You know how in most cases, HRT reduces body hair? It did it for me. But in a nasty way.
The hair all over my body was affected. On the torso, density, thickness and colour reduced... but it's still a man's hair almost everywhere. The only difference is that now, most of it is immune to laser.
The same happened to my arms. I was hairy all over, up to the shoulders. I still am. But now, between the shoulder and the elbow, it's blond. Still not what you'd expect on any normal woman, though. But immune to laser.
Even my legs. It's still quite thick all over, from feet to every corner of my butt, and I still get ingrowns even without shaving (imagine when I do decide to shave). And it's not blond. No, it's weird. You know, when hair looks dark brown from an angle, and almost transparent from another. It's still pretty visible, and if I shave, you'll see the holes for each thick hair, and the hair inside it. But it's mostly immune to laser, too.
So, yeah. As much as HRT has had awesome things in store for me even though I'm not on a good dose of E yet, I wanted to rant about how I've been owned regarding body hair. Reduced just enough to be immune to laser, but not nearly enough to be acceptable.
I know, this is useless. I just felt like complaining.
I (or rather the technician) tested it last week-end on a spot that seemed pretty dark on my thighs. She put the laser's power way up, 32 or 36 or something, yet I never felt anything.
Once I got on the max suggested dose of E, my body hair rapidly diminished. My endo doc increased my dose fairly quickly because I told him it was my intention to get SRS and FFS in the next couple years (we'd talked about my rate of saving, bills being paid off, etc)
He wanted me to have as much HRT benefit as I could before surgery, so there you have it.
Good luck!
Yeah well, my antiandrogen is already taking care of my testosterone very effectively. I don't think a proper E dose would change anything in this precise case, even though it would of course be great for other things. But it,s been decreased by a lot already, eh. Just not anywhere near enough.
On the upside it will keep improving (reducing / getting thinner) for years, at least the body hair will.
Yeah... But I don't intend to go out as a woman and still be shaving my chest for years. :x
Well, the only other option you may have is, sad to say, electrolysis. With all the pain that entails. :(
nice thing about your hairs and electrolysis, it wont take years to thin out and kill.
If they are already on their death bed they will die faster.
Quote from: ZoeM on April 05, 2013, 10:12:05 AM
Well, the only other option you may have is, sad to say, electrolysis. With all the pain that entails. :(
Hey now!! I'm just starting electrolysis (after 12 sessions of laser)! There's a bit of a pinch, sometimes more, but it's not excruciating (so far)...
It's a good opportunity to practice Zen-like meditation.... ^-^
How long have you been on HRT? Are you taking a DHT blocker like finasteride? Without much E in your system, it doesn't take much T to keep body hair growing and that's why a lot of post-menopausal women get hairier as they get older.
Quote from: Beth Andrea on April 05, 2013, 11:53:55 AM
Hey now!! I'm just starting electrolysis (after 12 sessions of laser)! There's a bit of a pinch, sometimes more, but it's not excruciating (so far)...
It's a good opportunity to practice Zen-like meditation.... ^-^
Hey now! I was on electrolysis for three months prior to laser and every single hair felt like an electric beesting.
I figure if I can handle that for fifteen minutes at a time dilation shouldn't be much of a stretch. (Pun absolutely intended)
Quote from: A on April 05, 2013, 08:36:34 AM
I (or rather the technician) tested it last week-end on a spot that seemed pretty dark on my thighs. She put the laser's power way up, 32 or 36 or something, yet I never felt anything.
Might just not be enough energy. my last laser appointment was 49 and I had more pain than hair removal.
E did nothing for my body hair. About six months on Spiro I had normal female hair distribution. I was a little shocked, even my bum hair went :embarrassed: to mention, pleased it has happened.
Possibly ask to swap AA's and see what that does?
Oh my T level was <1 prior to going on Spiro so it wasn't a T decrease effect. Spiro seemed to have a direct effect on my hair cycle.
Quote from: A on April 05, 2013, 08:36:34 AM
I (or rather the technician) tested it last week-end on a spot that seemed pretty dark on my thighs. She put the laser's power way up, 32 or 36 or something, yet I never felt anything.
Those settings may or may not be very high, depending on the model of laser used. A 9mm diode laser can have settings all the way up to 60 - though, these aren't as popular any more, giving way to 12mm diodes. For pale skin, alexandrites are the best option, but but the common models will mostly max out at 24j.
I suspect the laser used on you was a 12mm diode. I used one of these on my face, but I had mine set at 40j - it hurt quite a bit, but it was worthwhile.
Anyway, hormones have done basically nothing for my body hair. At least with your results, you can shave and not have to worry about the hair for a while, since it won't be terribly visible when it grows back in. Most of my body hair is fine and dark, so I would be very hesitant about using a laser on it - and even if I weren't, the treatment area is rather large. I wouldn't be able to afford it until sometime between the end of the world and the end of the universe.
