I need info about electrolys, please!

soul sista · 03-16-2005, 03:25 AM

I'm new to soul cysters. I have an appointment on Saturday morning to have electrolys done on my lower chin area as I've been removing the hairs for the past two years and am sick of the constant torture. Using hair removal cream really burns when I use it and the skin goes red and plucking is soooo painful. Ooooowwww!

I'm currently on Estelle 35 which is supposed to regulate my hormones and have been on it for 6 months. I would really like to know whether anyone has had electrolys done and how successful it is and whether it's worth it and how much of the hair is actually removed. I live in New Zealand, so it's NZ$19 for 15 minutes and NZ$30 for half an hour. I figure I'll prob have to go for the latter option. I would love to have lazer hair removal done as it seems to work really well, but can't afford it.

Any information on electrolys would be useful. At the moment I haven't done anything to the hairs for a week and the treatment is 3 days away.

Anyway, have to go and have dinner now!

Roxy

Goldilocks · 03-18-2005, 12:24 AM

Hi! I've had electrolysis done on my chin/neck and it seems to be working well. They have to get the hair in the growth stage (same as laser) but if they do it is totally permanent because it kills the follicle. Talking with the elecrtolygist they say they get loads of people in with PCOS for treatment and it can take a lot of regular treatments and then after a while the treatments can be spaced out so that there might be one every few months. It is difficult through as it takes only a couple of weeks for the hairs that wern't in the growth cycle to come back for me so I'm having treatment every three/four weeks and just cutting the noticeable ones back until I can get them zapped.
Make sure they use the blend method - there are two types of electrolysis and most salons use a blended method which is more effective.
I'm in NZ too and it's costing me $35 for 15 minutes so it sounds like you are getting a great deal!
Take some panadiene/panadol before you go as it stings a little

Good luck!

BeaJay · 03-28-2005, 01:59 AM

I had the procedure done 20 years ago. Certain areas (directly under the nose) can be very painful, but worth it to get rid of that pesky hair. I would recommend having it done twice a week if it is financially possible. I wish that I had done that. My hair grew in different stages. The woman would work on one area & within two days another area would be quite long and noticeable. I could easily have gone twice a week. It would have been more expensive, but I would have shorten the length of time. I hated going around with dark hair on my face.

lisadukk · 03-28-2005, 03:22 AM

hey soul cysta....

did you have your appt?? and how did it go??
i have been toying with the idea of electrolocis instead of more laser..the laser did help, but i can't afford it, right now at least

plus, electrolysis is supposed to be permanent.......

just curious.....Lisa

katiecat · 03-29-2005, 04:50 PM

I have been getting electrolysis for one year spaced out to once per month for an hour each time, sometimes two hours. I am not taking any meds. for the pcos...Am I wasting my time and money getting these tx's? I feel like the hair it still growing strong...black and very coarse. Has anyone out there had permenant removal on their chin from the blend methond (electrolysis)?

OrangeDaisy · 03-30-2005, 01:26 AM

I had electrolysis done about 10 years ago before my PCOS was diagnosed and it was basically a waste of money. When I stopped going, everything came back just as dark and coarse as ever. The Met & Vaniqa have helped me way more than electrolysis ever did.

soul sista · 04-07-2005, 04:42 AM

Thanks to everyone who replied. Golidilocks- it's nice to know there's another Kiwi out there. Well, i went to have the elctrolysis done, but the lady who was supossed to do it, insisted that there was nothing there to get rid of! AAAAAGGGHHHH! This was after i had let the hair grow for more than a week, and then when my parents came down that same morning and my Mum thinks I'm paranoid about the hair, but I know it's there. Since then I've been plucking again and using hair removal cream, but it hasn't been at all successful and the hair on my chin seems to be multiplying the more I try to get rif of it.

Im thinking that to get rid of it, I'm going to have to let it grow out for a few weeks. Eek! Then once I've done that, hopefully I can have the electrolysis done. I just want it gone! While I let it grow, I was thinking I could bleach it, but don't know how safe it is to do this. Does anyone know anything about bleaching chin hair? At the moment I also have a lot of ingrown hairs, and I'm not sure what to do about them. They look black in certain light and in other light they look white, which is weird. The hair under my chin' along the jaw line (which I used to remove) has been growing ever since before I went to have the electrolysis done, and it's actually quite fine and I'm wondering if I shouldn't just leave it. If it gets too long I can always trim it.

Golidilocks - because you're NZ I was wondering if if you know if there's anything available in NZ that you can get with a prescription or over the counter which will be efective in getting rid of the ingrown hairs? I guess the important thing is, if I'm going to let the hairs grow out, I don't want to worry about the ingrown ones NOT growing out, because then I'll never get rid of them.

Sorry I've taken so long to reply, but I've been very busy with Uni and assignments and I'm still busy! I hope everyone is well and enjoying life!

