yeah, waxing and plucking isn't good if you want laser as others have pointed out.

*sigh* okay, I'm convinced, no waxing for me.  I was just going to get a waxing kit too, but decided to check here first. Glad I did

Did I read something right, did OP say that they won't let you make a laser appointment until you begin HRT? How can that be true?

I had my 2nd session today. I shave 1.5-2 hrs before my appointment (because I have to drive 1.5hrs to the clinic...Groupon). It's not very painful (but it's sure not pleasant!). I have a very high tolerance for pain, though, and don't react even when things hurt.

Yes, I was told by them that it would be wasting my money if I were to do it before I'm on t-blockers and e.   

Totally false. However, fwiw, I started 6 weeks ago, and half my treatments will be before HRT, the other half after.

I had laser before, it was before I was on hrt.  It did seem to work fine then; I guess that's just the way they do it where I went.  She didn't flat out refuse, she just said that in good concience that she couldn't waste my money on it now.

She said that because of the testosterone, that if I did it now than the hairs will just grow back.  I don't know.  Also there ar other transwomen that get laser done where I went.

Quote from: Stephanie_b on March 15, 2012, 05:09:22 PM
I had laser before, it was before I was on hrt.  It did seem to work fine then; I guess that's just the way they do it where I went.  She didn't flat out refuse, she just said that in good concience that she couldn't waste my money on it now.

She said that because of the testosterone, that if I did it now than the hairs will just grow back.  I don't know.  Also there ar other transwomen that get laser done where I went.

I was under the impression that when you kill the follicle it was dead. There's males who are not transitioning or anything and get their faces done, backs, arms, whatever.

I'm beginning to think I got the "bum's rush."
I am going to call them tomorrow and see if I can get it done anyway, because: I can't wax, shaving isn't good enough(I have jet black hair and fairly pale skin) because even with a close shave, my whiskers can always be seen.

I have to make some progress, and laser had me excited and then when I wa told to wait, I became severely depressed. 

If they won't do it then I will call somewhere that will.

Thanks for all the comments ladies, it helps quite a bit and is appreciated.

Not every laser is the same nor is every ones tan and hair color. The greater the contrast between the hair color and the skin the higher setting on the laser can be applied.
For people who say laser isn't that painful it is true only for them!
On the beginning of my treatments I cried a lot and had a break down just like the original poster said. I even had to break up the first session and finish the other half of my face the week after. That all with close shave numbing cream and icing before. It is apparently fairly common reaction for the beginners. I am relatively pail with black hair and my hairs were really coarse and grew really deep into my skin. I was able to pull some hairs out that were almost half an inch in length and that from super close shave! It was hard to believe but then I knew why was I hurting so much. My father wouldn't even come close to the coarsens and hair density  I used to have on my face as I inherited my mother's father steel brush face.

I'd be careful and not blame people for their probable failure to shave properly, it could be simply genetics!
To the OP, hang in there. It gets easier as with each session you'll have lesser hair density on your face and you learn to breath through the pain. It never gets just a breeze I always feel a bit disoriented after each session but the trauma doesn't reach the same level. I am pretty much done after 10 sessions and I haven't shaved for 3 weeks prior to my 10th session and all the girly blond peach fuzz grew over my face. It was a dream come true.

Quote from: Stephanie_b on March 15, 2012, 05:28:21 PM
I'm beginning to think I got the "bum's rush."
I am going to call them tomorrow and see if I can get it done anyway, because: I can't wax, shaving isn't good enough(I have jet black hair and fairly pale skin) because even with a close shave, my whiskers can always be seen.

I have to make some progress, and laser had me excited and then when I wa told to wait, I became severely depressed. 

If they won't do it then I will call somewhere that will.

Thanks for all the comments ladies, it helps quite a bit and is appreciated.

Don't forget that it takes around 6 sessions spaced at least 6 weeks apart for full results...so you'll have to be patient. However, you should see some results after the first session, and increasingly good results thereafter. People who are doing theirs 4 weeks apart are doing them too frequently.

Also, note that everyone's pain level tolerance is different...and at different times, too. For me, waxing was totally tolerable, even on the chest and tummy...but after I started menopause supps ("phytoestrogen") the pain was absolutely intolerable. I haven't gone back to waxing since (although I might for my legs/crotch).

