Electrolysis is different for everyone…it depends how much hair you have, how good your electrologist is, and how much hair is dormant in your skin.

for reference, it took me 3 years of regular sessions (2 hours every 2 weeks) to remove a full beard, chest hair, leg hair, Brazilian area and underarm hair

Electrolysis works on all hair types and skin colors. Unlike laser, which works best on light skin and dark hair, electrolysis treats each individual hair with a needle probe that is able to fit into any follicle.

there are some medical conditions that are contraindications to electrolysis though.

Accutane: Only if you are off of medication for 1 year to avoid any scarring.

Retin A/Renova: Only if you stop applying it 2 days before your session and stay off 2 days after your session if you are having treatment in that area.

Absolute Contra-Indications – (Requires a Doctor's Note): Diabetes, heart condition, hemophilia, pacemaker, seizures, transplant, surgery.

Relative Contra-Indications – Patients may be treated, provided their condition is under control with a medical professional's supervision: Carcinoma, Coagulation Problems, Fainting, Hepatitis, Herpes I & II, Hodgkin's Disease, Hysterectomy, Keloids, Tumors.

clients are not a monolith, so each clients unique hair type and skin reaction needs to be taken into account.

some common factors for darker skinned clients to take into account are:

keloids - darker skinned folks have a higher chance of developing keloid scars. ask family members if there is a history of keloids in the family or check in with your doctor before treatment.

hyperpigmentation - trauma to the skin increases melanin production, so for darker skinned clients there is a slightly higher chance of hyperpigmentation. this will resolve as the skin heals and regenerates, which can take several months to fully go away.

curls - the only major technical difference for your electrologist to consider is your curl type. for clients with 3c curls and above, the hair is actually curving into the follicle - this just means that the way your electrologist stretches the skin and the magnification they use will be crucial. The treatment of the hair itself is the same as any other but it’s important that the electrologist can make sure they’re hitting that follicle just right.

at t4t we use surgical grade medical loupes to magnify 6.5x, the minimum required for proper magnification.

Removal after treatment - for curly or kinky hair the follicle may be more curved. If this is the case, there may be a greater sensation of “pulling” when the hair is removed post-treatment, especially in larger hairs, due to the bulb of the hair winding through the follicle. It should not feel like a pluck though!

histories of whiteness in hair removal - historically, hair removal practices have not beaten the white beauty standard allegations. To this day, i’ve seen aestheticians insist on removing hair that’s more racialized.

at t4t, we’re not here to tell you what you need to look like, just to help make the fantasy happen. we understand the complexity of the reasons that people seek hair removal.

some considerations for trans/gnc clients:

hormones - hormones vastly affect hair growth. your skin will change too so it is important to understand these changes. talk to your doctor, other dolls, and your electrologist about what’s going on so you can manage expectations. for example, estrogen may diminish hair size and soften skin but it will not get rid of hair that is already present. changing medication can also affect different hair areas (like how finasteride will halt dht production and stop balding), so anytime you change your regiment you could potentially see regrowth.

hair density - for the girls, you will likely have more hair growing on your face. it is often dense and large (terminal hairs). you will need a well trained electrologist to navigate this treatment. over-treatment can cause scarring and many electrologists do not understand the ways that settings can be adjusted to avoid causing damage

surgery prep - i have seen electrologists flat out say they do not perform surgery prep. getting surgery is a long and stressful ordeal…but lets let the stressful part be about deciding the recovery outfits you’re going to wear or what your going to say on your ig post, not about your electrolysis prep.

you will need to consult with your doctor before vaginoplasty or phalloplasty in order to know the method of surgery they will be performing. for example, some vaginoplasty does not require electrolysis beforehand (like PPT), or you may not need it if you don’t have a lot of hair and your surgeon thinks they can get it all with a surgical scrape.

Your surgeon will need to specify the graft site for you specifically and sign off before we can begin treatment.

do not wait to get treated! full treatment for surgery prep will take 6 months to a year. you need to plan ahead so that you don’t end up having to delay your surgery.

gender binary - I don’t want any of my clients to feel like they need to look a certain kind of way to be seen as their gender. I am here to work with you to craft a body in your image. body hair is amazing, it is not something that needs to be removed…but if you want to I am here to help. we can try to customize treatment as much as you’d like and I will be happy to let you know the limitations of the craft. so by all means, keep the happy trail, be a bearded lady, get rid of hair that gives you the ick and keep the stuff you love!