PSA about hair removal
This post is for anyone who's seeking hair removal, but especially for the many other trans / non-binary / agender girls / women / fems / folks I see being given misinformation by laser or electrolysis technicians, especially in the US and UK 🥺
Please note that we've not gone into all hair removal forms, such as waxing, epilation, sugaring etc., as there is less misinformation given about these.
Laser hair removalNOT suitable at all for tattoos!There is a high risk of burning, scarring, and damaging the tattoo.Not to be confused with tattoo removal lasers, which work differently to laser hair removal.Permanent hair reduction.Always shave the area closely beforehand. Laser is less effective if you do not shave, and can actually cause skin burns if the hair is too long.Ideally look for a clinic that uses something like a Candela GentleMax Pro or newer. Such machines are less painful & more effective than ones like any of the Alma Soprano devices.6-8 sessions will typically be the sweet spot before moving on to electrolysis.Laser is sadly not universally effective with all combinations of skin and hair tones / colours. However, machines like the GentleMax Pro use a combination of a 755 nm Alexandrite laser for skin types I to III (lighter) and a 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser for skin types IV to VI (darker). You can find more info by searching for the Fitzpatrick scale.If the technician or clinic tell you not to use numbing cream, that's a massive red flag against their knowledge. A technician does not need pain feedback from you to know they're using safe levels!ElectrolysisSuitable for tattoos.Permanent hair removal.You must let the hair grow at least a few mm before a session.There are 3 different electrolysis methods. Flash thermolysis electrolysis uses short, high intensity bursts that are less painful. Galvanic is slower and more painful, but typically the most effective. Blend combines both methods. Each method has pros and cons, so ask your electrologist which method they recommend for you.Ask your electrologist for an estimate of how long it will take to clear an area, as their expertise and speed will vary. For example, NHS Scotland estimates it can take 250-400 hours to fully clear a face of facial hair. My own highly-experienced electrologist estimated 100-150 hours max for me, but has nearly cleared my face in under 40 hours. She's not yet taken more than about 120 hours to clear someone's face / neck fully.Again, numbing cream is not only absolutely safe, it's in fact highly recommended if you cannot afford local anaesthetic injections.For most folks, it's as much a mental challenge as it is about physical pain management. Even with numbing cream and strong painkillers, it's gonna hurt, especially in 2 hour+ sessions and around sensitive areas (especially the top lip and around the mouth).Aloe vera gel helps with post-electrolysis swelling and recovery.Numbing creamThe most common brand of numbing cream is EMLA, which is 2.5% lidocaine and 2.5% prilocaine.The strongest cream we'd previously found without prescription is Tattoo Numbing Cream, which is 5% lidocaine and 5% prilocaine.We no longer recommend Tattoo Numbing Cream due to having found a stronger, more cost-effective Korean brand called J-Cain, which comes in higher strengths, but our initial testing with the 29.9% lidocaine version was that it wasn't much stronger, but we think we might have been actually sent the 15.6% version.They typically do 10.56%, 15.6%, 19.8%, 25.8%, 29.9% creams in 500 g tubs, which are much more economical than the Tattoo Numbing Cream.They also do 59.9% and 79.9% creams, but those those are potentially very dangerous in terms of lidocaine toxicity.Please note that J-Cain seems to have a decent preservative in it, but it's not clear what penetration enhancer it uses.If you can get a strong lidocaine-prilocaine cream on prescription at an affordable cost, this is definitely something to consider.Lidocaine and prilocaine form a eutectic mixture and work very well together.You ideally want a cream with a decent penetration enhancer (like IPM).To help with absorption, exfoliate and clean the area before applying cream, apply 60-90 mins before a session, and cover in an air-tight, water-tight dressing (cling film / plastic wrap works well).Please note that food-grade PVC wrap works far better than the non-PVC one now commonly sold in supermarkets.
Sadly, I can't provide much information on local anaesthetic injections. In the UK, they're typically arranged either by a medically-trained specialist at an electrolysis clinic or separately (such as at a dentist's) immediately before attending a session.
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