Susan's Place Transgender Resources

So, this is a major need. I'm undergoing electrolysis, and to be quite honest... ITS F***ING PAINFUL!!!!!!!
But I need to do this because, OBVIOUSLY i don't want hair down there for when they do the surgery.

I've been prescribed Prilocane/Lidocane a 25% 25% and frankly, it doesn't seem to work all that well.
Do any of y'all ladies know if there is something I can do in conjunction?

I went to a spa in Phoenix where they can inject lidocaine ... I use to go for 3 day clearings of face and genitals with two techs at the same time..the injections help immensely ... They hurt worse than the clearing as long as the tech stays in the numbed area!!!

Ashley :)

try putting a metal rollar in your freezer over night then bring it to your thinging in a cold bag thing, rub it all over the treated areas.. Did something similar for laser last year

hope that helps

I need something for during.

Quote from: tgirlamc on June 23, 2017, 03:26:49 PM
I went to a spa in Phoenix where they can inject lidocaine ... I use to go for 3 day clearings of face and genitals with two techs at the same time..the injections help immensely ... They hurt worse than the clearing as long as the tech stays in the numbed area!!!

Ashley :)

I went to Sensei med spa too for the genital work, but had to have some touch up when back home.  I used 5% lidocane for that (from Amazon) applied liberally an hour before my session was due to begin and covered it with plastic wrap until Joanne was ready to start. That gave me about an hour of tolerance.  I probably ate too much ibuprofen as well but it does a good job of keeping the swelling down.  There is nothing that makes this any fun though. 

Good Luck
JB

PS I forgot Joanne told me that they sourced some 15% lidocane (after I was done of course).  Your electrologist ought to be able to get that for you or PM me and I'll find out what its brand name is.

I am currently using E3000 in Lewisville Texas for clearing both my face and groin. They also use the lidocaine injections. It is the only way I could make it through the process. Good luck

Anne

I use Emla cream.  It works quite well at the beginning of a session, and I might not even feel the first few zaps at all.  But she has to wipe it off to do the work.  As soon as it is wiped off, the skin starts to regain feeling, at different rates for different parts.  Around my mouth, it wears off in only a minute or two!  She can do maybe a dozen zaps there before it is too painful to continue.  Other parts of my face last longer, but nothing seems to last a full hour.

On my doctor's advice, I take Advil and Tylenol before a session.  (Disclaimer: Don't combine medications without medical advice.)  They really don't do a damn thing during the session, but they do help to dull the pain afterwards.

I am dreading getting my upper lip done.  I know from my laser sessions that it is the most sensitive area.  I expect that I will book 15 minute appointments for that area instead of the 60 minute appointments that I do now.

I use headphones and music to help me meditate through the session and it helps.  But there is only so much mindfulness you can do when she hits a live nerve!

I don't think there is any option in my area for lidocaine injections.  It is a 20-minute drive from either my doctor or my dentist to my electrologist, and I understand that the stuff wears off in about that time.

Bottom line: yes it @#$% hurts!

I had 6 genital clearings and had lidocaine injections. The injections hurt very bad but it is only 5 minutes while they inject.

This has been my nemesis for the last 18 months and I haven't even started on the stuff downstairs...I get injections for the one hour session and use cream for another 30 minute session. The injections are more effective on certain parts of the face/neck than others. My neck and cheeks are probably the area that take the injections the best.  My tech will work in the numbed area for awhile and then will have a crack at a few outside the area and keep switching back and forth. I always run out of area to clear before the hour is up.

Injections directly into the top lip are marginal at best...I have a dentist who I will get a nerve block from so I can do my top lip with Electrolysis. I have had two of these previously and they were very effective...downside was that they hurt...a lot but it was all over with in a few minutes and then I felt next to nothing from that point on. I have one more maybe two at most to finish off my top lip...if I can get a good result out of the next dental block that may be enough to finish off clearing the top lip.

Good Luck

I initially did a full genital clearing (4.5 hours) with IV narcotics and lidocaine local injections, but since then I have been able to do them with just EMLA cream (2.5% lidocaine/2.5% prilocaine).  You need to slather it on there every 20 min or so for at least 90 minutes prior to your session and cover it with plastic wrap for it to work.  I end up using about half of a 30-gram tube each time. Skin in the genital area seems to be much more effectively numbed than skin on the face. I have been able get through 30-40 minutes of laser then electrolysis with very little pain doing that, and I have a low pain tolerance.

As far as the upper lip, I found that an ice pack was better than injections.  I tried lidocaine injections in my upper lip once (at Papillon Center), and they were so painful I never did that again.  I could numb my lip with the ice while my electrologist did some other part of my face, and then she would do a few hairs on my upper lip.  I would then re-ice the lip, and a few minutes later she would do a few more.  It was slow, but I got my whole face cleared like that in less than 70 hours.

~Terri

Quote from: KathyLauren on June 23, 2017, 06:57:25 PM
I don't think there is any option in my area for lidocaine injections.  It is a 20-minute drive from either my doctor or my dentist to my electrologist, and I understand that the stuff wears off in about that time.

Kathy, For my upper lip I go to my dentist and get 4-6 injections inside my upper lip right about where the lip and gums meet. It easily lasts 90 minutes so your 20 min drive should be ok. I don't think I would have ever gotten the upper lip done with out the dentist!

