Does anybody out there know of any HOME-BASED solutions for affecting permanent electrolysis?

Fortunately, I am not extremely hairy on my back and shoulders, although I do have a few persistent, annoying wiry hairs that continually return and look like hell. I want them gone for good. I'm sick of shaving them of course, and chemical-based solutions (i.e., Nair) have their serious drawbacks as well. At age 40, I'm sick of having to deal with these ugly wires again and again. I am not quite willing to devote my $$$ to laser electrolysis as I know little about it.

I am not looking to use any such proposed device on my pubes or other sensitive areas, just where I mentioned.

Several years ago, I saw an advertisement by IGEA that offered such a device, but I know nothing about how it works or if it's effective.

Any advice that you could give about brands, models, how to use and what to watch out would be greatly appreciated.

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You won't be happy with the following information, but it's probably best if you know the truth before you go spending a hundred bucks or more and end up getting ripped off. Worse: spending a hundred bucks or more and damaging your skin.

Most of the products sold for home hair removal are crap. Consumer response seems to indicate that:

1) "Radio frequency" products which supposedly remove hair by sending radio waves through the hair to the follicle are NOT a permanent solution even though the manufacturers claim they are. There are certainly many of these products available -- the most hyped product is sold under the name of "Finally Free." It costs about $100 and requires additional purchases in the form of certain accessories needed to use the kit over time. There are numerous consumer complaints about this product. The main selling point is that it is non-invasive -- an electrically wired tweezer is used to hold the hair and sends a radio wave pulse through the hair shaft to the follicle, which is then supposedly killed so that no new hair will grow. Sounds like a load of shit to me...

2) "TRUE" electrolysis products involve the use of a stylus consisting of a wire which is inserted INTO the follicle. Pressing a button sends electric current (NOT radio waves) into the follicle, which kills it. This is how actual electrolysis works, as you know. The problems with these type of products include: low-power which often fails to kill the follicle; risk of skin damage, especially in sensitive areas; EXTREMELY difficult to use -- directing the wire stylus INTO the hair follicle isn't easy and practically impossible to do on areas of the body that are hard to reach; re-growth is common; the process is physically uncomfortable.

I'll provide some links for you at the end of this post, but first:

Dude, I won't bother telling you NOT to worry about a few hairs that naturally occur with aging. While this is perfectly NORMAL and the VAST MAJORITY of men out there do not concern themselves with this, it's unfair to say that YOU should be content to live with it if it indeed bothers you. At the very least, however, it is often a wise idea to give some thought to bodily modifications of ANY sort before you rush into something. This advice goes for cosmetic surgery, tattoos, piercings, hair removal, etc. It's imperative that you personally research your options and take a little time to weigh the risks and the benefits of each.

While a few stray hairs may be unsettling for you at the present moment, you may realize that they are just not as important as you once thought if you wait a while before taking action.

But, assuming you have made up your mind and that taking care of this "problem" will make you feel better about yourself -- then by all means, you should go for it!

Yet I would STRONGLY recommend that you have this professionally done and NOT bother wasting your time and money with "at home" products.

Sorry... I know you don't want to hear that.

Here's the deal, dude:

Save up some money over time for professional treatments. Understand that even professional electrolysis sometimes requires repeated sessions. The less hair you want to remove, the better luck you will have. But also consider that as you get older you will almost certainly get NEW hairs in NEW places. So this is something you'll be doing for a LONG time.

TEMPORARY measures for "at home" hair removal are another great option -- and you can easily afford these kinds of techniques and use them WHILE you are waiting and saving up the money for professional treatments. There's nothing shameful or wrong about waxing a few stray hairs or using depilatory creams when you feel it is necessary. At least it is SOMETHING, right?

You mentioned concerns regarding laser treatments for hair removal. I cannot address those concerns in great detail as I have never had laser hair removal, but I HAVE been using lasers for cosmetic purposes since the age of twelve. I am quite sure I probably know more about cosmetic applications for lasers than anyone in these forums.

Dude... lasers ROCK! GO FOR IT! It is WELL worth the money and EXTREMELY SAFE.

