DOES ELECTROLYSIS HURT?
Yes. Keep in mind that an electrologist’s job is to destroy tissue. Electrolysis is a destructive process, and as a consequence, you will feel pain. A painless treatment is a worthless treatment. That being said, the perception of pain varies from person to person. I find that online, trans women undergoing electrolysis seem to take great pride in describing just how painful the process is, finding camaraderie in our shared suffering. It is very likely that you will not find electrolysis as painful as the collective wisdom of the Internet would have you believe. After my own first electrolysis appointment, I told people that it was the most painful thing I had ever experienced. During my final electrolysis appointment, I fell asleep in the treatment chair.
I do find that the fact that the constant sensation of the galvanic needle quickly desensitizes the surrounding nerves and inundates your brain with endorphins, whereas the blip blip blip of the thermolysis needle never allows your nerves to get accustomed to the sensation. Many of my clients will happily willingly sit for five or six hours–until I have to stop due to my own fatigue.
Can you offer anything for pain?
I can only offer a dark room, relaxing music, and words of comfort. My license does not allow me to provide any medication or apply topical anesthetic (except for ice).
Can you recommend a topical anesthetic?
It’s common for trans women to come to my office with some form of topical applied to their skin–typically a compounded BLT or EMLA cream prescribed by their endocrinologist. I generally discourage this, as not only does it make the skin slick and difficult to stretch, but it also clogs follicles, blocking the entry of the electrolysis needle. I also find that it tends to not be particularly effective on most parts of the face and body, with notable exceptions being the lips and genitalia.
A well-known (but difficult to obtain) topical that puts EMLA to shame is the one Dr. Will Powers prescribes:
- ketamine 10%
- DMSO 10%
- gabapentin 6%
- amitriptyline 2%
- baclofen 1%
- cyclobenzaprine 1%
- diclofenac 1%
- lidocaine 7%
- tetracaine 2%
- benzocaine 5%
Apply 90 minutes before procedure. Reapply 30 minutes before procedure, and again 15 minutes before procedure. Limit application to an area of under 100 cm2. Applying over a larger area is, according to Dr. Powers, “unwise” and “not a good time”.
Note that this formulation contains DMSO. DMSO is a solvent that readily penetrates the skin, carrying other chemicals along with it. While its purpose here is to increase the absorption of the various anesthetic compounds, it can also allow toxins to enter as well. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after application, and certainly don’t do something like pump gasoline with DMSO on your hands.
Can you recommend an oral painkiller?
I don’t have firsthand experience with taking painkillers. That being said, a client will occasionally come over on some sort of opioid, typically Norco or Percoset. I cannot recommend any of these due to their addictive potential, but I do ask that you let me know what’s in your system if I’m to work on you.
I can recommend a combination of acetaminophen and ibuprofen (i.e., Tylenol and Advil). These two medications have a synergistic effect, and taking them together has an analgesic effect comparable to opioids for certain types of pain.
Is there anything else I can do to lessen the pain?
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants, as they intensify the sensation of pain. Electrolysis is a great motivation to quit!
Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water the day before your session. The more hydrated and conductive your skin is, the lower the voltage I need to use to achieve the desired current, and the less pain you’ll feel. (There is some debate about whether or not drinking water hydrates the skin. Regardless, most people should probably drink more water in general.)
Practice meditation! This advice may seem silly, but my clients that have experience with altered or meditative states are able to let the pain simply flow through them. Meditation is also how I made it through many hours of electrolysis. In my experience, many trans women have interest in topics that are, for lack of a better term, meditation-adjacent. Your transition is a perfect time to explore those interests!