Although the laser pulses stung a bit, afterwards (it's been about an hour) my face is only very slightly 'tingly,' clear and not even red (I have very sensitive facial skin, I think). We also had the opportunity to chat with Dana a bit more, and she is really neat, with a genuine affinity/empathy for the transgendered community! I would strongly encourage anyone considering laser and/or electrolysis treatments, particularly in the TG community, to visit her website (above), and give her a call !!
My face very noticeably 'cleared' following my first laser session with Dana, then (as she mentioned, later - see Jan. 22 comment above), my face was initially quite 'rough' for a few days afterward, again because my face was not yet used to shaving, and also due to the "cooked" hairs, that continue to be shed for many days (perhaps 2 weeks) afterward! I found this to be true: Within a few days post-laser, my shadow returned and my face was rough and irritated, as the hairs were growing out and/or shedding. However, after approximately a week or so, my face was definitely less irritated from shaving - including far fewer in-grown hairs - and the "density" of the hairs appeared to be reduced.
During the last couple of days, particularly, I have noticed that my shadow has diminished somewhat, and my face is definitely much smoother! For comparison, prior to the laser session, the sides of my face and my neck (that I had been shaving daily) would feel very rough, since my hair grows so fast! However, I have noticed yesterday and today, that even by bedtime (~15 hrs. after shaving), my face and neck are still basically smooth, with some roughness (shadow) being most evident on the upper lip and moustache area. These are the areas that I had never shaved previously, and probably (?) have the greatest density of hairs. My wife also agrees that my face is now *much* smoother.
I have been taking photographs before/after to document this process, and here are some representative photographs (please note, however, that the effects shown in these pictures are not quite as dramatic as 'in person,' and do not indicate the tactile changes). Based on the progress to date (one session), I am keen to see the results following my second session (later in February)!
Afterward, my face again looked quite good ('clear'), and was a little tender for about a day. Also, as previously noted, for the first couple of days I had a few small whiteheads, then the shadow on my face was quite pronounced and somewhat splotchy (blocky), and the skin was rough, due to the dead, denatured hair slowly being shed - the photographs don't really convey this, very well (i.e. looks slightly worse than in the photographs). I didn't shave the first day, but did so the second day. As before, following my first laser sessiojn, this was more difficult than usual due to the roughness of the skin, the tough, dead (denatured, cooked) hairs,
Dana scheduled my third laser session, 7 weeks away (not 6 as between sessions 1 and 2), in mid-April 2007. She said that at that time not to be surprised as I wil have hair in various phases of growth, waiting to be zapped once again. Recall that only hair follicles that are actively producing hair (in the anagen stage - refer to the "About my Laser of Choice" subsection, and the "Hair Biology" figure, here)! It's not difficult to understand why transsexuals who are actively transitioning but haven't really started hair removal, early enough, begin to 'panic,' given the times involved (for example, 6 + 7 = 13 weeks = 3.25 months for 3 laser sessions, for me)! To be continued ...
My face is still rough from the dead hairs (shadow is fading/clearing), but as always I'm still cutting, nicking myself and shaving the tops of the rough bits. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!! As well, I'm tired of the nicks & cuts from shaving my arms, legs with my double-edged (blade) razor, and using my Braun Activator electric razor is not much better - too slow, razor stubble, and "razor burn!" Of course, hormones will knock dock most of this unwanted body hair (the "H-word" actually came up on Wed. Feb. 28/07 during our counseling session, but we are still proceeding very cautiously and thougthfully).
Here is a picture (next day), showing the after-effects from shaving, yesterday! Mar. 04, 2007 (6 d post-laser), 5 h after shaving
In the interim, however, yesterday I ordered an EPILATOR, the Emjoi Gently Gold Model AP-9GAR Caress Rechargeable Hair Removal System, from folica.com ($79.95 - see my rant against folica.com, immediately following!)! This epilator is ranked at 4/5 at both folica.com (59 reviews) and amazon.com (111 reviews). Although there were a few other epilators that ranked 5/5, they had far fewer reviews, so I "weighted" the scores in favor of the venerable, highly reviewed Emjoi Gently Gold AP-9GA model. I can hardly wait for it to arrive; from the reviews, I expect that the first use will be slow and painful, but the consensus is that after a few uses, it becomes a comparatively painless and less frequent chore!
Please click here to read about how they treated me, when I returned an item (a non-rechargeable epilator), according to their instructions!
