i have heard a lot about good results from laser hair removal, but electrolysis is the only method i have seen declared as "permanent". having a fairly large circle of friends within the ts community, i have heard and seen a varying degeree of results from different electrologists and different machines and operators using laser as well.
i personally used electrolysis, but i had light and gray facial hair and was not an ideal candidate for laser. (in preparation for GRS, i later used laser in my bikini area where the hair was dark and the skin was light, and i still experienced considerable re-growth, but in all fairness, the treatment only spanned a period of about 7 months.)
my experience at the lucy peter's salon in NYC was excellent. i had never experienced the speed - or the permanence -of hair removal at other electrologists i had tried. pain and recovery time was also minimal. likewise, my associates who used the LP salon in cherry hill, NJ raved about the service.
my first complete facial clearing took about 40 hours, in 5-6 hour sessions. that cost about $4000 and was spread over a period of about 3 months. i was able to receive treatment on saturday, and go to work on monday without anyone noticing that i had treatment. my second clearing took another 40 hours and again was spread over a 3 month treatment period and cost about $4000. after the first two initial clearings, i could shave sparingly and never exhibit any "five o'clock shadow". in effect, my facial hair no longer served as an obstacle to "passing". obviously, this was a tremendous boost to my self confidence, and contributed greatly to my own internal sense of self-esteem.
i continued treatment for an overall period of three years. all told, i experienced 10 different facial clearings. the third clearing required about 20 hours, the fourth 15, and so on. in the end, after a 3-6 month waiting period, a facial clearing was accomplished in under an hour. i spent over $16,000 dollars for the entire treatment process, start to finish. that is, obviously, a lot of money. to me, though, it was worth it. i have less facial hair than most women my age, genetic or otherwise. my eyebrows were also shaped permanently, and i no longer have to deal with underarm stubble. all gone, permanently.
after spending so much time at the salon, i have developed close friendships with the operators there. during treatment, we talked about each other's goals, family, and lives. i continue communication with these lovely women on a regular basis. they always extended every courtesy to me as a woman, and were sympathetic with my need to eliminate my facial hair. i experienced no scarring or complications; my skin is smooth and lovely. my daughter has often commented that she wants to have my complexion when she gets older and not her mother's. i think that is a pretty strong endorsement.
at lucy peters, they used strictly the thermal probe - not a galvanic or mixed. with me, they removed 20+ hairs per minute. that translates into over 1200 hairs per hour. a 5 hour session would result in a reduction of an excess of 6000 facial hairs. it was expensive, but to me, it was well worth the money.
other operators can technically provide the same results, and for less. unfortunately, i never found any of them. it is kind of a hit and miss process, and what works for me might not work for you. i am passing this info on for your general information, and i only hope that it helps you make a little bit more informed choice. good luck to all...
