Electrolysis, is it really meant to be painful?

[secondtimeout]

Is electrolysis really meant to be painful?

I went through hours of the stuff years ago. I'd heard about the rumours that it's painful but had it done anyway. To be honest with you all I'd usually fall asleep or be in a very dosile state. Yes I'd feel the needle etc but that was it, just a sensation with no pain involved.

Is it that I have a high pain threshold or is it really meant to hurt? Also, has anyone here come across the laser treatment, is it any good, any idea of the price?

[Lynda Collins]

It of course depends on wether the hair is dark or light in colour as laser does not take out light or white hair.....
If the hair is still dark then laser is the only way to go.... I don't know any in your area but I'm sure someone will or, perhaps a bit of research

[Kaity]

I guess you have a good pain threshold.

Generally I am ok with both electro and laser, although neither are pleasant experiences.... till they do my top lip, then its tears!

Electro was worse than laser for me in this area and I will admit that I cried like a baby after just two zaps. Laser on my top lip brings me to tears, but I just keep telling myself 'this IS better than electro!"

Being off my HRT for almost 6 weeks for my FFS has meant some dark hair has come back, but I am not sure when its 'safe' for me to go for laser again.


Kait

[Rose Marie]

I guess you have a good pain threshold.

Generally I am ok with both electro and laser, although neither are pleasant experiences.... till they do my top lip, then its tears!

Electro was worse than laser for me in this area and I will admit that I cried like a baby after just two zaps. Laser on my top lip brings me to tears, but I just keep telling myself 'this IS better than electro!"

Being off my HRT for almost 6 weeks for my FFS has meant some dark hair has come back, but I am not sure when its 'safe' for me to go for laser again.


Kait

not sure if its the coming off hrt Kaity,,, it may just be normal.. i have been on zoladex for 12 weeks.. which should mean castration levels of Testoterone plus 6mg prodgynova daily,, 11 weeks since my last laser and i have some shadows on my upper lip and just below my lower lip and the odd dark hair dotted around my face,, to be honest i dont think hormones have much effect on facial hair apart from maybe slowing down the growth a bit...youve only been having laser just over a year,,, you have got to be looking at two years at least i think with regular 12 week sessions..

[secondtimeout]

I must admit Kaity, the top lip does hurt (enough to make my eyes water) but generally the rest of it was fine. And yes you're right Rose, I also found that hormones have little affect on the hair.

I've read on the internet that you have to lose or lower the testosterone levels first to allow the hormones to have effect on the hair. I was on androcur for a short while but I guess not long enough.

Am I right in thinking that there is or will be the option of having orchiectomy pre SRS as way to combat all of this instead of having to take high doses of drugs which of cause as we know can lead to thromboses and liver trouble etc.

[Rose Marie]

I must admit Kaity, the top lip does hurt (enough to make my eyes water) but generally the rest of it was fine. And yes you're right Rose, I also found that hormones have little affect on the hair.

I've read on the internet that you have to lose or lower the testosterone levels first to allow the hormones to have effect on the hair. I was on androcur for a short while but I guess not long enough.

Am I right in thinking that there is or will be the option of having orchiectomy pre SRS as way to combat all of this instead of having to take high doses of drugs which of cause as we know can lead to thromboses and liver trouble etc.

One of the things I've noticed over the last 11 years is the thinning of hair on the top of the head. According to info on the net this is caused by high levels of DHT which is a by product of testosterone. Everyone in our family has/had a full head of hair. I can only imagine it must have been down to a rapid increase in testosterone levels once I was off the drugs and everything returned to normal. I'm currently awaiting some DHT blockers off the net which should allow it to grow back again as the hair isn't dead it's just gone a little thin, no baldness.

you need finasteride or even better duesteride.. as thst blocks two of the enzymes responsable for converting T into DHT...finasteride only blocks the 5 alpha reductus enzyme,,,DHT is also responsable for body hair growth...while at the same time attaching itself to the receptors in the hair on the top of your head,, (note the hairs at the back and side do not have theses receptors...) and also causing benign prostate enlargement that can lead to prostate cancer.... Finateride (proscar) at 5mg is used to treast BPE.. where as finasteride at 1mg (propecia ) is used to treat male pattern baldness...
Zoladex is another form of treatment for benign prostate elargement but it tricks the piturity gland into not releasing the homones that tell your testes to produce testoterone ,down to castration levels although your adrenal glands will still produce about 5% of your former testosterone levels...Zoladex is a one month or three month implant that is injected into your abdomen..

[Kaity]

yeah sorry I used HRT as a general term, I was referring really to my anti-androgen, Spiro, which I believe the 'proper' use of is to combat facial hair growth in menopausal natal females.