Quote from: Kelly J. P. on April 06, 2013, 07:46:40 AM
I wouldn't be able to afford it until sometime between the end of the world and the end of the universe.
Well the world will end in 3 billion years when the sun swallows the earth but no one really knows when (or where) the universe ends, so maybe one day on a spaceship far, far away.
Quote from: JessicaH on April 05, 2013, 12:13:24 PM
How long have you been on HRT? Are you taking a DHT blocker like finasteride? Without much E in your system, it doesn't take much T to keep body hair growing and that's why a lot of post-menopausal women get hairier as they get older.
A bit over a year. My antiandrogen is cyproterone, which is supposedly the most effective one even though it can be a bit hard on the system. I don't think a DHT blocker is needed in my case. The little hair I had lost along the hairline is coming back, and my testosterone has been kept at the very lowest numbers for females since my first blood test.
Quote from: Flan on April 06, 2013, 02:24:02 AM
Might just not be enough energy. my last laser appointment was 49 and I had more pain than hair removal.
I don't know... On my face, it's never been higher than 30, and I HEARD the hairs EXPLODE and it hurt a ton. It even hurt on parts where there was no more hair, as the energy was being absorbed by my flesh.
Quote from: Cindy James on April 06, 2013, 03:03:56 AM
E did nothing for my body hair. About six months on Spiro I had normal female hair distribution. I was a little shocked, even my bum hair went :embarrassed: to mention, pleased it has happened.
Possibly ask to swap AA's and see what that does?
Oh my T level was <1 prior to going on Spiro so it wasn't a T decrease effect. Spiro seemed to have a direct effect on my hair cycle.
My endo isn't even giving me a decent dose of E. He won't be flexible on that either. Anyway, cyproterone is supposed to be the most effective there is, and I've seen the results. They just don't prescribe spiro or anything else here.
Quote from: Kelly J. P. on April 06, 2013, 07:46:40 AM
Those settings may or may not be very high, depending on the model of laser used. A 9mm diode laser can have settings all the way up to 60 - though, these aren't as popular any more, giving way to 12mm diodes. For pale skin, alexandrites are the best option, but but the common models will mostly max out at 24j.
I suspect the laser used on you was a 12mm diode. I used one of these on my face, but I had mine set at 40j - it hurt quite a bit, but it was worthwhile.
Anyway, hormones have done basically nothing for my body hair. At least with your results, you can shave and not have to worry about the hair for a while, since it won't be terribly visible when it grows back in. Most of my body hair is fine and dark, so I would be very hesitant about using a laser on it - and even if I weren't, the treatment area is rather large. I wouldn't be able to afford it until sometime between the end of the world and the end of the universe.
The machine is LightSheer Duet, though she's using the "classic" part on me (because the "super new and blahblah" one is like twice the price), so I guess it's the same as a LightSheer. I don't know the machine's specs.
Quote from: Joanna Dark on April 06, 2013, 11:38:25 AM
Well the world will end in 3 billion years when the sun swallows the earth but no one really knows when (or where) the universe ends, so maybe one day on a spaceship far, far away.
Well, it will probably end prior to that as the sun approaches the Earth through its expansion, as it will raise the global temperature of the planet to uninhabitable levels long before it starts to burn everything away and then swallow it all.
As for the end of the universe, the timeline is anyone guess. Eventually everything will have collapsed into black holes, or faded away as radiation, but this will take quite some time.
Maybe while I'm waiting, my body hair will disappear as radiation.
You're totally right. I forgot how hot it will get long before we get that close to the sun....ugh, now I'm going to have Maroon 5 stuck in my head.
"I've been crying cause things ain't how they used to be/but the battle is almost done/and we're only seven miles from the sun." HA! I prob messed up the lyrics but whateves. Adam Levine is super hot though if you're into that sorta thing, which I definitely am.
Repeated waxing can reduce hair over time. Have you tried that? I don't mean once or twice, I mean getting waxed every 6-8 weeks for a decent length of time. I wax my arm pits and after a year or so of doing it there is pretty much nothing growing back at all. It does t even hurt after the first few times.
Fully understood. It is such a problem. I had laser treatment on my face in my early years but I did not completely remove all hair from my entire face, now when my damn "beard" grows out it only grows out in certain areas. My body hair is still terrible & now with spring what a problem.
This has to be the worst problem any of us girls face. I sure know it is for me.
We know your pain & I guess all I can say is good luck & thanks for posting.
Quote from: FrancisAnn on April 06, 2013, 05:11:09 PM
This has to be the worst problem any of us girls face. I sure know it is for me.
I'll second that. Certainly in terms of time and expense.
Quote from: Isabelle on April 06, 2013, 05:09:47 PM
Repeated waxing can reduce hair over time. Have you tried that? I don't mean once or twice, I mean getting waxed every 6-8 weeks for a decent length of time. I wax my arm pits and after a year or so of doing it there is pretty much nothing growing back at all. It does t even hurt after the first few times.
