I have had 6 laser apointments to get rid of that horrible facial hair, the worked to the point where I only had one or two on my face but now it's all coming back and it's as if the last three or so laser treatments have been reversed. Has this happened to anyone else? Why is it happening?

After 11 times laser treatment and regular hormony therapy I still have a little bit facial hair. I have to use powder in that area. My laser treatment is not yet complitely over. 1 or 2 times have to do more.

But the hormones will also help with laser. After 6 times I had still facial hair under my mounth. Now the little bit is only above the month.

Hair grows in a 4-6 week cycle. Certain hairs are not zapped.  My Tech says that she wanted me to have ten sessions, but we are starting to work on problem areas.  I had some hairs appear on the upper lip, but they got zapped last time.

Electrolysis is more permanent, but laser is quick.  It does take time to get them all.  And followup may be needed.

Janet

Quote from: Janet Lynn on September 10, 2008, 07:48:23 AM
Hair grows in a 4-6 week cycle. Certain hairs are not zapped.

Exactly. It may not be "coming back" so much as just dormant hairs - which the laser won't touch while dormant - are now growing. Hence the need for multiple sessions spaced a month or so apart.

~ Katie Marie ~

it took me about a year to be rid of facial hair but I didn't do electrolysis or laser I used a paste in a tube it is called Vaniqa and costs $60.00 per tube. For permanent results I would recommend laser as the most effective. I have been using the Vaniqa for 8 years and as a result I have no facial hair, as long as I use it everyday for continued affective results. As for body hair HRT with the help of an epilator worked fine for me to eliminate body hair.

Cindy   

Quote from: cindybc on September 10, 2008, 02:03:48 PM
it took me about a year to be rid of facial hair but I didn't do electrolysis or laser I used a paste in a tube it is called Vaniqa and costs $60.00 per tube. For permanent results I would recommend laser as the most effective. I have been using the Vaniqa for 8 years and as a result I have no facial hair, as long as I use it everyday for continued affective results. As for body hair HRT with the help of an epilator worked fine for me to eliminate body hair.

Cindy  

Thanks for the reminder about the drug Vaniqa. I didn't see anything about the type of laser being used, so I can't say for sure as to why it didn't work.

 I have been doing electrolysis for about 9 months and because of finacial resons have to stop for a wile. All my hair has come back in full and thick. I am so frustraited I don`t know what to do. It`s like all those hours were for nothing.

I had 6 laser sessions which finished up about half a year ago. They got almost all the black ones, but didn't affect the white ones. (I'm older than I look, there are a lot of white ones.) In recent months a lot of black ones have appeared, but I knew to expect that. I'm not planning on more laser because of the law of diminishing returns, I doubt it would be cost-effective to use a laser on the diminished remnants. I plan to get electrolysis once I find a job and have some money. For now I content myself with the poor woman's epilator: tweezers. All I have to do is go two days without shaving once in a while, and tweeze everything. It's easy, there isn't too much any more. This keeps me very smooth and ladylike. It's an acceptable workaround until I can afford a permanent fix.

Hi Hypatia, your face in your photo looks realy smooth.  That was what I meant in my last post, electrolysis appears to be the most effective hair removal treatment, even with salt and pepper facial hair, it doesn't mater with electrolysis. I don't really know much more about either procedure electrolysis or laser though. Maybe someday I'll get electrolysis but for now Vaniqa does a sufficient job of keeping the facial hairs from growing.

Cindy

I've had 6 laser treatments and while the bulk of hair on my face is gone, there are hairs growing on my upper lip and chin, which are very common problem areas to begin with.  I'd say continue a few more sessions or touch up what is left with electrolysis.  I plan to do both because once you have a few sparse dark hairs on odd places around your face, it's very easy to get a full clearance with electrolysis and those hairs will be gone.

I'm not so much worried about light colored hair because although you may feel them on your face, at least you don't see them as obviously as dark black ones and shaving won't leave a shadow.  (I'm not one who minds shaving.)

hi Alexandra hon, Don't know how long you been transitioning but you look beautiful, your face looks soft and no trace of facial hair.

Cindy

Thank you, Cindy.  I've only recently started hormones, been about two weeks.  I was full-time before for about a year and a half so I had to get laser because growing the hair out for electrolysis was NOT an option for me.  I've had success with the GentleLase alexandrite laser and had skilled technicians working on me.  I'm really happy I took the plunge with laser!

Well glory be, the servers are actually working again.
Hi Alexandra, well anyway you must have been pretty good looking even before you began HRT. I was skin and bones and didn't pass to well when I started transikioning, I had been anorexic for several years before I came to the doors of transitioning. I hated myself and I was slowly killing myself. When I met my soul mate she suggested this protein drink and that in combination with HRT I went from 85 lbs to 135 lbs with a lot of the fat distributed in the right areas, well except the bread basket which I am now doing what I can to do exercises that were recommended to me by my general practitioner.

Cindy

ARRRRHHHGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I went to see Dr. McGinn, I had been using minoxidil for my hair for about six months.  By that time I had started to rebuild my hair to the point that I could actually have it styled properly and I could quit wearing my wig(s).

She also recommended that switch to avodart twice a week.  She uses it and it helped her hair to grow.  So I switched.

Well it did work, BUT, my electrologist was confounded by all the new hair growth on my face!  She had thought that the three to four weeks I was off my HRT had somehow allowed my male pattern hair to grow.  (I also started growing some very fine, but BLACK hairs on my chest (NOOOOOOO!!!!!!)).

I'll be laying off the avodart, but it will take weeks for the effects to diminish from my body.  Up until the time I left for Philly, my electrologist thought I had less than ten hours left in the chair.  Now it seems like a constant battle to remove the hairs from my face that have popped up since the last time I was there.  *sigh*  I plan to give my norelco to a good home, but it seems like I still need to hold on to it for a while.

Given that Dr. McGinn is also trans, and avodart seems to work for her in a controlled manner, it must just be me that is having such a *good* response to it.

Damn!!!!!

-Sandy