Hey Everyone,

So I went for an initial consultation for Laser Hair Removal (ICE Soprano) machine,

The lady was lovely and very honest with me, I don't have a thick growth at all and my facial hair is very similar to a pubescent boy, there is many hairs but just not thick at all.

I've done so much research, so I wasn't expecting miracles or a 'quick fix' and I had in my mind that it was going to take between 8-10 sessions (1 per month),

After the consultation, she said that she has cis men that go along to her and have been for over 2 years and still haven't got rid of it

My plan was to do as much laser as possible and then electrolysis the remainder, and I had thought a realistic time frame would be a year,

Whilst I am still determined to go ahead , I can't help but feel disappointed and stupid for thinking it could be so 'straightforward',

I wondered if anyone else had similar experiences or if the lady is just being overcautious with me as to not disappoint ?

Hi Jandy,

I've been going in for electrolysis for over a year now, maybe pushing two years, I haven't checked back exactly how long.  But I started on my back, and extremities, so it's probably closer to a year for my face.  That's at a rate of roughly 2 hours three times a month, with travel blackouts and such.  so let's call it 40 x 2 hours or 80 hours of facial electrolysis. 

I also did three trips to Lewisville, TX for anesthetized facial at E3K (they are so awesome there, if anyone goes, please tell them "hi" from Erin, I had so much fun).  Each session there was about a day and a half, with two electrologists, so 3 x 2 x 12 hours = 72 hours, plus the 80 gives a total so far of about 150 hours.  I'm figuring that I'll have the overwhelming bulk of it done by the time I hit ~200 hours.  And that's with no laser on my face. 

Now, please keep in mind, that everyone is different, and some people take more sessions, some fewer.  If you're willing to go often, I don't think a year is beyond the realm of possibility, at least to get down close to the level of typical cis-women.  But also, please note that I came out at 56, and no one that I know thinks I am a cis-woman.  I doubt whether many of the people I meet think I'm a cis-woman. 

In total, I suppose a lot depends upon your physiology, the skill of your electrologist (I have the best one in Los Angeles, so anyone looking for a referral, please ask), your budget, your goals and expectations.  A year is certainly not outrageous, given all of those factors and considerations.  Truth is, you could just go for a year and stop, there, done!  But please don't think you're stupid, and it really is quite straightforward when you think about it.  You zap each hair until it's dead, move on to the next one.  If a zombie hair rises again, zap it in the head (I guess they're upside-down in my model )

Good luck to you on your journey, and let's start killing off those offending hairs, shall we? 

Erin

Thanks so much for your inspired post Erin,

It was great to read about your time commitments so far!

I am so determined and your post has gave me a boost

I suppose my facial hair is one of my main causes of dysmorphia. I'm hoping that with me being white skinned and dark haired that the laser will work well. Then I can zap the annoying ones that cling on.

It's all part of the journey xx

Hey Jandy,  cool name [emoji5].
I had 8 sessions (monthly) of laser with SkinClincs in MK. I'd say it cut my growth by about 60-70%. I then had 8 hours of electro focused on top lip and chin/jaw line. I'm about to start another 6 laser sessions,  then I'll finish the rest with electro.
2 years (24) sessions of laser sounds very high to me, but everyone reacts differently. I'd try talking to some other clinics first and get some second opinions. X

Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

I'm going for my first consultation this Friday, so would also reeeeally appreciate hearing people's experiences! "A girl for all seasons" on Youtube said LHR is basically the best thing you can do early in transition.......

I just had my first session on Friday (incredibly painful), and at that time they told me to expect 8-12 sessions, but that they have had one person need 18, and others as low as 6. So I bought 12, which is one every 6 weeks, or 72weeks total if you do the maths, roughly 18 months. I plan to use electrolysis to rid whatever is still hanging around at that point.

Hi Jandy

It's a definite case of YMMV with laser but I'd say if you have light skin and dark hair, it's worth giving it a try

I had goatee type growth to the chin and moustache and small amounts of hair to the sideburns and corners of my cheek bones - even at 41 I could never grow a proper beard.  After my first treatment back in July, I'd say that well over 50% of the hair was gone.  The sideburns and cheekbones have not grown back since and there is now only a very small amount left on the upper lip, chin and neck areas

At the clinic (Sk:n Clinic, UK), I was advised that it typically takes around 8 sessions to get rid of approximately 75% of the hair.  It only takes half an hour every month so it's not really a big deal.  I am already really pleased with the progress and am so glad I started with this rather than jumping straight into electrolysis.  I'll reserve that for getting rid of any stubborn hairs left at the end

Today, my skin is so much softer and the blue colouration of the skin has faded massively which has done wonders for reducing the GD.  The only problem I find is waiting for the hairs to shed.  This takes around 2 weeks for me and where most of the hair has stopped growing, I'm just left with some strange patches of growth but hopefully this will really diminish after another session or two

I'd say give at least one session a chance and see how the results are for you.  I'd also recommend going to a skin clinic rather than a beautician.  I suspect much of your success will come down to the performance of the laser and how well the operator is trained in using it and adjusting the power to suit your skin and hair type effectively

Try not to be too disheartened - although the end goal might take a few months to achieve, you will most likely see instant results with every session

Charlotte x

I don't know anyone who permanently removed all their facial hair after just 6-8 sessions. It's more common to take 15 or more plus electrolysis. Many laser clinics won't be completely honest about the actual number of sessions required because they want your business.  The people at your consultation were being honest with you.

Thank you so much everyone for all your replies and insights !

It has definetly made me re-realise that its a commitment that I know I have to make, whats my other option, laser OR no laser at all and I would rather give it a try and banish those pesky hairs !

I can't wait to see even a slight difference as I think it will give me encouragement etc x

If you are like me and have really sensitive skin, you probably want to pick up a tube of hydrocortisone over the counter. My face is really sore and bumpy right now, waiting for the hairs to shed. The cortisone is working wonders to relieve the irritation.

Quote from: jill610 on September 04, 2017, 07:06:03 PM
If you are like me and have really sensitive skin, you probably want to pick up a tube of hydrocortisone over the counter. My face is really sore and bumpy right now, waiting for the hairs to shed. The cortisone is working wonders to relieve the irritation.

If it's any comfort, my skin was similar after the very first laser session as well.  The first shave several days later was a disaster.  However, my skin was much better after all subsequent sessions.  Hopefully your experience is similar.  For me it consistently took almost exactly 2 weeks to properly shed hairs afterwards.

Laser's a time saver, but it will never finish the job and won't get you out of electrolysis.

Quote from: rmaddy on September 05, 2017, 12:30:42 AM
Laser's a time saver, but it will never finish the job and won't get you out of electrolysis.

Agree, although I've been happy with my laser progress I've also been getting weekly electrolysis sessions for many months as well.  No shortcuts

I don't think I'll ever be hairless.  At this point, I shave about once every three weeks and do "touch up" electrolysis every couple of months.  No one notices but my spouse and me and I'm not dysphoric about my facial hair anymore.  It's "gone enough", but I won't let it claw its way back.

Quote from: rmaddy on September 05, 2017, 12:30:42 AM
Laser's a time saver, but it will never finish the job and won't get you out of electrolysis.

very true.  Especially if your beard has blonde hairs hiding in it.  A year later and 12,000 spent on laser/electro and I'm still not done.  I have about 80 percent less hair than I started with and all thats left is blonde that laser cant touch.