Quote from: A on April 21, 2012, 02:15:43 PM
School on Saturdays? That's scary.

Anyway, I don't see - at all - how an electrolysis clinic would be more open on Sundays than a laser one. You know, with laser, too, if you can't on the sixth week, you can take an appointment on the seventh, or eight, or basically any Sunday. Waiting longer doesn't hurt any more than the fact you make the final results late by one week.

Also, with the enormously higher amount of money you'll spend on electrolysis, I'd tend to think you'll be working no reason 1/4~1/2 the time. You could almost get a lot less hours and have the same amount of money in the end. I know jobs don't work in such a way that you can just say "give me less hours", but still.

In the end, it's still your choice, but I fail to see the logic behind it. I really, really think that you should do laser. As I said, you can go and do laser "on a Sunday when you don't have errands", too, just like electrolysis. And whilst not all laser clinics are open on Sundays, the very same goes for electrolysis ones, I'd say...

I won't harrass you any more, but I just wanted you to put more thought in the possibility of doing laser. I'm sure it's possible even for such a dreadful schedule as yours.

First of all you aren't harassing me at all

I thought laser was one of those things you had to keep with it until the follicle is dead. Like if you miss sessions the hair that is not dead would grow back stronger. If not then I should look into laser.

But unfortunately IDK of any clinics open on Sunday. Maybe I should double check, but when I looked last time, none were around here.

Currently I'm salary though, and not only that, but it's really hard to make an appointment because any given day I could go out of town, so it's not like I can say "I'll get this done at lunch" in 2 weeks".

No, no, that's not it at all.

Whilst electrolysis (almost?) always permanently kills affected hairs, laser is unlikely to do so unless the hair is in its anagen phase, and it isn't always in this phase. It's mainly to allow hairs time to change phases that they space sessions about 6 weeks apart. But even if not all hairs are successfully destroyed with a session, those that are don't come back, and one that failed to be killed the first time isn't "weakened", and does not need to be "finished off" with the next treatment within a certain time.

Anyway, I think you'd do well to look into laser again. I'm sure if you're able to get electrolysis, you're able to get laser, too.

Thanks for the info Laser it is!! lol!

I plan on getting Electrolysis very soon. What would you relate the pain to? Is it similar to getting a tattoo?

I think it depends on what area is being worked on. Upper lip.....omg some of the worst pain I've ever experienced. I tear up after each hair folical. I just had my hip replaced and still have some good pain meds I take before my 2 hr session.

Quote from: Serena Lynn on April 21, 2012, 09:02:51 PM
I plan on getting Electrolysis very soon. What would you relate the pain to? Is it similar to getting a tattoo?

Well it depends on the area. Upper lip and jawline are worse, but other area are less that bad tattoo spots. There are even places where I feel it hurts less than the least painful tattoo areas.


Sorry this was totally my bad. I was talking laser pain vs tattooing.  I'm pretty tired because I was too excited to sleep last night and lying down like this I missed the electrolysis part.

lol, I had told a girl I know that laser didn't hurt that much and she finally went to the place I told her about and last night, she came into the store telling me bs, it did hurt!   I just didn't have very much dark hair on my face, so I imagine it wasn't so bad for me. I told her it was still worth it though.

Quote from: Serena Lynn on April 21, 2012, 09:02:51 PM
I plan on getting Electrolysis very soon. What would you relate the pain to? Is it similar to getting a tattoo?

If you've ever had laser, Wikipedia says this:

QuoteA study conducted in 2000 at the ASVAK Laser Center in Ankara, Turkey comparing alexandrite laser and electrolysis for hair removal on 12 patients concluded that laser hair removal was 60 times faster, less painful and more reliable than electrolysis.^[7]

So electrolysis hurts more than laser.

If you haven't, I'd say that laser hurts "A LOT", but it's manageable if you're good at grasping your hands and stuff. After all, it's not constant; it's one burst of pain at at time. So I guess it can't really be compared to getting a tattoo, which hurts continuously, right?

So if electrolysis hurts more, it must be very, very painful. In that case, I would suggest maybe trying a numbing cream.

It feels like someone pushing a hot needle into your face over and over again. I have a stupidly high tolerance to pain tho. The problem I face is with my electrologist begin too soft on me these days, as she's frightened to hurt me badly. If I could get her to do it I would go for 6 hour sessions non-stop. but these days she refuses to do more than 1 hour at a time.

I would personally endure it even if it was 10 times as painful as it was, then again I tried to deal with my testicles and there disgusting secretions by injecting them with concentrated ethanol... Now that's real pain.

I did blend where you hold the bar in your hand.. I also had only the fatest hairs done first. I also had double inserts one to sloough off the hair the second to kill the folicle 100% dead.

Thermolysis is too extreme heat for most peoples faces. It uses heat verse making lye in the folicle. Also just getting the fatest hairs allows a scattered effect and it doesn't do any damage because your not inserting every fraction of an inch. I then shaved the smallest hairs and i was done from start to finish in 10 months. I had an auburn colored beard and mustache and sideburns. I have blonde hair. I was 40 yrs old. Also never get too much done around the lips to prevent scarring or wrinkling.

