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Electrolysis is slow, but it gets the job done. I did 2 hours twice a month.  It will take years and well  I've spent probably $8k so far,  just a few more hours to go.  As to how many hairs, I figure 350-400 hairs per hour roughly,  also depends on skill and your pain threshold.  Me it's taken somewhere around 120-140 hours.   But like with everything, you do it an hour at a time.

Electrolysis, since it's so slow, is pretty much always hit or miss.  Each visit you'll get several hairs that are growing and several that are not.  For this reason I don't think the time between sessions matters in electro... it just means you'll get it done more slowly than if you had gone more often.  Once you are in the home stretch though, it'd be a good idea to do sessions with smaller spacing (as necessary due to hairs coming in) to try and get what's left while in the growth phase.

This is in contrast to laser where the duration matters to get it done efficiently.  With laser you are doing the whole face at once and coming back in for the next round at a certain time so that you know you're getting hairs in the growth phase.  And with laser, each round makes the follicles progressively weaker until they are dead.

I kind of wonder what happens on the slower plan too.  My current schedule is like one hour every two or three months because that's all I can afford.  It's rather pathetic, and I really need a job.

Good news is that the hairs I had done in March are showing no signs of coming back and I haven't shaved that area for three months.  Got another appointment with that electrologist this coming Friday and I'm going to have her do my left cheek, clean a couple hairs on the lower right cheek, and a spot under my chin.  I'm also lucky that I didn't have much hair to begin with.  On my very first session, she cleared the entire right side of my face.  But my chin has more hair than anything because over 50% of the hairs are bleach white (I started getting them at 16).

   Have you considered laser? Depending on your skin type, hair color and if you can find a place that uses an alexandrite laser then you can cut the cost & time needed for hair removal in half. Then again the cost of laser isn't cheap either the lowest i've seen is $120 per session, mine was like $200 per session & and needed 5 sessions then about 30 hours of electrolysis to finish the job.



     Good luck girl, i feel your pain. xD

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Almost all hairs zapped will stay zapped; regrowth from the same folical usually does not happen. BUT because there are so many hairs so close together, and up to two-thirds are dormant at the time of a particular treatment, hair will grow back in so close you think it's the same ones.

Expense is obviously a major concern, though I would love a rate of $40 an hour. I don't have any advice other then what you already said - get a job. one hour every two or three months will take forever. Two or three hours a week are much more going to get any result you can see; And cost, and cost, and cost! And hurt, and hurt, and hurt! At those times I hum "I enjoy being a girl" through very clenched teeth!

Susan Kay

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Quote from: cryan91 on August 11, 2011, 02:22:34 PM
So once a hair is zapped once-it's gone for good? Thats good to hear. I thought otherwise, for whatever reason.
How much of the face would you say an hour could get? The whole face, half the face, or one small section?

I just had my first electro yesterday.  I pay $90/hour, but I'm in a major metropolitan area, its about what other places charge and she's universally regarded as the best in the area for transgender hair removal.

As for what can be cleared in a hour depends on a lot of factors, how dense the hairs are, what your pain tolerance is, how fast the tech is, the list goes on and on.  But as a reference point, I got two patches on my neck cleared I would estimate about 3 fingers in area (the length and width of 3 fingers).  She told me that at an hour a week, it would probably take about 1 year to clear my face.

electrolysis and laser is so different for everyone when it comes to preference.

For me, I had no desire nor the financial capability for electrolysis. For one reason, I went fulltime before facial hair was completely gone. If you do this and do electrolysis, your life will be very difficult (unless you are completely by yourself during the electrolysis process ...no job or school) because you need three days growth for the elecrtrolysis to be effective. This is very difficult when you are fulltime.

Furthermore, Electrolysis was just way too long and expensive to me. It takes years as one hour of electrolysis only does like a few inches of skin at a time and since your beard had three seperate growth cycles, 40 dollars and hour will end up about 6,000 to 9,000 dollars and a few years to complete. I've seen some girls spend up to 17,000-22,000 on electrolysis.

You can do the fast approach with a clinic in Texas called e3000 (i think?) This will knock your time down dramatically but the costs is about 15,000 for two weeks.

I chose laser because it was 990 dollars for the fullface for nine months with a lifetime guarantee for facial touch ups. I never had to go back. Also, with laser you have to closely shave the face as much as possible so I would shave, go to the spa, laser my face and then apply my makeup. I never had to grow my beard out or anything like that; thus, not compromising my appearance.

So, for me, laser was just the best option and every year laser is getting much better. Now, they even have an FDA approved home laser kit for the face that is 800 dollars. Not only is it endorsed by the Federal Drug Administration, but you have an 800 dollar investment and then a lifetime of usage for your own personal use....as long as you do it safely as per the proper way of laser (once every three weeks, etc etc).

For those looking at electrolysis, the other thing to do is have a conversation with the provider...at least years ago when I was having work done, they were willing to discount the hourly rate if you bought larger blocks of time and paid for those up front. 

I did do a morning session at what was then E2000 and just was not overly thrilled with the swelling I had afterwards...it ws perhaps the worst electrolysis experience I ever had, and I had some marathon sessions with my regular provider (hydrocodone worked wonders and let me sleep through the sessions). 

Quote from: Ann Onymous on August 11, 2011, 03:03:44 PM

I did do a morning session at what was then E2000 and just was not overly thrilled with the swelling I had afterwards...it ws perhaps the worst electrolysis experience I ever had, and I had some marathon sessions with my regular provider (hydrocodone worked wonders and let me sleep through the sessions).

I knew two girls who went there (now e3000 now I think) and their faces resembled a pineapple for a week. I saw the pics. They weren't pretty!

My red patches are still visible more then 24 hours later.  I don't remember this from the last time (10+ years ago), but when she did my evaluation she said she didn't see any signs that'd I'd had electrolysis in the past.

As to the OP, I would strongly reccomend that you find a provider experienced with transgender hair removal.  Cheaper is not always better, and personal bias is well, personal bias.

Quote from: Annah on August 11, 2011, 03:10:10 PM
I knew two girls who went there (now e3000 now I think) and their faces resembled a pineapple for a week. I saw the pics. They weren't pretty!

Yeah, they changed their name probably because of the new century or something...my experience with them was in the 90's. 

I just remember driving home holding ice packs to my chin for the better part of that two and a half hour drive...and the next morning, it was still oozing a little bit. 

Quote from: Ann Onymous on August 11, 2011, 03:30:16 PM
Yeah, they changed their name probably because of the new century or something...my experience with them was in the 90's. 

I just remember driving home holding ice packs to my chin for the better part of that two and a half hour drive...and the next morning, it was still oozing a little bit.

I didn't do that yesterday, admittedly becuase I didn't consider driving with one hand and holding ice packs with the other.    But its good to know so far its normal.  I did dab a little witch hazel on it this afternoon which is supposed to help and seems to so far.