Hey everyone I've just had another 2 hrs worth of electrolysis (3hrs total so far) and let me tell you it was (Pardon my French) a b**tch! My first hr didn't hurt much so I was expecting it to be a pretty easy 2hrs. However when she went to work on the neck and checks, by gods!! I had tears forming in my eyes. I got through it and am very pleased with the results so far but I dread going through that hell for another 50-100 hrs. I will of course obviously but I was hoping there was some way in which I could make each session more tolerable and less painful. I've heard about taking a painkiller 30min before hand may help and a cream called Emal that numbs the area.

Any advice? xx

Quote from: Paige0000 on August 01, 2013, 05:37:43 AM
Hey everyone I've just had another 2 hrs worth of electrolysis (3hrs total so far) and let me tell you it was (Pardon my French) a b**tch! My first hr didn't hurt much so I was expecting it to be a pretty easy 2hrs. However when she went to work on the neck and checks, by gods!! I had tears forming in my eyes. I got through it and am very pleased with the results so far but I dread going through that hell for another 50-100 hrs. I will of course obviously but I was hoping there was some way in which I could make each session more tolerable and less painful. I've heard about taking a painkiller 30min before hand may help and a cream called Emal that numbs the area.

Any advice? xx

Well
First advice anyone in Electro should get: Try laser first!

The cream is called "emla". It is by prescription only so you'll have to get a doctor to write you a prescription for it.

I hope that your next session is better than the last one - ouchie!

Quote from: Paige0000 on August 01, 2013, 05:37:43 AM
Hey everyone I've just had another 2 hrs worth of electrolysis (3hrs total so far) and let me tell you it was (Pardon my French) a b**tch! My first hr didn't hurt much so I was expecting it to be a pretty easy 2hrs. However when she went to work on the neck and checks, by gods!! I had tears forming in my eyes.

I've convinced myself that I can endure the pain stoically. Don't burst my bubble.

Maddy

Yeah, EMLA is good for home laser treatment too. Tria 4x laser will significantly reduce the amount of facial hair so You will have to undergo less hours of electro.

Quote from: ZoeM on August 01, 2013, 06:57:01 AM
First advice anyone in Electro should get: Try laser first!

I heard laser is only for the darker colored hair; so being blonde, laser isn't an option. Is that true?

The hairs I have left are white as I have lasered the dark hairs sucessfully. For me the first hour of electrolysis is bearable, but beyond that time, it breaches my ability to manage the pain. If you are within a short commuting range, then you could try to keep it at an hour session. Otherwise its the cream or even a local injection ( expensive...).

I have actually done up to 8.5 hours of electrolysis in a single day without any anaesthetic, not even a topical anaesthetic like EMLA. Looking back, I still wonder how I handled that as the pain in certain areas; upper lip, lower lip and the two side of the throat..., was quite excrutiating and also had me  breaking down into tears more than once. Two to three days to recover from the swelling afterwards too but as I have no electrologist close at hand I opted for a long sessions with about two months between each session.

Happily I am now almost finished and in total it won't have required more than 50 hours.  My electrologist, a trans woman, and I also learned a few tricks along the way. EMLA, (which you can buy online without any presciption), works far better when combined with DMSO. The latter product facilitates penetration of EMLA through the skin.

Another product you may be able to find is topical lidocaine which is sold over the counter in certain countries and also seems to be available on line. I just checked.
Hope that helps.
Donna

all you need to do - is concentrate on your breathing and relax


I had at least this much hair and they did not have laser when I started



all was done anywhere from one to four hours at at time, usually with nothing but two vicodin at the max to buffer the pain   if I was lucky. at times I did use a cream for the under lip area but that is all. ( and the topical lidocaine works best if after you put it on you leave a plastic wrap over your skin area to make sure it doesn't evaporate on the drive to the electrologists,it takes about 1/2 hour to activate)

and I calculate I have spent $30,000 on 300 hours of it, on face and body

Quote from: PiaBianca on August 01, 2013, 09:05:13 AM
I heard laser is only for the darker colored hair; so being blonde, laser isn't an option. Is that true?

Yes it works on darker hair and it is not a perment.  If you can get a good deal it will clear a area quick and get around 2 years out of it before things will slowly grow back. I did laser and 2 years down the road about every other month 1 hr sessions of electrolysis to keep up with the re-growth.
I had the Coolglide laser system done and that was nice in the fact the end of the laser was very cold to the touch.

Under the hand of a skilled electroysis the pain can be keeped to a minimum.
Izzy

Quote from: ZoeM on August 01, 2013, 06:57:01 AM
Well
First advice anyone in Electro should get: Try laser first!

Oh I've done laser. I've had 9 sessions so far so fortunately a fare share of the hair is gone. My plan from the begining was to do Laser to reduce it as much as possible before starting electrolysis.

My dentist was kind enough to numb my upper and lower lips when I had work done in that area - for free!
My electrolysist says I'm the only person that ever fell asleep when she was working on their lips.  You may want to ask your dentist if they will do it for you and if/what they would charge.

Quote from: vegie271 on August 01, 2013, 12:50:19 PM

at times I did use a cream for the under lip area but that is all. ( and the topical lidocaine works best if after you put it on you leave a plastic wrap over your skin area to make sure it doesn't evaporate on the drive to the electrologists,it takes about 1/2 hour to activate)

I've been having the lidocaine applied at the place where I'm getting my laser done and frankly kind of wondered (but never asked) why they put the plastic wrap on my face while I waited for it to take effect - guess that answers that question.  Thanks.