OTOH, laser was ok. The bad part (for me) wasn't the upper lip (although that's no joy either), but rather when the laser snaps into the jawbone.

I was told you can't wax the face? At any rate, my first 6 face sessions (laser) removed about 2/3rds of the beard/5 o'clock shadow. (I shave within 2 hours of going; the first time I went I hadn't shaved at all (misunderstood their directions) but it didn't hurt excessively then. I am on my second set of 6, but have only done one of those.

I have had several sessions done. I pop a few OTC pain pills shave an hour before i go in and i feel fine.. It hurts a bit more on the chin and uper lip but its nothing compaired to when i did 12 treatments of Tattoo laser removal that is way worse... Feel like your getting electricuted... So hair removal is way easier... Even tattoos hurt worst... So its all in your mind set... Just think happy thoughts when there zapping you its gonna take your mind off the pain trust me it works.... Good luck

Ok.. So I just did my 4th session today. I figure I tell you a little bit about the experience today. ...    So I put a thick layer of numbing cream on, which helped a lot more. I also popped some Advil 30 mins before session (helped).Thank goodness I did because she turned the laser up higher today. And just a little too high. .. Like it was going fine then she hit a spot on my cheekbone and holy ->-bleeped-<- ballz.. Like it gave me a nice black and blue bruise. I hope it goes away. But that was a little scary. So she actually put the settings back down to the last session, Which I think its (30 joules and 13 mm.. not really sure).. .. So that was an unforgettable experience today. lol

Im hoping to get laser in a week or two, now I'm dreading it...

Quote from: Siobhan on March 17, 2012, 11:55:33 AM
Im hoping to get laser in a week or two, now I'm dreading it...

Don't. Try to find someone with years of experience, though. That's so key. Then get the closest shave as possible. Everyone's tolerance is different. For some of us it's no big deal; for others it's hell.

I did electrolysis on a weekly basis for two years, it was expensive and felt like god-awful bee stings although I took a couple of Advil just prior and applied lidocaine. The electrologist never removed any two hairs that were close and used a shotgun pattern approach to avoid scarring. Although I had very light facial hair to begin with I still have to shave every third day to scrape off the stragglers. I would have preferred laser and wished that my facial hair was dark instead of blonde because I had been told initially that laser works well on dark hairs and not well on blonde. I've seen a few MtF's before and after that had really black facial hair that wound up with really beautiful, smooth faces following laser treatments.

Laser. Hurts. Like. Hell.

For the first 3 or 4 sessions it seems to hurt pretty bad, but after that the pain starts to fall off.

Quote from: Samantharz on March 17, 2012, 01:03:05 PM
Laser. Hurts. Like. Hell.

For the first 3 or 4 sessions it seems to hurt pretty bad, but after that the pain starts to fall off.

I hope it does hurt less after a few treatments.  How it felt for me was like this: miniature atomic bombs exploding beneath my skin.  May sound exaggerated, but its as close a description as I can think of.

Ah, you're all a bunch of girls!


LOL...another thing to do is learn to meditate, and let the sensation you're calling "pain" pass through you, leaving no trace of itself or of the stubble.

Seriously. Meditation--yoga or whatever it's called--helps me out daily, and I do use it on those days I'm sensitive to pain.

The common things I hear to lessen the pain.

1. Go to the bathroom before starting!
2. You'll want to shave before going in. How soon depends entirely on how fast your hair grows.
3. About an hour beforehand, take a few ibuprofen or aspirin. Acetaminophen/paracetamol won't work, it isn't an anti-inflammatory.
4. Lidocaine, Prilocaine, or EMLA (which has both) cream. Get some and apply it about 45 minutes before going in. A lot of laser techs will apply it themselves if you ask.
5. If they don't provide them, try getting a few of those stress-relieving squeeze balls to hold onto during the treatment.
6. Don't stop. The fewer hairs to zap, the less pain there'll be. My second laser session, I was taking breaks more for the smell of the treatment than the pain.

Also, be prepared for uneven results. My first laser session obliterated the hair on the sides of my face, did a decent job of the moustache, and barely touched anything under my jawbone.