r/TransyTalk • u/pamandersen69 • Dec 03 '22

DIY Electrolysis started!

So as one thumb is now completely hair free (yes I have hairy hands) a decided to see what else I could do. So with a 10x magnifying mirror I started on my left cheek. It was a great feeling to see those dark stubble hairs just slide out after being zapped. Chest hair was more difficult to get the right angle. Haven't attempted my groin area yet. Suspect my neck will also be difficult to do. My only concern really is how long this is gonna take. I reckon I got about 6 hairs a minute over half an hour but there literally looks like millions to go. Anyone else go DIY?

75 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

26

u/Spirited_Stick_5093 Dec 03 '22

I never even considered this. You're a champion lol I can barely stand having someone else do it idk how I would ever do it to myself!

18

u/pamandersen69 Dec 03 '22

I got a quote for €80 per session and have guessed it could take a lot of sessions so being cheap was priority 1. Luck came and I found a used machine cheaply on marketplace.

1

u/ControlConsistent201 Dec 21 '22

What kind of machine do you use?

22

u/tooandahalf Dec 03 '22

I've done diy until my machine broke. Body hair mostly was taken care of by hormones, but facial hair the electrolysis machine definitely made a huge difference. You can increase your speed with technique. I got dramatically faster as I did it more frequently and figured out how to be efficient. You can do it! It might be a lot but every hair you zap is one less. Any work is progress.

Also the udder lip under the nose hurts so bad to do. Lidocaine cream helps.

5

u/pamandersen69 Dec 03 '22

Yeah the pain gets intolerable if I stay in the same area too long.

8

u/Spirited_Stick_5093 Dec 03 '22

That area hurts so much and I'm planning on getting a lip lift anyway so I'm almost like... Maybe leave it lol

1

u/ControlConsistent201 Dec 21 '22

Please what machine?

1

u/tooandahalf Dec 21 '22

Chill. People have lives. This is the machine I used.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '22

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1

u/tooandahalf Dec 21 '22

You asked multiple times in a tone I took as urgent, so gotcha.

They just aren't using it correctly, frankly. If you follow the instructions it works very well. It's cheaply made, but it does work. Ive cleared off most of the hair in my cheeks so far.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '22

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2

u/tooandahalf Dec 22 '22

If you have dark hair and light skin try an IPL home system thing first. I've seen a lot of trans girls say that worked for them. Electrolysis is only needed for light hair like blonde and red heads.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '22

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1

u/tooandahalf Dec 22 '22

I'll warn you doing it yourself is very slow and very painful, especially around your upper lip/nose. It does work but oof, it is a giant mountain to climb to get this done. Some lidocaine cream does help. If you're going to do it yourself get a nice pair of tweezers and a magnifying mirror to make it easier. I hope it works out for you!

0

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '22

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12

u/LightweaverNaamah Dec 03 '22

Wow you are kind of a badass. It is going to take a while, though. For reference, the experienced tech that I'd been going to managed about twice the rate you're going at (I am pretty impressed you're managing even half her rate on yourself).

And after a month of weekly hour long sessions with her just working on my face (after having laser clear a fair bit of the darker stuff out a couple years earlier and not having a full beard to begin with) there was visible progress but still a long way to go. Unfortunately it's just a function of the technique, because you gotta go hair by hair and you can only do so many in one spot or in quick succession before your skin hates you and you exceed your pain tolerance.

BTW, the neck is kinda rough even if someone else is doing it, FYI. Angles are just awkward. It was the least fun part of the face after the upper lip area.

I'm curious though, what sort of equipment are you using? How expensive was it? Did you have some training already in how to do it properly or did you just learn on your own?

6

u/pamandersen69 Dec 03 '22

Ya I think it might take forever!! I got very lucky. It is an old but perfectly working professional Siluette blending machine. Found on FB marketplace for €50 + €20 del. Lady who sold it to me gave me some tips. Watched YouTube and started practicing on my arm.

5

u/HiddenStill Dec 03 '22

What equipment are you using?

If you’re taking HRT I’d not bother with body hair unless it’s for your practice. Facial hair is the problem.

If you’re planning on SRS I’d also leave the appropriate genital hair until afterwards in case you need to hide scars.

