanks for the advice, never hurts to try :)

I have been through 6-7 sessions a few of them so painful I had to stop because I was sobbing and she could not keep going. All that and I don't even know if its working I am a terrible judge of things like this and the woman who dose it cant tell because I shave so harshly to get rid of everything. my face is a mass of razor burn and now she wants me to come in again in a few weeks but not shave for several days before hand...I may have to drink very very heavily to get through those days, I already took them off from work and have told people I will not be at social events...I truly hate my facial hair it is more dysphoria inducing to me than the lower bits.

I am just thinking about it for 5 minutes and I am ready to start crying again. Goddess I hate myself.

Serena

Quote from: Valwen on November 24, 2015, 02:16:26 AM
I have been through 6-7 sessions a few of them so painful I had to stop because I was sobbing and she could not keep going. All that and I don't even know if its working I am a terrible judge of things like this and the woman who dose it cant tell because I shave so harshly to get rid of everything. my face is a mass of razor burn and now she wants me to come in again in a few weeks but not shave for several days before hand...I may have to drink very very heavily to get through those days, I already took them off from work and have told people I will not be at social events...I truly hate my facial hair it is more dysphoria inducing to me than the lower bits.

I am just thinking about it for 5 minutes and I am ready to start crying again. Goddess I hate myself.

Serena

Oh I understand.. As far as I am into all of this, I still have to pluck or shave a bit. :/ I'm surprised though, my laser technician always tells me to shave close before a laser session.

My experience on facial laser is that you need to be patient and not expect everything to happen immediately.

Hair growth cycles vary hence leaving at least 4 weeks between treatments and I have been advised that shaving 12 - 24 hours beforehand means that the hairs are at the right length to absorb enough energy to destroy the bulb.  Too long and the light does not get to the bulb......

I have been having treatment for over a year now - some 9 treatments with the interval extending now to about 7 - 8 weeks in between sessions. The results for me mean that I can go for 16 - 18 hours with 'normal' amounts of makeup although evening and poorer lighting becomes my friend, if you know what I mean!!!  The lighter coloured hairs' (that's the grey ones in my case) rate of growth is reduced significantly but not as much.   

Sorry to say this although the adage that there is no gain without pain is as true here - treatment of my upper lip is eye-watering........ :'( :'( :'( 

Before you really start to notice the difference it will take a few sessions then you should start to see a difference. Remember it can take a good 12 sessions to remove your facial hair. Hugs
Mariah

Quote from: Ashey on November 24, 2015, 05:41:36 AM
Oh I understand.. As far as I am into all of this, I still have to pluck or shave a bit. :/ I'm surprised though, my laser technician always tells me to shave close before a laser session.

Me too, she even said I should shave right before the session. Supposedly any hair over the surface of your skin will also heat up and burn you. Well, Serena, maybe what she wants is for you to show up with a healthy skin, and have you shave right before.

Hair is definitely sparser on the sides now. There's still a lot, but it's a lot less. The center of the upper lip, although it was never as hairy as the sides, is noticeably clearing up too.

Well I was pretty lucky with my treatment. It was a palomar IPL machine and on 1st treatment about 80% was gone and barely got any re-growth. After 5 treatments, I'm pretty much clear but still have some spots that the doctor missed because I have some perfect 90 degree lines in my remaining hair....

In my case is that facial hair is a big trigger with me few things get my dysphoria going like stubble. So for. About 16 years I have shaved very harshly usually twice a day by face is a mass of razor burn it often looks like a allergic reaction its so bad. The women who dose my laser cant tell how things are going because its that bad. I often go over the sides of my upper lip till I break the skin and bleed. I guess this is one of the side effects of knowing I am trans for decades and doing nothing about it.

Serena

I've had 5 sessions and most is gone and it's very thin now. Having only dark hairs helps. Having dark skin does not but the YAG was meant for girls like me.

It takes like 14 days to shed each time.

I'm still pre-HRT but have had now had 7 sessions of laser treatment (dark hair).  Sadly I tried to catch it before it turned grey but I now see I have more grey hairs than I first thought.  However, it has done a great job on the dark hairs, especially side-burns around to the mustache and under the chin.  It will take time and I found that the hair appeared to grown quicker after treatment but I believe it is not actually growing as such!  My upper lip and immediately below my lower lip have been the most stubborn areas.  Before I started I always had a five o'clock shadow, no matter how much I shaved but now my face looks completely different.  I've got one more session before Christmas and then they recommend another batch of sessions to finish off the stubborn bits and top-up everywhere else.  This is apparently because they believe my testosterone levels will cause some regrowth regardless of laser and I've not told them I currently intend to transition and go on HRT which should reduce that problem!  Might get a few more sessions though and definitely need electro for the grey hairs :-(