It sounds a bit expensive... I mean, there's no way I have the ability to do that myself. The last time I tried doing my arms and lower legs, it took 5 hours, made me waste a ton of wax, and there were many spots I had missed. Not to mention the awful back pain from the uncomfortable position. Imagine the chest. It just has to be worse. And well, getting everything (because I must remind that there is not a place where it's possible to be hairy where I'm not hairy) done at a salon monthly sounds like it'd take hours and cost a lot. Besides, with how busy they are, I'm not even sure aestheticians would accept such long appointments.
You'd probably be looking at about 150ish every six weeks so, $25 per week. It's not like it's impossible to save that much, you just need to work out what your priorities are.
Also, your level of negative nancyness is approaching hilarious levels :p
Quote from: Isabelle on April 08, 2013, 12:56:57 AM
You'd probably be looking at about 150ish every six weeks so, $25 per week. It's not like it's impossible to save that much, you just need to work out what your priorities are.
Also, your level of negative nancyness is approaching hilarious levels :p
Yeah, well. I do save that much, and more. A little more. Maybe 10-20 more dollars, if I calculate. But that's pretty much ALL I can save. If I start spending it on wax, goodbye electro and FFS funds. My savings will just stop growing, period.
Also, thank you for the very encouraging comment when I'm at my lowest.
Quote from: A on April 07, 2013, 10:11:27 AM
It sounds a bit expensive... I mean, there's no way I have the ability to do that myself. The last time I tried doing my arms and lower legs, it took 5 hours, made me waste a ton of wax, and there were many spots I had missed. Not to mention the awful back pain from the uncomfortable position. Imagine the chest. It just has to be worse. And well, getting everything (because I must remind that there is not a place where it's possible to be hairy where I'm not hairy) done at a salon monthly sounds like it'd take hours and cost a lot. Besides, with how busy they are, I'm not even sure aestheticians would accept such long appointments.
If you are going to go that route, I'd highly recommend a high quality epillator. It hurts like hell the first time but if you have a bottle of wine and shave it about two days ahead of time, it will be easier. You can remove the hair when it is much shorter with an eppilator and once you have cleared it once, it is painless when repeated unless you let the hair grow out too much , letting the root set deeper. A good eppilator will set you back 60-$100. You can get the ones that plug in or have a built in battery. The battery powered ones are usually water proof so you can soak in hot water or do it in the shower. It's really fast and easy after you get past the first time. You can also opt to get it waxed first then maintain with the eppilator.
Uhm, I've used an epilator for a bit over a year until it broke... It was only manageable on the lower legs, and SOMEWHAT manageable on the forearms. The rest was a nightmare of pain, totally undoable. And even on the lower legs, it was really painful. Well, mine was only worth ~80 $, which isn't exactly premium, but I'm not sure a better one would change much... Maybe I just have hair way too strong for my skin? :c At least, waxing in comparison is painless. I just wish I could split myself into two and do it on myself everywhere without taking so many hours...
You can get epilators with different epilation heads for different body parts. I use the "normal" version for my lower and upper legs, and the "sensitive" one for my armpits and breasts. It is also one of those you can use in the shower with shower-gel, which makes it quite a bit more bearable. I tried wax, but the only place it works is on my sternum, as it leaves most of my hairs intact elsewhere (heck, it pulled out 2, seriously 2 hairs on my lower legs... >:(). Alas, laser is a no-go for me due to light blond hair with a red tinge to it.
Uhm, if waxing didn't work, either the hair was too short, either you were doing it very wrong, either a combination of those.
And there was a "sensitive" head. Some sort of massage rollers that are supposed to trick skin into not feeling the pain. They only got in the way, so I didn't use them.
Since I've had an awful experience with an epilator, I'm really doubtful about spending on one again. I mean, not only did it hurt like heck (like, worse than laser ever did), but it just wasn't strong enough to pull hairs in one go, a lot of the time. It pulled on them a few times before FINALLY getting them. And that hurt. Also, on my upper thighs and behind my knees, the hairs were just so attached to the skin and the skin was so flask I could never get them. Only incredible pain, pulled hairs and sometimes pinched skin.
Sigh, maybe I should start saving up for a super massive treatment at E3000. Oh wait, the cost is almost my yearly income. Heck, right now I can't even shave the most annoying areas (thighs and whole underwear area), because they get full of painful pimples if I do. Of course, they get full of smelly, disgusting pimples, ingrowns and whiteheads if I DON'T, on the other hand. 2 cm long butt hair ? Hell yeah!
...I hate my body. It's just wrongly manufactured.
Eeeh, I'm not sure at all. To begin with, would the dye reach deep enough to be efficient after the close shave required for laser? Also, if staining on the skin needs a few days to go away, there might be a problem: either the skin is darker, thus laser is less effective, either the skin was allowed to go back to normal, and in the mean time any portion of dyed hair under the skin will have grown out. And there's the fundamental question: does the ROOT need to be dark?