MARCH 2007
An update on my laser treatment results: During the past 2-3 days, my face is definitely clearing (as after my first laser session), and is much smoother. It looks a *lot* better than at any time since my second laser session, two weeks ago today (Monday)! Ahhh, bliss ...! :-)
I'll try exfoliating in the shower this morning, and give the epilator a rest for a day, to let the skin irritation subside. I'm afraid, however, that exfoliating prior to elipating will not be practical (except weekends) as this is going to take forever!
I really need to avoid all of this crap, and get as much of my body laser-treated, as possible!! Grrrrr! ...... ..... .... ... .. .
Post-Laser Update: On a brighter side, as I was preparing for bed yesterday, I had a closer look at my face (this was one of the rare days that I did not shave my face in the morning). I noted (ignoring the dead black hairs that are still firmly entrenched but ever-so-slowly working their way out) that the roughness on my face, particularly on the sides, was due almost solely to short, growing white hairs (perhaps a few hundred, total)! This is definitely a good sign! :-)
This morning I also shaved (face/neck) again, after 3 days without shaving. My chin etc. is continuing to clear, and although it appears that these dark hairs are growing, I'm guessing that a lot of them are actually the remaining dead hairs that are pushing their way free, plus some new (growing) hairs that were in a "refractory" phase of growth during my last laser session (Feb. 26). As I mentioned, my cheeks had cleared considerably following my first laser session (Jan. 15), and the hairs that are mainly growing are the white (gray) hairs. Before I shaved, I snapped this picture, which illustrates what I am saying!
Post-Script (Thurs. Mar. 22/07): It's been ~4 days since I last used the epliator (touch-ups last Sunday), and I see only a very few stray hairs! Once these are removed (Saturday), I can see having to do this once weekly, approximately! :-)
This has definitely been worth it. After clearing all of my body hair last Sunday, I essentially did not use the epilator until this morning. I only had a few stray hairs to remove - thus the results were far, far superior to shaving, for a number of reasons - with virtually no discomfort! There was also (therefore) very little mess .. I took about an hour standing in the tub (before my shower) to re-clear my body (except my abdomen/chest (tomorrow), but I was taking extra time/care to really make sure I was getting as many stray hairs as possible! Later, after a late breakfast (I'm 196.2 lbs., today!! - see my Dieting Journal Subsection) as I was sitting on the couch (better light!), I cleared any remaining hairs that I could find!
Regarding the effects of my last laser session (#2, on Monday February 26, 2007 - above), during the past two weeks my facial hairs in the next cycles of growth have been manifesting, again! I'm no longer "smooth," facially, after a day without shaving
BTW, I am at 192.3 lbs. today! :-)
Dana then moved on to her Candela GentleLASE Plus pulsed laser (see also this comment from Dana, this GentleLASE description, and this description of the effect of the cryogen cooling system on skin temperature). Part of the reason for sheduling the appointments between laser sessions as she had done [i.e. 6 weeks between sessions #1 & #2, then 7 weeks (planned, moved up to 6 weeks) between sessions #2 & #3] was to synchronize the hair growth cycles, which greatly facilitates the laser hair removal process. Also, unlike electrolysis, the laser itself also helps to synchronize the hair growth cycles. The net result is that the subsequent sessions become more efficient, and the laser power can be increased, as was done this evening. As I said, going into my appointment my face was quite scruffy! After a quick, close shave by Dana, she pulsed through the facial / neck / sideburn laser clearing in about 15-20 minutes. This was quite painful once again around the heaviest areas of growth - the chin and upper lip - but it was most definitely worth it! I was very impressed with the wonderful final result! :-) :-) (My face was also slighty tender to to the touch - this passes within a day or so.) I'm so happy - Thank you, Dana!! :-)
My wife also had a bit of electrolysis and laser treatment done as well. ... Thus far, our sessions have been Monday Jan. 15, 2007, Monday Feb. 26, 2007, and Monday April 09, 2007 (today). Our next appointment is scheduled 8 weeks from now, in early June 2007! To be continued! ...
