yep...started electro today. it wasn't half as bad as I was expecting, though still hurt. Laser on the top lip definitely hurts more

Thanks for the heads-up.  I start laser on Jan 19.  I've been advised to schedule electro between laser appointments. 

Laser is a bitch on areas densely populated by hair.

I had my first laser appointment last week. They did not have the numbing cream ready so we went on just with eis. After half of my face done I had to break up because it was unbearable. I broke down with my whole body shaking and then I started crying uncontrollably. I'm going next week to finish the other half of my face and they are assuring me that the cream makes big difference.
I have pale face and have black very coarse hair in my face. There is definitely less pain when going over less hairy areas and away from bones. There is absolutely no damage to my skin though so I am confidente it is the right kind of laser setting.

This sounds very similar to my experience, the cream does make a difference but you might have to grit your teeth and get through it

i managed to never swear at my laser tecnician, though i did end up with nail gouges in the palm of my hands a couple of times.

electro certainly seems a lot less intense pain wise...though it's a weird as hell feeling

Can I just say...I'm really nervous about this!  I have a full thick beard(the DREAD OF MY LIFE!), and its gonna take them some work to get it all!  I've got tattoos...so I know a little bit about bearing through it.  If you have tattoos, is it anything akin to that?

I am not done yet, but I have had both. (stupid grey beard hairs) and although laser hurts worse, it is over alot faster so I can take it more than electro.
If I had too sugest one over the other I would sugest going with laser.

My laser tech will not allow me too use any pain killer creams. She says that it causes more long term damage to the skin to use the pain cream.
To help alieviate the pain I make Sevan go with me and ze does a reflexology massage on my hands as I am getting the treatments. Having that distraction makes the pain of the laser alot more tolerable. Unfortunatly I can't have hir do that for me at electrolosis.

I don't have any tattoos but from what I was told it should be similar to the extent that there is repetitive stimulation and after a while you could/should be somewhat desensitized. I experienced it as mixture of electrocution and burn. I've experience with both separately so I am pretty sure of my experience for myself. For me the pain grew exponentially and I was not able to get used to it after a while. What I am surprised about is that I actually do have pretty high tolerance for pain. Or may be I use to have it prior to the HRT, it's impossible to tell now.
For now I only hope that the cream would help to the extent that I can make it through one whole sitting without having to split the sessions in half.

Quote from: Double_Rainbow on December 31, 2010, 02:53:37 PM
Can I just say...I'm really nervous about this!  I have a full thick beard(the DREAD OF MY LIFE!), and its gonna take them some work to get it all!  I've got tattoos...so I know a little bit about bearing through it.  If you have tattoos, is it anything akin to that?

No. It's worse. I've found that with my tattoos the pain slowly builds and builds until it's pretty agonising. With the laser it's pretty much an instant hit of pain. The top lip is one of the most excruciating things i've had to endure...and that's including shattering my elbow.

(i'm really not selling this am i? )

However...The pain is temporary and it's for a good cause, just do what i do which is consume a couple of ibuprofen tablets as soon as you're finished...it reduces the swelling and makes you feel a lot better.

yes the pain sux big time but it is worth it
once the shadow is gone passing is so much easier

I use lidocaine cream to numb the area. The place I have it done also will give me a couple of stress balls to squeeze during the session and that helps a lot too.

Is it true that laser will only work on certain types of hair? I have a combination of both thick and thin black, brown, blond, and white facial hair

Luckily, I never was able to grow a full beard so it'd pretty much just be the upper lip and chin area and a few odd strays

*Hearing about how painful it is makes her squirm in her seat a bit* 

I didn't think laser was too bad. I mean there were plenty of times where I twitched a lot and said "ow ow ow ow ow!", but it was only periodically. The woman doing the treatment told me that she was surprised how well I was taking it, but I tend to think she was just being friendly because I know I have a pretty low pain tolerance.
I have noticed that it's gotten more painful as my skin thins out more so getting it done before hrt is probably a good idea.

Quote from: Ayaname on December 31, 2010, 04:03:57 PM

I have noticed that it's gotten more painful as my skin thins out more so getting it done before hrt is probably a good idea.

I'm not so sure as I had so much regrowth pre hrt that I think it was a bit of a waste of time. I'm no expert though.

I'm gonna set up an electrolysis consultation next week. So scared. I'm not bothering with laser cuz the only place I found is an hour away and I don't have that much dark hair anyways. Theirs an electro place 30 minutes from me so that's beter.

Yeah, once i started HRT it stopped growing back...before that you'd have significant regrowth...which sucked.

What about other parts?  I'm not trying to gross anybody out here....but you know...like the taint area and buttocks area?

Unless it's horrific then I'd wait to see what hrt does to body hair and then get what needs to be done done. I don't worry too much about body hair as a) I don't have a lot b) Lots of women have to get some stuff waxed. The face however is causing me sleepless nights!!

Quote from: MillieB on December 31, 2010, 04:30:49 PM
Unless it's horrific then I'd wait to see what hrt does to body hair and then get what needs to be done done. I don't worry too much about body hair as a) I don't have a lot b) Lots of women have to get some stuff waxed. The face however is causing me sleepless nights!!

Yeah...its pretty horrific.  Really it just disgusts me so much!  I tried shaving once and HOOBOY that was a nightmare!