The woman who does my laser sessions told me that I will need about 10 treatments (1 a month) for it to stop growing back. I did 4 so far and the results can be different for people. Pre laser I had thin mustache and chin hair and minor hairs on the sides but not really full at all and had to shave the upper lip everyday and put foundation over bevause the follicles grew back that day! 1st session I noticed huge difference at first because I think it all fell out for the first time so you are able to see the dramatic different but then it grew back slower the rest of month (every other day instead of everyday). 2 session I shaved like twice a week. The 3rd session I didn't notice much and it seemed I started to get mustache shadows the week before my 4th treatment. My 4th treatment was almost two weeks ago and I haven't shaved in two weeks. After the 4th treatment I saw the follicles starting to come out and once they fell out I haven't shaved. The side burns are non existent but still have to shave two or three times a week on my chin. Overall the first few you won't see a dramatic different but after the 4th and 5th treatment it will settle the hair growth down to where you won't have to worry about shaving so much and you will feel more content which will make the next few treatments go by much faster and then before you know it you are hairless and beautiful :) lol. I didn't have patience at first but it's a very exciting process once you get the ball rolling.

I wish I saw results like that. 6 or 7 sessions in and though I think it's growing slower I still have to shave every day. By morning it's still a big issue. I expect to need a few more laser sessions and probebly a few dozen hours our electrolysis if not more. :-( And that's not counting to down stairs electrolysis. :-P

Serena

Quote from: Valwen on November 28, 2015, 01:28:12 AM
I wish I saw results like that. 6 or 7 sessions in and though I think it's growing slower I still have to shave every day. By morning it's still a big issue. I expect to need a few more laser sessions and probebly a few dozen hours our electrolysis if not more. :-( And that's not counting to down stairs electrolysis. :-P

Serena

Have the follicles fallen out yet? Is the hair more fine when you shave it? You should be ok after a few more treatments. It's usually a dramatic difference out of no where. Hope you get the results you want soon!

I haven't noticed the follicles falling out or the hair being finer. Then again I don't know how much is things not happening and how much is me just not noticing little changes. It's probebly not working at all and I have already spent 2000$ on it. This question is high on my list of things that put me in a panic. That and my voice.

Serena

Yes girl I hear you, my voice isn't where I want now either :( about the laser you were supposed to have the follicles fallen atleast once already. I know trans women start out with more or less hair than others but from what I know of laser the hair should have fallen out atleast once or growing back much slower. Perhaps you should talk to the person who lasers you, the laser has different settings so that could be it? Also I would research more laser results on Google to make you if you are in the right place or not.

Research always seems useless, I never find anything that helps, like the 50 or so voice therapy videos that didn't help at all. The laser setting keeps going up that's not really a concern. And I have talked to the woman who dose it and she relies a lot on what I see and I am awful at noticing things like that. I sure haven't woken up with like hair on my pillow or something and I absolutely never let it grow long enough to see how thick it is, I feel stubble I shave till I bleed from shaving so close. I would show pics of how my face looks without makeup but I don't have a picture sharing site and don't want one. Best I can say is my lower face looks like I rubbed poison ivy on it. That makes it almost impossible to see how dark the hair is.

The woman who dose my laser wants me to come back on December 19th about 3 weeks after my last session not for laser but so she can see what it looks like, to that end I am not supposed to shave for a few days before hand which will be emotionally hell and means I am taking time off from work to sit at home and avoid taking to anyone, I might try and spend that day very drunk like black out drunk.

Serena

well it's good if she wants to see you for a result follow up. If that's the case I'm sure you are in good hands. It seems like a long process but you will notice one day that the hair growth has changed a lot. My follicles fell out a couple weeks ago and i noticed today that they grew back. This is normal because every time they fall out it takes longer and longer to grow back. You can get through it. Hope it works out feel free to keep updated !

its less a follow up more a "we have no clue if we are wasting our time, mabye we should swap to 100 hours of elecro instead" once before she had me not shave a small part of my face for a few days before hand and she still could not tell and I choose a area thats very difficult for me to see as to limit how dysphoria induceing it would be. I have little hope laser will work, have long though I will never get the voice thing to work and now am starting to doubt that hormones will do anything noticeable. Sorry I am so negitive my therapist is really on me for my self hate and pessimistic view on everything in my life.

today was extra not fun, I woke up 4 times last night due to spiro barely feels like I slept at all, and vision in my right eye is a bit blurry for some reason which has left me with a slight headach all day. If it isen't better by tomorrow night I will e-mail my doctor and set up a appointment, which I guess is progress pre transision me would never have bothered.

Serena

Sounds like you might have to switch to electrolysis honestly. As far as voice goes it is certainly possible to learn how to talk with the elevated pitch it takes months of practice you won't get it the first time that doesn't mean you never will. How long have you been on hormones? Hormones will change things but it is not a magic pill. If I feel like I don't have dramatic changes for awhile I usually switch up my wardrobe hair and makeup looks it can do so much!

