...and she wasn't kidding, LOL! I just had my second electrolysis session yesterday - and truthfully - it wasn't as bad as the title of this post is making out! Thankfully, I've always had much lighter hair on the sides of my face, which is where she chose to work yesterday, so a LOT was accomplished in the hour session. My esthetician commented that she can likely have my face clear in about 6 months. I love the results so far but will REALLY be happy when it's time for just maintenance.

A quick question: what type of topical numbing product did you use when they worked above you upper lip? (I KNOW it's going to hurt!)

I think that some ladies use 5-10% lidocaine cream but I have no experience with that.

I am glad you survived your second visit with the electrocutioner (electrolicist).
LOL.  Ouch.


Chrissy

I got a jab from my dentist. II didn't feel a thing but it left my top lip red & grilled looking for a few days after & it started hurting a bit as it healed

Quote from: big kim on February 24, 2024, 11:43:06 AMI got a jab from my dentist. II didn't feel a thing but it left my top lip red & grilled looking for a few days after & it started hurting a bit as it healed

Thanks, Kim! I actually thought about asking my dentist for Novocain - wondering if he'd be willing to do it.

I have seen a post here about how some ladies can go to specific surgery centers and they use anesthesia and do your face hair removal all at once.

Maybe someone can post the details of that. 


Chrissy

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on February 24, 2024, 03:12:37 PMI have seen a post here about how some ladies can go to specific surgery centers and they use anesthesia and do your face hair removal all at once.

Maybe someone can post the details of that. 


Chrissy

I've heard of that...I seem to remember that there are reputable centers in Chicago and Dallas. I'll look into it!

Go to a tattoo parlor. I bought some lidocaine numbing cream from a tattoo supply house online. But a tattoo shop might sell you a tube.

I don't have that many more sessions left, however, I will say I find that as I'm on MTF HRT longer, laser is starting to sting more.  I have heard that estrogen does thin out the skin, so I guess for me that laser being more painful is a result of HRT and shows that HRT is working (in a painful way---but at least I have no more shadow on my face, and remaining hairs are more like vellous hairs).

I have had 7 sessions of lazer hair removal, from experience my first session was quite painful (not really great at handling pain haha), but i did have lot of depth to my hair, it was also very dark in colour. You'll find though that as you attend more sessions and your hair deminishes the pain will not be as bad, i was on estradiol valerate hormones tablet form throughout from the first appointment, i'm now on patches and am awaiting my 8th and final session, i wouldn't like to speculate that changing from tablet to patches would change any pain ratio as i'm unsure of this theory, but i would have thought it wouldn't. good luck though and all the best

Alexa

Your mother probably never had to do laser hair removal. I have never understood the "beauty equals pain" thing. Beauty is mostly being lucky to win the genetic lottery and taking decent care of yourself. None of which normally involves pain.

I have done laser above and below my waistline, if you will, for visible hair and surgical prep.

Above the waist, I have prescription lidocaine and it does help. Some areas are more sensitive than others, with my upper lip being the worst. Prescription lidocaine is the ointment of the gods.

Below the waist my tech is very very experienced and allergic to lidocaine. I have a routine-- advil before, squeeze tennis balls and grunt during, rehydrate with mango juice. It work for me.

I tell myself "eyes on the prize" and cope.

~Jenn

Six months and a clear face? How I envy you! I'm at 16 months and counting... and likely at least until the end of the year.

Anyway, when it comes to the lip area, what my electrologist does is while she's working on another area, she will do "surgical strikes" and just grab a few under and over the lip and then go back to her regularly scheduled area. So that way, it's just a few zaps and it's really nothing.

In general I sometimes fall asleep during electrolysis without any numbing, so I know I'm not one to talk about the pain stuff... but when it comes to THAT area, even I know care is required. So that's why I say if you can't find a numbing option, see if the "little at a time" option is on the table.

Good luck!

I get 10% lidocaine cream from the electrologist. I also cover the area with the cream with a clear plastic wrap. This is to ensure that 1) the cream does not dry out too fast and 2) it helps with absorption (so I am told). Mostly works.... just mostly. The upper lip however....

Becca

Quote from: Jenn104 on March 05, 2024, 08:20:08 PMI have done laser above and below my waistline, if you will, for visible hair and surgical prep.