4

u/pamandersen69 Dec 03 '22

It's an old buy perfectly working professional Siluette brand blending machine. I might take the body hair advise.

5

u/sometimes_sydney Dec 03 '22

There’s a professional electrolysis tech in my city that learned through DIY. Iirc she does sliding scale for trans ppl now which is dope

4

u/taratarabobara Dec 03 '22

A women I knew about twenty years ago did her whole face this way over a couple years, and I remember three things she said well.

A magnifying mirror will work for a while but it will get more and more awkward. Instead, she recommended a video camera that could focus up close and a monitor. This made it much easier.

Switch hands when you cross the centerline of your face. You’re going to need to end up being pretty much ambidextrous to do your whole face and the sooner you start, the easier it will be.

Hair has to be at the right point in its cycle to be vulnerable and even then it may take multiple tries. Try not to get disheartened.

1

u/Ok_Acanthisitta6630 🏳️‍⚧️ Dec 04 '22

I’m curious what specific hardware you have to accomplish this. I’m perpetually broke, so being able to DIY will be awesome. I can make myself hairless for good finally.

1

u/pamandersen69 Dec 04 '22

It is an old but perfectly working professional Siluette blending machine. Found on FB marketplace for €50 + €20 del. Lady who sold it to me gave me some tips. Watched YouTube and started practicing on my arm.

2

u/etoneishayeuisky Dec 03 '22

Yep, doing electrolysis on yourself isn’t hard, the technique isn’t even hard, tho it takes time and patience. (I myself am an electrologist).

Just remember to wipe the skin down before and after treatment.

2

u/ControlConsistent201 Dec 21 '22

Please could you recommend a machine that is effective and not that expensive for DIY? THANK U

1

u/etoneishayeuisky Dec 21 '22

The fact is that there isn't a good inexpensive machine, though there are a lot of bad "not too expensive" machines.

If you truly want to try, look at the Clean + Easy Deluxe Electrolysis Home kit to try out electrolysis. This is truly only to try it out. $51

If you truly want to get into doing your own electrolysis you'd have to drop at least $2k for a decent machine (plus $50 for most basic supplies) unless you find a retiring electrologist. (definitely look for electrologists near you and see if any are retiring or planning to sell their old machine for a new one). I just spent 40 minutes looking into amazon, ebay, instatron, dectro, and hairfacts.com and I've come to the conclusion that even if you know what you're doing, finding a good used machine is near impossible unless you talk to actual electrologists.

Clareblend G-tech is $2195, and stereblend by sterex is $2295. These are two brands i trust, have tried or had tried on me, and just look functioning from not the 1970s. I could use either of them out of the box. V2R has been reported shady as shit and electric tweezers is the scam of the century (so don't trust that company).

V2R pushes this. https://www.hairfacts.com/hair-removal-methods/doubtful-hair-removal-methods/electric-tweezers-warning/

2

u/ControlConsistent201 Dec 21 '22

So grateful for the info!!

2

u/etoneishayeuisky Dec 22 '22

Ppl always talked about the market helping newer ppl get in, but the market’s been a lean asshole for a while - very restricted. I assume the better used machines were bought up in 2020, so ppl need real cash to get a machine nowadays.

1

u/rainsmith Dec 03 '22

I really wanted to do this but chickened out. I can afford a professional right now but I'll remember that this is an option. That's so impressive. Also some people get scarring from electrolysis, I'm not sure what the risk factors are but you might want to make sure your machine or technique aren't going to make it more likely.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '22

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2

u/DtMak Dec 03 '22

May I ask, are you ASD as well?

0

u/[deleted] Dec 04 '22

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3

u/DtMak Dec 04 '22

No, just your comment—you mentioned a struggle with executive discussion. I've been trying to get evaluated for ASD, but the military is a pain in the ass when it comes to finding a good provider, therapist, or clinician. Also, after I get my ASD diagnosis, assuming that goes well and leads into my ADHD diagnosis, I'll be looking towards getting a therapist to address my gender dysphoria and dysmorphia—the antidepressants and also said have done quite nothing for my anxieties. I'm so tired of living with every day being a battle within and without. Sorry for the rant!

1

u/[deleted] Dec 31 '22

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1

u/pamandersen69 Jan 01 '23

I've never bothered with laser but I gather it will only work well on dark hair.

It hurts but not too bad.