Quote from: Charley on June 23, 2017, 08:08:44 PM
Kathy, For my upper lip I go to my dentist and get 4-6 injections inside my upper lip right about where the lip and gums meet. It easily lasts 90 minutes so your 20 min drive should be ok. I don't think I would have ever gotten the upper lip done with out the dentist!

+1

Dental Injections are by far more effective because they Target the nerves and actually block the them rather than numbing the tissue...But they are only good for upper lip and some parts of the chin...Unfortunately the technique of the Electrolysis person I used at the time I had this done was very poor so I am having to have it redone. 

Quote from: Charley on June 23, 2017, 08:08:44 PM
Kathy, For my upper lip I go to my dentist and get 4-6 injections inside my upper lip right about where the lip and gums meet. It easily lasts 90 minutes so your 20 min drive should be ok. I don't think I would have ever gotten the upper lip done with out the dentist!

Thanks, Charley.  I have a dentist appointment next month, so I'll ask her about this.  It sounds like a good way to go.

It is truly amazing what we gladly put ourselves through just to express who we are!

... Spend the day having needles stuck in my face and genitals?... Bring it on!!!... :)


I have wondered more than once how many needles have been stuck in me in the last 4 years between electro, HRT, and all my surgeries? I'd do it again 100x over if I suddenly found myself at the beginning again...

Onward we go brave sisters!!!

Ashley :)

Quote from: Maybebaby56 on June 23, 2017, 07:50:35 PM
As far as the upper lip, I found that an ice pack was better than injections.  I tried lidocaine injections in my upper lip once (at Papillon Center), and they were so painful I never did that again.  I could numb my lip with the ice while my electrologist did some other part of my face, and then she would do a few hairs on my upper lip.  I would then re-ice the lip, and a few minutes later she would do a few more.  It was slow, but I got my whole face cleared like that in less than 70 hours.

~Terri

I've heard the Icepack method... And my electrologist said to avoid that because it makes it harder to insert her probe, and make a clearing less effective.

Quote from: tgirlamc on June 24, 2017, 09:18:54 AM
It is truly amazing what we gladly put ourselves through just to express who we are!

... Spend the day having needles stuck in my face and genitals?... Bring it on!!!... :)


I have wondered more than once how many needles have been stuck in me in the last 4 years between electro, HRT, and all my surgeries? I'd do it again 100x over if I suddenly found myself at the beginning again...

Onward we go brave sisters!!!

Ashley :)

Exactly right Ashley!  But if I found myself at the beginning again, I would up the pace and pay the price.  To live my life as I do is the greatest gift the goddess can give.

Namaste
J

If you meditate, you can definitely use meditation for difficult times/areas. If you lean into the pain, fully acknowledge it, pay attention, and are present in the moment can actually be quite effective. Contrary to popular belief you're pain tolerance is much higher if you focus on the pain rather then try to distract yourself from it.

I've experienced some of the worst pain a human can experience with cluster headaches (also known as suicide headaches) and with corneal nerve damage (cornea is the body's most sensitive pain receptor).

I've also meditated daily since I was 12.


~Brooke~

Quote from: jessilynn on June 24, 2017, 10:46:00 AM
I've heard the Icepack method... And my electrologist said to avoid that because it makes it harder to insert her probe, and make a clearing less effective.

Hi Jessilynn,

All I can say is it worked for me.  Originally I wanted to go with a dental block, but I could not find a dentist in my area that would be willing to do it.  The subdermal lidocaine injections were horribly painful. Icing my lip ended up deadening the pain enough to get me through it, and it was cheap.

~Terri

I think these are all good methods and advice, plus an important reminder I want to add: Do not drink any coffee that morning, or less than 8 hours before an electrolysis session. 

I have never used injections for electrolysis pain management although it has been tempting.  I have used just EMLA and Advil.  The times I had caffeine in my system, I could definitely tell the difference - I learned the difficult way, no Starbucks. 

I will admit during some areas of "south pole" clearing I have had to avoid picking up my iPhone out of fear I would crack the screen from squeezing it.

My Doctor prescribed EMLA. According to the directions you should put it on about hour prior and put plastic wrap over it. I kind of look weird driving down the freeway with plastic wrap but it does seem to work. Just don't use too much because you can get sick.

I'm surprised that nobody on this thread has mentioned prescription painkillers yet. They make marathon sessions a lot more pleasant.

Quote from: Kendra on June 24, 2017, 03:23:04 PMDo not drink any coffee that morning, or less than 8 hours before an electrolysis session.

Based on this advice, I abstained from chocolate before my last electro session.  (That was really, really hard to do, believe me!)  It seemed to make a difference.  The caffiene in chocolate is different from the caffiene in coffee, and it doesn't keep me awake, for example, but perhaps they are similar in how they affect pain.

Quote from: cej on July 05, 2017, 01:53:40 PM
I'm surprised that nobody on this thread has mentioned prescription painkillers yet. They make marathon sessions a lot more pleasant.

Valium is my friend for the longer sessions :) ...much easier to put up with if you are not stressed...being stressed makes the pain worse.

I just went for my first treatment at E3000. I had my chest, stomach, groin, and back done and it was a really tough 9 hours but they got it cleared.   The injections hurt really, really, really bad but it is better than the 1000's of "ant bites" that you feel without them.

I highly recommend E3000 - the girls are great!