[reggie]

OK girls I have to be different. I am having facial hair removal by Light Heat treatment, which does treat light hairs as well as dark, but does take quite a while like the others, after all there is a lot to get rid of.

I've been going every 4 weeks for about 6 months now and there is a marked difference, there are no dark hairs left and the white ones are drastically reduced. My therapist reckons about 18 months should see it finished.

All I feel is a sharp hot sensation for the second that it is fired, and the only tender place is under the chin. The top lip is no worse than the rest of my chin.

As to Hair reduction by Hormones etc, I've been taking Spironolactone for about 3 years now and Progynova for nearly a year. As this has been off my own bat (due to not seeing a consultant) I have only been taking 40mg spiro' and 2mg Progy. Even tho' these are low dosages my body hair has just about all disappearred and facial hair has softened a little which helps with the removal. I am quite satisfied with this progress as by the time I see a Consultant eventually (NHS wheels grind exceding slow, and after trying the private route I found it too expesive for an Old AgePensioner) I should be hair free.

[Kaity]

OK girls I have to be different. I am having facial hair removal by Light Heat treatment, which does treat light hairs as well as dark, but does take quite a while like the others, after all there is a lot to get rid of.

I've been going every 4 weeks for about 6 months now and there is a marked difference, there are no dark hairs left and the white ones are drastically reduced. My therapist reckons about 18 months should see it finished.

All I feel is a sharp hot sensation for the second that it is fired, and the only tender place is under the chin. The top lip is no worse than the rest of my chin.

As to Hair reduction by Hormones etc, I've been taking Spironolactone for about 3 years now and Progynova for nearly a year. As this has been off my own bat (due to not seeing a consultant) I have only been taking 40mg spiro' and 2mg Progy. Even tho' these are low dosages my body hair has just about all disappearred and facial hair has softened a little which helps with the removal. I am quite satisfied with this progress as by the time I see a Consultant eventually (NHS wheels grind exceding slow, and after trying the private route I found it too expesive for an Old AgePensioner) I should be hair free.


'off my own bat' too (altho GP now writes scripts, due to me batting my eyelids a LOT) 100mg Spiro, 4mg Progy (altho was Estrofem for a year) for 18 months, and more lately been on 50Mcg Ethy. I can only concur with what Regina stated... "my body hair has just about all disappearred and facial hair has softened". My boyfriend remarked when we were together recently "... you're SO soft... :)" (he meant my skin! :p) so I must be doing something right.

Spiro is seen as being 'fairly safe' (not that I am encouraging anyone to take anything 'off their own bat'), have read of one GID clinic in Canada prescribing up to 800mg daily! :eek: Of course how much you need to take of any of these depends on your natural T and E levels, and I have never had my mine checked and been given a result.

I've got my second CXH appt on June 18th for my second of two appraisals, they took blood on the first on Feb 8th but never heard any news back about this (hence the comment in the paragraph above). I have been told that no news is good news, especially as I know of a couple of girls who have had initial Blood Tests at CXH and within a week or two had their GP's receptionists contacting them for 'urgent appointments', prompted by CXH contacting them.


Kait

[reggie]

KAIT POSTED

"I've got my second CXH appt on June 18th for my second of two appraisals, they took blood on the first on Feb 8th but never heard any news back about this (hence the comment in the paragraph above). I have been told that no news is good news, especially as I know of a couple of girls who have had initial Blood Tests at CXH and within a week or two had their GP's receptionists contacting them for 'urgent appointments', prompted by CXH contacting them."




My GP is monitoring me by Blood tests as he is willing to keep an eye on me even tho' he won't prescribe (yet) the last tests were "everything normal".

As well as Hormone levels I am checked for "Normal" things like Cholesterol, Diabetes etc, Liver and Kidney functions,(as I am on other forms of medication) and a few I don't even know about.

So end result "NO WORRIES"

[Kaity]

KAIT POSTED

"I've got my second CXH appt on June 18th for my second of two appraisals, they took blood on the first on Feb 8th but never heard any news back about this (hence the comment in the paragraph above). I have been told that no news is good news, especially as I know of a couple of girls who have had initial Blood Tests at CXH and within a week or two had their GP's receptionists contacting them for 'urgent appointments', prompted by CXH contacting them."




My GP is monitoring me by Blood tests as he is willing to keep an eye on me even tho' he won't prescribe (yet) the last tests were "everything normal".

As well as Hormone levels I am checked for "Normal" things like Cholesterol, Diabetes etc, Liver and Kidney functions,(as I am on other forms of medication) and a few I don't even know about.

So end result "NO WORRIES"

We're getting a bit off topic, but hey...


Well re GP and Prescriptions I may have a fly in ointment now. My GP retired recently, he was the practice manager, I went to him after one of the other partners refused to help me and was being awkward, so I went over his head. Now I am with the third (and last) GP at the practice, although I have yet to meet him.