I never did laser.

Personally my 2nd electrolysist was very careful and used magnifying glasses whereas the first didn't and she made it hurt. The second was like getting acupuncture and felt great. She played very peaceful music.

Not only will I work on Sundays I will probe your face for as many hours as you can handle. They both hurt, but electrolysis hurts more since it takes longer. Start with laser finish with electrolysis, they work great together.

Quote from: pebbles on April 22, 2012, 11:25:23 AM
I would personally endure it even if it was 10 times as painful as it was, then again I tried to deal with my testicles and there disgusting secretions by injecting them with concentrated ethanol... Now that's real pain.

You're giving others on this board bad ideas... well, you're giving me a bad idea lol

I'm so looking forward to electro! It'll be worth the pain to me, to be completely honest!

Electro is painful... no question. Much more so than laser. I've had 2 years of full-body laser hair removal... and about 1 full year of electro on my face only.

However, more than the pain, is the problem of letting the your facial hair grow, without shaving. That absolutely is the worst part for me. The cool thing with laser is that you can shave, and it's actually advised and preferred that you shave the morning of your laser appointment. Not so with electro. I generally have to let my facial hair grow-out for at least 5 days prior to my electro appointment, so that the electrologist can see and remove the hair.

And if you have blond facial hair (like me) you have little choice but electro.

One little caveat of advice I'd like to mention is... using Desitin cream afterwards. Yep... diaper rash cream. Cover the treated area on your face with it at night after electrolysis. It does a great job with the redness and any small open puncture wounds. Good stuff.

JennX, it's a little off-topic, but I would really love to have as much details as possible on the costs of all that, from the face to pieces of the body.

Quote from: A on April 22, 2012, 09:59:12 PM
JennX, it's a little off-topic, but I would really love to have as much details as possible on the costs of all that, from the face to pieces of the body.

A lot  ... full body, over 2 years was close to $10,000 more or less IIRC. For laser, my guy charges per visit:

$400 for full legs upper & lower (both)
$200 for full arms upper & lower (both)
$200 chest
$200 back
$50 full face

This was after a good discount too, as I was having a lot done so he cut me a good deal. Prices, can and do fluctuate wildly. Do shop around, and never, ever pay for any package in-advance or up-front. Most areas were treated every 6 weeks... legs every 8 weeks, and face every 4 weeks as it grows faster and is more resilient than the other areas.

My electrologist charges me $80/hr... which is a lot easier on my bank account. 

I'm still trying to get the courage up to look for someone to do genital electrolysis, pre SRS later this year.  Maybe after a couple of vodkas? Not looking forward to it. 

Quote from: justmeinoz on April 23, 2012, 01:58:36 AM
I'm still trying to get the courage up to look for someone to do genital electrolysis, pre SRS later this year.  Maybe after a couple of vodkas? Not looking forward to it. 

I'm not sure where to go in Tassie, but Sydney has a few trans friendly clinics.  Vodka sounds good, I'm not too sure about local anaesthetic down there *blush* *ouch*

Quote from: justmeinoz on April 23, 2012, 01:58:36 AM
I'm still trying to get the courage up to look for someone to do genital electrolysis, pre SRS later this year.  Maybe after a couple of vodkas? Not looking forward to it. 

Most "modern" surgeons don't require genital electrolysis anymore, as it's a hassle for the patient, and they cannot always trust the aestheticians who do it to do it 100 % reliably, guaranteed of any later regrowth... which would be catastrophic. Also, regardless of the technician's skill, there's always, I think, a slight chance of later regrowth of zapped hairs. So they cut out hair follicles themselves. Easier, faster, more reliable and painless (since it's done whilst you're asleep for the surgery). At least, that's what mine (dr Brassard) will do.

Oh gosh were it not for Laser Hair removal I'd still have a beard! Laser has been a miracle, and the people at the clinic I frequent are none other than angels.

This last vist I had a lovely heart to heart with my tech, and we are becoming real friends.

The best part of laser is about 1 to 1 1/2 weeks after the session when the hair starts to fall out. Some of 'em fall out on their own, but most of them you get when shaving (they come out so easy that the tiny tug of the blade pulls the hair right out rather than cutting it...sometimes I squeeze my skin and the hair comes out just form the pressure!)

I am 12 months into laser, and I am very happy. It is perfect for a busy schedule as it only takes 15 minutes, and then I come back once per month. It's no big deal to push some appointments back, although you must keep up the sessions to avoid regrowth until the hair is eliminated (for example you wouldn't wanna go a year without a session).

YES IT HURTS and IT IS WORTH IT!  So far I've spent about $600 and I have practically no beard left! How much better can it get than that?  My beard is so thin now that they're going over my face twice, and I am also coming in every 6 wks instead of 4 wks. It's been a true blessing, and I have no doubt that in perhaps 6 months time I will have ZERO beard whatsoever.

Oh, and the less beard you have, the less it hurts, so over time it gets easier and easier!