I have had about 14 hrs of electrolysis (thermolysis type) done on my face so far. That includes coverage of the entire face except under the jaw line. The cheeks and sideburn area were zapped twice.
I am really worried now since I can see clear areas on my upper lips and cheeks BUT there seems to be pinpoint hyperpigmentation where the follicles are giving the “orange peel” look. Overall it looks like I still have beard shadow!!!Is this scarring permanent?
I am ancestrally from east India so I have light tanned / olive skin with dark hair that doesnt seem to fare well from electrolysis since I know my skin tends to be sensitive and hyperpigments easily (eg after an acne spot). I heard that people with my type of skin (Mediterranean / mid east / south asian) tend to get hyperpigmentation easily, even from laser treatment.
I have stopped the treatments for now and have started using retin-a and I will soon combine it with one of those glycolic acid peels. I will also add on the use of hydroquinone 2% cream that is a bleaching agent used to treat hyperpigmented skin. Is there anything else I can do to remove the scarring / hyperpigmented areas ?
I do trust my electrologist for now since she is TS and I am starting to transition and we are friends. She does care about my skin and says that I am the first client in her 6yrs of doing it that has had this effect. In the future, she’ll use insulated probes and also at a lower current, 50% instead of 75%. Should that prevent scarring?
People with darker skin can have discoloration from electrolysis and laser. It’s hard to say without seeing you, but if your scars in other places tend to be darker, you need to be extremely careful when getting hair removal.
If you get little scabs (eschars) after treatment, do not pick at them. Keep your skin moisturized and avoid sun before and after treatment. You should always use a strong sunblock.
If your scars tend to lighten over time, you may see a change in color, but indentations are not promising signs.
Not to disparage your friend, but remember that just because someone is “gender-friendly” and TS themselves doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best person in your area to see.
Regarding my electrologist who is TS, I have met some other t-girls who got most of their electro with her and they look good. I think the problem is mainly due to my unque complexion and sensitive skin. Oh well… I just got some hydroquinone cream and will take much more care of the skin and see if it improves.
It would be great if people like this chimed in again to tell us how their story ended.
Of course, I can tell you that most people like this get skin healing in 3 months after the treatments stop and look forever like they never had any hair in the treated area. So the important thing is to get clear as soon as possible.
Usually, those who tend to hyperpigment from tissue trauma, actually have less hyperpigmentation once they start electrolysis as it is the tweezing, picking, and close shaving that causes more hyperpigmentation than electrolysis.
If you are prone to hyperpigmentation, then the melanocyte suppressant hydroquinone is going to help you however you must use sunscreen, even though that in itself could be irritating. If you want to minimize the chemicals in sunscreen, use a 15 SPF but remember that the 15 needs to be reapplied every 2 1/2 hours.
Who put the program together - using retin A plus a glycolic acid plus the hydroquinone 2% with bleach?
It is not necessary to stop your electrolysis treatments while you are using the above products. I do not recommend using the bleaching product on your skin.
Scarring from electrolysis shows up as pitting, or slight indentations in the skin and this is rare and unusual from electrolysis however it is often a reaction to acne picking.
that prevent scarring?