Above the waist, I have prescription lidocaine and it does help. Some areas are more sensitive than others, with my upper lip being the worst. Prescription lidocaine is the ointment of the gods.

Below the waist my tech is very very experienced and allergic to lidocaine. I have a routine-- advil before, squeeze tennis balls and grunt during, rehydrate with mango juice. It work for me.

I tell myself "eyes on the prize" and cope.

~Jenn

"Eyes on the prize" is my motto, too!

I just had a laser session today.  First one since I started progesterone.  The technician doing my laser mentioned that she had turned up the power of the machine today a little bit since I still have a few white hairs that she was trying to just finally kill the root.  But today was the most painful of all my sessions.  Yes the laser was set higher, but I was wondering if the progesterone was causing me to feel the laser more than before. 

Has anyone else on progesterone found it hurt more after you started?

Hiya! I don't know if the OP is still monitoring this thread or not..... but here's my experience....

I did electrolysis in LA at a fabulous location that had two techs work on me at the same time. They also have a nurse on site who delivers lidocaine injections. If I didn't want that, they had a Dr on site as well who could prescribe me compounded lidocaine cream. I spoke to my dentist once and he said he'd do injections for me if I wanted him to. (I didn't as the locations were too far away from each other to be a practical solution.)

As far as how long it took, um, a LONG time! For my face it was about 2-3 years of monthly appointments. Initially my appointments were 6-7 hours long with two people working on my face at the same time. To entirely clear my face the first time took about 22 hours total. Eventually it got to where it was one person who zapped maybe ten hairs, which took about 5 minutes. Now, occasionally I pluck a hair, but a razer has not touched my face in about 4 years and that is priceless!

Quote from: Nadine Spirit on July 17, 2024, 08:59:51 PMHiya! I don't know if the OP is still monitoring this thread or not..... but here's my experience....

I did electrolysis in LA at a fabulous location that had two techs work on me at the same time. They also have a nurse on site who delivers lidocaine injections. If I didn't want that, they had a Dr on site as well who could prescribe me compounded lidocaine cream. I spoke to my dentist once and he said he'd do injections for me if I wanted him to. (I didn't as the locations were too far away from each other to be a practical solution.)

As far as how long it took, um, a LONG time! For my face it was about 2-3 years of monthly appointments. Initially my appointments were 6-7 hours long with two people working on my face at the same time. To entirely clear my face the first time took about 22 hours total. Eventually it got to where it was one person who zapped maybe ten hairs, which took about 5 minutes. Now, occasionally I pluck a hair, but a razer has not touched my face in about 4 years and that is priceless!

6-7 hours long?  None of my electrolysis sessions on my face were anywhere close to that.  Or were they doing more than your face?

But in my case yesterday, I have been on Cyproterone for just over 2 years now, and Cyproterone is an artificial progestin, however yesterday was one week since I started bioidentical progesterone, so I was wondering if others who were on bioidentical progesterone had found their pain threshold had gone up more than just on estrogen?  And I haven't been using lidocaine (although with the place I've been going to, their machine sprays a mist of something to just cool the skin just before the rubber band snap) and no one's recommended it (of course I'm in Canada so there maybe different laws between Canada and the US and other countries).  So I've been feeling the pain. 

Quote from: Colorado Girl on February 24, 2024, 10:06:59 AM...and she wasn't kidding, LOL! I just had my second electrolysis session yesterday - and truthfully - it wasn't as bad as the title of this post is making out! Thankfully, I've always had much lighter hair on the sides of my face, which is where she chose to work yesterday, so a LOT was accomplished in the hour session. My esthetician commented that she can likely have my face clear in about 6 months. I love the results so far but will REALLY be happy when it's time for just maintenance.

A quick question: what type of topical numbing product did you use when they worked above you upper lip? (I KNOW it's going to hurt!)

Hi, I used EMLA cream which is licodaine 5%. You can buy it over the counter in the UK without prescription but I also managed to get it on the NHS on the grounds it was part of my gender treatment.

Fortunately I was never very hairy and struggled to produce a beard even back in the day. I had six months of weekly sessions with often two a week: doing a different section when that happened and in c. 80 hours the job was done.

I did fall asleep sometimes too like imallie but I still would have liked a stronger painkiller and if you can get 10% licodaine or a professionally administered local anaesthetic then I would go for it!

xx