I put my repeat prescriptions in last week and got the meds back with a note saying he wanted to see me....

I am hoping he just wants to meet me, which of course makes a lot of sense, but am worried he is going to refuse to write me prescriptions and once again I am going to have to fight and make them see reason, a fight I expect to lose.

My 2nd CXH isnt till June 18th and if I am deemed worthy of treatment beyond that I still wont get to see the Endrocologist (hormones Dr) until the third, or even after the third, visit, which probably will be September/October+.

I've just had 6 weeks off my HRT due to my FFS, the last two and first two back on them were hell. I hate Testosterone, I hate what it does to my head, I hate what to does to my body, it's poison! If he refuses I really dont know what I am going to do... except take backward steps again, felt depressed, in drawn, feel crap about myself, push my boyfriend away (which will probably kill the relationship - I was a real bitch to him last time) :(

I guess I could sell my car to buy some on-line again, as it is all the legal stuff comes up for it in May and I am not sure I can afford it all anyway (I really need a smaller car)

Whilst on the subject, anyone want to swap a small car for a '98 Renault Laguna RT Estate, 105k, two owners from new (me since 2000), full service history, very reliable, aircon. Only issue is drivers airbag warning light is perma on, which I have been told means it just wont work, rather than suddenly inflate for no reason. Something like a 1.4 Fiat Brava of the same age would be cool :p) I am rambling... again...



*hugs*

[Rose Marie]

We're getting a bit off topic, but I'll sort of bring it back-op-topic (sort of) after this...


Well re GP and Prescriptions I may have a fly in ointment now. My GP retired recently, he was the practice manager, I went to him after one of the other partners refused to help me and was being awkward, so I went over his head. Now I am with the third (and last) GP at the practice, although I have yet to meet him.

I put my repeat prescriptions in last week and got the meds back with a note saying he wanted to see me....

I am hoping he just wants to meet me, which of course makes a lot of sense, but am worried he is going to refuse to write me prescriptions and once again I am going to have to fight and make them see reason, a fight I expect to lose.

My 2nd CXH isnt till June 18th and if I am deemed worthy of treatment beyond that I still wont get to see the Endrocologist (hormones Dr) until the third, or even after the third, visit, which probably will be September/October+.

I've just had 6 weeks off my HRT due to my FFS, the last two and first two back on them were hell. I hate Testosterone, I hate what it does to my head, I hate what to does to my body, it's poison! If he refuses I really dont know what I am going to do... except take backward steps again, felt depressed, in drawn, feel crap about myself, push my boyfriend away (which will probably kill the relationship - I was a real bitch to him last time) :(

I guess I could sell my car to buy some on-line again, as it is all the legal stuff comes up for it in May and I am not sure I can afford it all anyway (I really need a smaller car)

Whilst on the subject, anyone want to swap a small car for a '98 Renault Laguna RT Estate, 105k, two owners from new (me since 2000), full service history, very reliable, aircon. Only issue is drivers airbag warning light is perma on, which I have been told means it just wont work, rather than suddenly inflate for no reason. Something like a 1.4 Fiat Brava of the same age would be cool :p) I am rambling... again...


Back on topic... ish .... sad news regarding Laser. Some of us had been having LightSheer Laser Hair Removal at The Birkdale Clinic in Crosby, for £30 for a 15 minute full face appointment. That's generally 3 to 5 times cheaper than anywhere else in the UK.

It was a godsend for us on low incomes, but someone on the Rose's Forum has just announced that they are upping their prices, think it was around £67 just for chin! :mad:

Luckily for me I am fairly clear, so its maybe time to go back to Electrolysis.



*hugs*

Kaity.. there is a two year waiting time to see Dr Seal the endo at CXH,, you really dont want to see him though,, you only see him if there are any problems,,, he will of course look at any blood test results you have but in this case .. no news is good news,, as for the the Birkdale.. as of today the prices are the same but will be going up in the future,, but they tell me the £67 for the chin is someone what ridiculous....you may be best getting an appointment asp to keep in the chain,, they are going fast,, i am booked in for the 30th may 2.45.... my logic,, if you have been going constantly for over a year,,, like me........ they may keep the prices down and just charge the new prices for new customers,, worth thinking about,,,i am hoevever looking at a local electrolosist,,,,,i go tommorow to Bury to have my genitals lasered,,, oh joy

re coming of hrt for surgery thats the whole point why CXH have put me on Zoladex,,, you dont come off that for surgey,, currently my T levels are round about 1.8 pmol but did rise to 2.4 mpol in the last week of my zolodex implant...normal female range is anything under 3.0 mpol... male ranges are 10 mpol to 30 mpol.......its really put a stop on my facial hair growth,, about one millimeter growth after five days without shaving