Side-bar: I got a referral from my therapist this week to an endocrinologist (no word from them, yet), regarding MTF hormone therapy! :-) :-) :-)
Dana worked on me first (before moving on to my wife ...), spending just under an hour, first doing my electrolysis (~2/3 of the session, approximately; similar to "baby bee stings"), then finishing off with the laser. Tonight, Dana increased the fluence (power) and decreased the "depth," and seemed to spend more time with the laser, although this may reflect a smaller diameter field of irradiation (beam, and hence, more pulses, to cover the same surface area?)? As she was working, she said that my face will "bubble" due to the increased fluence, which was "red" after she had finished, but after ~ 20 minutes or so with cold wet compresses (damp cold facecloths) applied to the skin, I was almost back to my normal color, and completely clear! The laser pulses were actually quite "sharp" - but this work was completed quickly, and this transient discomfort is simply a price that we transwomen endure! &rarr My face looks great! Also this evening, she lased the middle of my eyebrow, to get rid of the faint "mono-brow" (that I have been tweezing, along with the rest of my eyebrows)! The eyebrows will require electrolysis (reserved for future sessions, as other body parts).
All told, we covered a lot of ground this evening, and with the hairs being "synchronized" and the increased fluence, I'm eagerly anticipating evaluating the results of this evenings session! As you may know (refer here), my psychotherapist has contacted a local endocrinologist's office on my behalf, with regard to me starting feminizing hormonal therapy (anticipated)!! :-) :-) As Dana has mentioned to us previously, she reiterated that I should avoid taking spironolactone (an anti-androgen), initially, as this causes the facial hairs to turn grey (white), thus necessitating their removal via electrolysis, rather than laser treatment! Although a lot of web sites (mostly "carbon-copies" on one another) advocate starting spironolactone prior to starting permanent hair removal, based on anecdotal reports that spironolactone can retard facial hair growth (?!?), I prefer to defer to Dana's considerable personal experience with her trans clients! Plus, I am attempting to get a lot of this done (permanent hair removal; diet and slimming down - refer here, letting my scalpal hair grow long - no haircuts since last September, ~9 months ago!), so this advice really appeals to me! :-) Spironolactone has been reported (Google search - various web sites, again with the quotes mostly being "carbon copies" re-posted among various sites) to reduce the pigmentation in the hair roots, which obviously would greatly attenuate the effectiveness re: laser treatment!
Oh yes ... our next appointment is scheduled for 6 weeks from now ... mid-July 2007, which will be exactly 6 months into the hair removal process. Out last session was 7 weeks ago - Dana wants to see what I look like after 6 weeks this time, based on my description of the course of events since my last session, detailed above.
A note to anyone reading this who is anticipating facial hair removal and / or transitioning from MtF:
To be continued ... Victoria :-)
... Yes, much better today - I had a closer look at my face today at home after work, and found only ~5 or so tiny whiteheads (vs. way too many to count, at bedtime last evening)! Also, the slight swelling and tenderness that I had yesterday has largely dissipated, and - rather faster than last time, perhaps - the beautifully cleared face that I have immediately following my laser sessions is being replaced by a slight shadow again (*sigh*), which indicates that the dead (lased) hairs are working themselves free?!
I was scheduled for my 5th laser / 3rd electrolysis session next week (mid-July), but Sunshine and I are heading back home to Nova Scotia for a brief vacation, so Dana rescheduled me for the end of July. As mentioned above, my first meeting with my endocrinologist is three months away (mid-October, 2007), so things are looking promising with regard to my facial ahir removal. Last week we re-watched Switching Sexes - The Aftermath, that re-visits Mikayla Connell, a MTF that I really admire (so cute!). Even ~2 years after transitioning, she was still undergoing electrolysis (two electrologists, simultaneously), which indicates that (a) it is never to early to start permanent hair removal, and (b) I wonder if she was taking spironolactone, and if this had turned her facial hairs white?!
This session only took ~30 minutes or so, for my work. Dana rather quickly proceeded through the electrolysis using a different machine this time (I did not need to be grounded), that she said that she had bought (some time ago) specifically for her trans clients, and which was more powerful. It did not sting any worse (just small B'aby" bee stings, again) than the previous sessions, and seemed to go quickly, perhaps 15 minutes or so!
Dana then moved onto the laser, which again went fairly quickly. As always, the upper chin and especially the upper lip (!!) were the most uncomfortable; however, Dana also informed me that the laser was pretty much set toward the maximum power, which was good to know! I can't wait to see the results from this session! :-)
My next session (6th laser; 4th electrolysis) will be toward the end of September 2007 (~ 8 weeks). I am also planning, in the near future, to begin the laser removal of my body hair, with Dana, starting in perhaps 1-2 weeks! :-) :-)
Despite this, I *know* - based on the last two sessions, that the hair clearing results are definitely working and accelerating, i.e. I had much more "cleared" surface area after my 4th laser session back at the beginning of June 2007, and I fully expect to see *significantly* improved (cleared) areas, now (hopefully)! ;-)
My next laser & electrolysis session (face and neck) will be in four weeks!