The hormone thing is mostly a overreaction, possibly due to hormones. I have been on HRT for 8 months now, aside from puffy nipples that hurt like hell, which started like week 3 and has been constant. I don't see any other changes, though many of the common early changes are things I would not notice. I moisturize daily so my skin has always been on the softer side, I shave just about everywhere so I would not notice a small reduction in body hair but ya no real changes besides the nipples. I am also fat so any actual breast development is not as clear as it would be if I did not have pre existing chest fat.

Elevated pitch is not really a big concern of mine even doing nothing I tend to fall into a androgynous range for pitch, with very little effort (though I am awful about being consistant with it) I can get it into the 200-210 range on pitchlab. Its resonance and the sing song quality that seem impossible to emulate, especially when I am dealing with people who i have know for years, I fall back into regular voice all the time. Then again I may have been subconcously raising my pitch my whole life because I can also go deeper than my normal voice without it being a strain.

but ya there is a good chance I will have to go to electrolysis which is a nightmare, some women tell me they had like 6-8 electrolysis sessions and they where mostly clear requiring only a dozen more touch up sessions other stories include numbers like 150 hours over 6 years. Being full time I cant very well grow it out for several days and still live my life.

Serena

You aren't going to notice all the changes that easily because you are observing everyday. People that haven't seen me in a long time notice changes that I don't.

Not familiar with ecelyrolysis but from what you said it seems like that would be the smart option.

some claim electrolysis is less painful, other say more painful, it takes much longer as they go hair by hair and you need to have the hair grow out enough that the person can grab it with tweezers, then shove a super thin metal rod into your hair folical and electrocute it to death. I truly dread it.

Though I more dread when I will need electrolysis on my bottom bits before GRS. All the fun and pain of electrolysis with all the embaresment of exposing yourself to a virtual stranger. :-P

Serena

Keep us updated :) you will figure out what works for you

Quote from: Valwen on November 29, 2015, 04:24:51 PM
some claim electrolysis is less painful, other say more painful, it takes much longer as they go hair by hair and you need to have the hair grow out enough that the person can grab it with tweezers, then shove a super thin metal rod into your hair folical and electrocute it to death. I truly dread it.

Though I more dread when I will need electrolysis on my bottom bits before GRS. All the fun and pain of electrolysis with all the embaresment of exposing yourself to a virtual stranger. :-P

Serena

True that you need to let hairs grow but only to a sufficient length that your therapist can grasp the hair with the electrode and tug it so that the hair is the route for the current to the follicle.....  The thing is that, unlike IPL which is marketed as permanent hair reduction, electroysis is permanent hair removal although with enough IPL sessions you get to the point where the interval between treatments is of the order of months to 'top up'.  Since I have yet to start HT, I don't know how that will complement the treatments that I am having..... 

When the time comes to consider preparation for 'bottom surgery' hopefully you will have found a therapist with whom you are comfortable and won't be embarrassed,  Professional therapists don't bat an eye lid so I feel it is all about how I need to manage my own reactions.  While it would be silly to think that any process will be painfree..... all I do is focus on the thought that one day it will all be over.....  and that keeps me going... Wishing you well Serena and hoping that you can find the right balance to suit and achieve the results you seek.  K xx

If electrolysis was something that took a few sessions it would be traumatic to not shave those few times but with numbers in the dozens of treatments, I can't even consider how that will be. I just don't think I can deal with two or three days growth on a regular basis and even one day is to much when being full time and having a job where I deal with the public.

Serena

 You seem to be in a 'No Win' situation.....  :( Feel for you - xx

I went in for my second treatment last night. There was a different tech, who said we should go up in power because the first one had been too soft (which was a concern of mine).

Heck, did it hurt this time. I couldn't hold still. She had to stop a couple of times to let me take a breath and cry. I could smell the burnt hair and even hear the sizzling. She felt horrible when I started to cry, because she had never had someone cry before, but she only had one other trans patient who was getting a different area, with sparser hair.

She thinks the extra pain was not because of the higher setting, but mostly because of something she hadn't realized at first: that she was using a machine with a bigger head than the last tech, so she was zapping a larger area.

Unlike the first time I felt the heat on the first passing, but also I had reddening on my face, which I didn't have last time (one sign it was too soft), and as soon as I looked into a mirror I noticed a difference. It's like some hairs were vaporized or something. For me it was totally worth it. She had me book the next treatment with the smaller head, but she referred to it as "the slow one" when talking to the receptionist, so I think I'm calling in and changing it.

This was a very helpful thread.  I am going Saturday for my first appointment. 

I know I lots of grey but the dark hairs, if that is all they can do, will be ,more than sufficient. 

They told me to shave the night before, so I guess that'll be around 12 hours of stubble.

I am so not ready for the pain.