I will just poke my head in here to say that coarse hairs that are prone to ingrown status are really a challenge in that the only way for one to get peace is to get them all removed, while at the same time, the hair removal practitioner is trying to weigh how much work can be done without going too far on either the client's ability to tolerate the treatment, or the client's ability to believe in the treatment long enough to get to the point where the return on investement is apparent.

I once had a male client who had plucked his hair for years and needed hair removal from the jaw line down to the chest. Doing his work was further complicated by his unwillingness to relax enough for me to put him in a good position for me to do the work from the best angles, and he was SUCH A BIG BABY about feeling ANYTHING from the treatment energy and his hairs were the consistency of plastic!

He gave up after three treatments, and I am sure he believes electrolysis failed him, but he doesn't realize that we never got to treat any hairs out of the phase of growth he was in when he first had his initial consultation. A year after treatment, I am sure he did not notice the reduction in his ingrown hairs, nor the imporved quality of his skin.

The practitioner is stuck between the question "what is the highest level of performance I can do" and "what is the treatment result that this client will be most comfortable with receiving". This is an especially sticky wicket for anyone seeing a client for the first time.

Why, just recently, I miscalculated what a first time client would find acceptable and did a scattered treatment that covered full face when at the conclusion of the treatment, the client complained that what was fervently desired was full on Deforestation, Amazon Rain Forrest Class and to hell with the temporary side effects and no bother about how thousands of hairs could be removed and yet we might not actually cover as much skin space as the scattered treatment.

Of course, we are not mind readers and we have to deal with our miscalculations with people who can be awfully verbal about something that may last only a week at the most, as opposed to the lifetime of positive reward later.

WOW!!! I am praising God today! My face is doing soooo much better and there is only a light scattering of hair on my lip, which I trimmed with tiny scissors this morning, and the hair is almost invisible!!! My hubby is very, very happy as well, and I know he's being honest when he tells me that he can barely see anything. I am so impressed, and the swelling and redness for a couple days, and no makeup, were absolutely worth it!!! I know this is only after the 2nd treatment, but I am so excited, I can hardly wait to see how much better it gets!!! I haven't shaved my face since Monday, and I used to have to shave EVERYDAY, sometimes twice in a day, and it was a constant battle of dark shadow/razor burn, or a thick strip of heavy stubble. I am so so so so happy today, and I am starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel!
I know that the tunnel is long, with lots of ups and downs, but I am so encouraged that this is actually working, and it is already giving such wonderful results.

Also, I think I should say the condition of my skin is dramatically improved. I honestly don't think I will EVER have to shave my face again. The little scissors work so well.
I'm sorry to be posting again so soon, but I am just so excited and so happy about these results. I honestly think the two days of temporary side effects were totally worth it!!!!

In regard to women touching their lip or cheek - yes, they can be that mean. Some do it unconsciously. I have friends that I avoid seeing in daylight as they stare and stroke their chins/cheek. I know that they probably don't mean it, but it is very hurtful and depressing.

It is mean, but it happens all the time.

By the way - I am starting my "deforestation" soon, and I just want to thank you for posting - it helps to know that there are others struggling with this and that there is some hope. I don't think people without this issue really know how crippling it is, how much we have to hide and draw away from living fully.

Anyhow, thank you, I hope to post my treatment diary soon :)Good luck!

Fuzzy, there are several threads on electrologists in LA. Run a search to read through them. You'll probably find some recommendations.

Thank you LA girl, but practitioners are not the problem, rather it is a schedule thing and some fairly serious health issues within my family that are more important just now. I have searched already.

Thanks, Fuzzy....having a hair free face is so amazing, I encourage you to get started and stick with it!

I need to catch up on my treatment diary, so I will start by saying I had appointment #3 this past Thursday. We did 459 insertions in 81 minutes.
It only took about 27 minutes to clear my chin, and then we went to work on the very thick, coarse hairs on my upper lip for about 45 minutes and she finished with the
last 5-7 minutes along my lip line,right below the bottom lip. I was showing quite a bit of hair when I came in, but when I left it was all gone!
Well, mostly gone....I made her stop a bunch of times on the upper lip and she changed pulses and probe sizes, but I think it will hurt no matter what we do. That pain is so worth it when I wake up the next day and the hair is GONE!!!! And, then the next day and the next and the next!!! I actually went and ran a bunch of errands yesterday with NO makeup on, which I wouldn't ever have dreampt of doing before, but I even was complimented on my skin and my sisters told me they couldn't even tell I wasn't wearing make up. And, if anyone would be brutally honest about the facial hair or razor burn, it's those two. Plus, my skin is almost totally healed from years of razor burn, so nowwhen I get treated my skin barely reacts. Redness and swelling that is gone in an hour, and a little puffiness the second day, but nothing at all like I was dealing with before.
So, I will have to wait till next week since no hair is coming in to remove right now. I do have some sparse ones here and there on the chin, since I was a plucker, but they are getting trimmed or shaved and are unnoticeable.
I couldn't be happier with my results. I just wish it didn't hurt so bad on the top lip.
I am so thankful that this is getting dealt with!

Oh, yeah, I forgot...I was diagnosed with PCOS last week, but I am looking at alternatives that do not include glucophage or birth control, so any recommendations of natural remedies would be appreciated.
Thanks!

I dont know if there are alternative medicines out there,but I do know changing your lifestyle is supposed to help.Not just for pcos but for any disease.I would try meditation just to relieve the daily stress of life. I also haerd that hair growth is sometimes contributed to stress.I personally have found exercise and eating healthy natural organic food can help.Considering pcos can cause diabetes you should avoid sugar whenever possiable.Ican understand how oyu want to go as natural as possiable Iam the same way Ihave been very weary at conventional treatments but if the lifestyle change doesn't help maybe it would be wise to try birthcontrol.