Take care,
Roxane

FuzzyWuzzy · 04-09-2005, 04:32 AM

all the feedback I have heard about electrolysis has been very negative. sorry to everyone who has wasted their money on it. I am currently in the process of deciding where to go for LHR. I found a wealth of information from physicians, dermatologists and fellow hairy folk on

http://www.consumerbeware.com/

I found some great information on the two clinics I have consultation appointments with!

good luck cysters and please keep us updated!

deborahlou · 04-11-2005, 04:13 PM

Yes dear, electrolysis sucks. I had it done years a go and if you look at me now you'd think i never had it done. I'm hairy as heck....maybe more.
Not worth it!

mlh · 04-11-2005, 07:58 PM

I am only 21 so that may play a role in how effective any kind of hair removal is, but I don't believe LHR really works. I've done it for 3 years and if anything I think its made it worse. Where I had soft lighter hair that wasn't really that bad it grows back dark and long and definately more noticable.

I've decided to go back to an electroysis who I'm very impressed with. I go in for a set of 6 treatments which I pay for each time varying on the length of time and before the treatments begin they do a hair density growth and at the end of every 6 they do another density hair growth. If the growth has been cut in half thats evidence that its working and if not then that would indicate that I'd need to seriously reconsider or consult with a doctor more to figure out whats going on.

I've kind of accepted that I'm going to have to do some sort of hair removal for the rest of my life but I'm going to try to remain hopeful that eventually something will work. Now that I'm 21 I've been told that the hair removal will be more permanent.

I just figure we're so obsessed with hair removal in this society eventually someone is going to figure out something that works for everyone cause if they did they'd make billions of dollars.

stephen'smommy · 04-12-2005, 01:45 AM

I have had laser hair removal and it didnt do anything for me at all. Im currently getting electrolysis and have had about 6 treatments with out any regrowth im using the blend method.I'm also using spironolactone 25 mg 2x daily and vaniqua so the combination seems to be working.

Goldilocks · 04-12-2005, 07:59 AM

Roxane,

I'm not sure about anything to stop in-grown hairs. It is a problem.

I have mainly fine growth too and my electrolygist leaves the long fine ones and concentrates on the thicker ones. They sometimes seems to grow back blond and fine so even if it's not 100% permanent for all hairs it certainly does help. Perhaps you should try a different electrologist for a second opinion as to whether or not there is a problem. I've had three different electrologists and they have all differred in their view as to whether I've got a problem.

I bleach the hair sometimes between appointments with great results. You can buy special facial hair bleach which is really gentle and perfectly safe.

Good luck!

Goldilocks

Coolcatsangel · 04-12-2005, 08:56 AM

Bleaching your chin hair is fine. There are bleaches out there esp for facial hair.
I've had electrolysis done for 2 years. At the start I was going twice a week sometimes more. Right now I have only gone twice since Christmas. (although the beautician asked me to come in once a month for a while)

I think it has worked. My chin isnt totally clear but compared to what it was its absolutly great. I still wont tie my hair back but thats just a confidence issue.

I started vaniqa in December and I think that has played a part in me only having two treatments since Christmas.

I would recommend electrolysis although you have to be patient and you have to stick with it.

angel_sl · 04-12-2005, 02:49 PM

I started going to electrolysis in August (4 months before I was diagnosed with PCOS 2 months before I had ever even heard of it) In those four months, I did notice significant change. I started off going twice a week and by Thnaksgiving I was down to once a week, becasue I couldn't afford it anymore. There was A LOT less hair growing in and it was getting slightly less coarse. But there was still WAY more hair than I wanted. I was still bery self-conscious about how I held my head. Once I started the parlodel and the prednisone, I could tell a HUGE difference! The area that was affected on my chin was greatly reduced (AND I HAD A LOT OF HAIR ON A LARGE AREA!). I still go once a week because I'm vain, but I could easily go 2 and be fine. There still are a few dark hairs, but for the most part they are much lighter and they are all thinner. Now I don't care how the light hits me or how I hold my head, becasue you can't even really see it any more.

My electrolysist is now able to get the long fine hairs that are there and we will soon be moving up to my upper lip, which is not all that bad. It is the best money I have ever spent and I don't regret a penny of it.

As soon as I get my prescription, I will start taking aldactone and I hope to see greater improvment.

My electroylcist says if you don't see a significant difference in the area after 3 months, something else is wrong. That's partly how my sister and I went to the doctor and found all of our problems.

If anyone needs an electrolysist in Houston, I can reccommend one, but Friday's at 6:00 are booked, so you cannot make your appointment for then.

meggers · 04-13-2005, 03:25 PM

first off...STOP PLUCKING!! this is the worse thing you could do, especially if you want to go through w/ electrolysis. it damages the hair follicle and prolongs the treatment. i'm undergoing elec. and love it. i've been going since october and go for 1 hour 2 days a week @ $60/visit, and have seen significant results. my chin area is not fully clear but is so thinned out. instead of dark corse hair, i have light thin ones. the sides are primarily hair free after having elvis like sideburns. just remember this takes time. the hair grows in stages about 3 months apart so already that's 9 months til full clearance. you are getting each hair treated/killed and sometimes with stubborn hairs they have to be treated once or twice. as of now, i'm fighting w/ my insurance co. to pay for these treatments. it's a fight, but i'm confident that they will eventually pay for this...cause they have to. if one co. pays for it..they all have to (industry precident). they will deny you until they know you're serious and will not give up the fight. so, we shall see!