I really defer to her good expertise and experience, which is considerable. For now, I'll minimize my sun exposure; we'll get those hairs, eventually! ;-) All of this makes me wonder, how do darker-skinned people tolerate laser hair removal, or can they? I just don't know ...
On additional note - like the previous times, my face was very swollen and red the morning following my laser session, with lots of tiny whiteheads, that I squeezed out, before trying to use a little make-up (blush, etc.) to largely conceal the damage and get through the day (Tuesday at work), pretty well. Wednesday was not too much of a problem - with significantly less redness and swelling and therefore much less concealer; and certainly not too much of a problem after that. However, as mentioned, my facial shadow is back, from the nascent, dead hairs. ...
I think that this illustrates the difficulty in removing facial hair, and the need to start as soon as possible. It's been 6 sessions on my face thus far, over ~10 months, and although the results are significant, it is a *slow* process! I really wanted to get as much of this done as possible before starting FHT (I see an endocrinologist early in October), that is, the removal of the testosterone-dependent hairs. Interestingly, the one laser session that I had on my chest/abs and underarms has been remarkably successful - *much* more than the face! I only have a few stray hairs on my chest, and I've been leaving my underarms alone, to see exactly how clear they are. &rarr After more than two weeks without touching them at all, they were remarkably clear. Like Dana advocates, I'll delay taking spironolactone when I start FHT until my face is cleared, as she insists that it turns these hairs white (and therefore refractory to removal by laser)!
We'll come back in a week, Monday October 29) for my body (again): Arms (first time), also (?): chest (2nd time), abs (2nd time), & underarms (2nd time)? Once an area is lasered, and hair begins to regrow (lighter), *shave,* don't epilate - Dana! Susnshine will also have her underarms done a second time.
My next round of laser and electrolysis (face) and body laser is scheduled for early and mid-January, 2008!
This is probably related: although my nails are still chipping (but not as bad? - I am also taking biotin, daily for this), my fingernail growth *has* slowed significantly, I believe, as I am trimming them much less frequently?! One again, this may be purely wishful thinking, but both Susan and I *have* noticed that my face is 'softer.' This could be due to the laser treatments, as particualry following the last session, and subsequent 'clearing,' my face is indeed smoother and softer!
Like my previous facial laser sessions, my face did clear wonderfully, particularly from about early December until now! Just over the past week - the last few days or so - I have noticed a few stray hairs growing again on my face, plus (more numerous nowm than the dark hairs) gray hairs, but today (Dec. 25), my face looks great - cear and relatively smooth! Also, my body hair growth is *significantly* retarded, as mentioned above, including my armpits, chest, abdomen, arms and legs, torso.
Next week I see her for face/neck, then the body, the following week. Over the past week I have noticed a significant increase in body hair growth starting up again (but still *much* reduced from "before laser"!). My face isn't *nearly* as dark as it was in the same period prior to my last session, although it has begun breaking out ever so slightly, as a few of the regrowing (reappearing) hairs have become active, from their dormant phase of growth. Despite this, I have no shadow or dark patches!
Overall, things are very much improved, following each session, and this last one has been by far the best. :-)
Here are two "before" and "after" pictures, taken Jan. 08 (the dark spots in the after picture are the remaining dead, denatured hairs)!
Dana first used electrolysis (about twice the amount of time as previously?) to get my grey hairs, and then we moved on to the laser.
This evening, Dana has a surprise for me, a new device by Candela (the manufacturers of her GentleLASE laser - refer above), that snapped onto the end of her laser wand. It is a pneumatic "skin flattener" by InoLase (acquired by Candela), that uses a transparent gel and a gentle but firm suction to stretch and flatten the skin, while delivering the laser wand delivers the cryogen / laser pulse.
Dana said that this system works *much* better (in terms of blasting the hair), and let me tell you, it is *wonderful*!! The pulses on my neck were virtually painless (considerably less than even the electrolysis), and even on the most sensitive areas (chin; upper lip) resulted in about a 50% reduction in pain (although my eyes *still* watered up a bit - I'm such a wuss, it seems!). She needed to do a few shots minus the attachment around my nose, and *that's* when the difference was really apparent, as those last few shots were **very jolting,** as they always are!!
My next face / neck will be in ~8 weeks (March 2008); my next body laser will be in about 2 weeks. ...
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