In fact, my friend... I am here in Buffalo staying longer than I anticipated because I am going to go get zapped by a laser again while I am here. I've got a birthmark on my face and have decided I feel like taking another crack at laser treatment. Now, this birthmark doesn't bother me at all -- in fact, I kind of dig it in some ways. Yet at the same time... I just want a CHANGE. I get my dick sucked ALL THE TIME and have NO problems with my sex life or attracting willing male partners. And if anything was going to be an issue for me, it would be that! To be perfectly honest, I think some guys think I got into a bar-fight or something. I think that until they see me several times and realize it is NOT a black-eye, they probably think I'm a tough little fucker and are consequently turned on by that.

Now, as I said, I've been having off and on laser treatments since I was twelve. I stopped at first because way back when I was a kid, the technology just wasn't as good as it could be. I was advised by my doc to wait until I was an adult and my face was no longer growing and changing with adolescence. He was right. Lasers have changed A LOT. I was, in fact, one of the FIRST guys in the United States to try laser for cosmetic purposes. My doc was a pioneer in the field.

When I decided to try it again, laser technology had come a long way. I found a new doc in Florida and as it turns out, he was trained by my old doc! The first laser was argon and it literally just BURNED the layers of skin BENEATH the surface. This was horrible and painful and required local anesthetic as well as a two-week recovery. Initial results were minimal, but there was some notable change. The NEXT laser was a pulse-dye laser. What a difference! This thing requires NO anesthetic. A cold pack is placed on the skin for ten minutes before treatment and again for an hour or two after. Results are MUCH better and much faster, too.

Treatment (for me, because it is a relatively small area) takes about twenty minutes, max. The laser feels like rubber bands being snapped against the skin, or maybe like having sand blown through a thin straw. It stings and is uncomfortable, but... to be honest, I don't even wince. The doc can stop at any time and let the patient rest for a minute if you just ask. It's no big deal.

After, the cold pack keeps the skin refreshed. You can ditch it after an hour or two. The area will be sore for a couple more hours and then... NOTHING.

No pain, very little or NO swelling at all, no burns, no wounds, no blood, no NOTHING.

In my case, the area of skin treated gets lighter and lighter over the next six month to one year. A second treatment is possible one month after the first, but then it's necessary to wait about a year for more if more are needed.

Also in my case... this is a STUBBORN birthmark to treat. It could take a dozen zaps. Maybe less. But there is NO damage to the skin.

I got IMMEDIATE results the first time I tried the pulse-dye laser. Fading continued for a year.

I stopped ONLY because of the cost -- I could not afford to do it over and over. This will NOT be anywhere NEAR as big of an issue for laser hair removal, trust me.

But now... I've got some cash to try it again and my Dad offered out of the blue to pitch in some cash, too. So why the hell not?

I want you to consider something, though, just as I am considering it:

I don't want to change myself COMPLETELY. At least right now, that is my thinking. I kind of WANT something to be there on my face. It's part of ME. It's never been a problem, never caused me psychological distress and in my entire life I've only encountered TWO individuals who were ever rude or nasty to me because of it. Maybe once I see the results of this next zap session I will decide I want more done or that I like how I look as it fades. Or maybe not. The good news for me is that I know in my case I won't get FULL results instantly next time around. So I can stop and leave it be if I desire.

I'm kind of looking forward to it -- but at the same time, I LIKE myself as I am and I'm happy with my face. It's a good conversation starter, too! LOL.

The point is -- YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE. I am CERTAIN I would NOT be the guy I am today if I had not been born with a birthmark. Yet mine is small and not a big deal. I've seen people with HUGE birthmarks covering half of their upper body. I can see why these folks would have some issues. I guess I'm lucky in many ways.

I thought it was important to share that story with you so you can give it all some thought. I also understand that a few stray hairs are NOT a big deal, whether they are there are NOT there. It's NOT the same thing as a birthmark. YOUR CHOICE is easier to make, so good for you!

Laser hair removal is safe and effective. BELIEVE IT. Additionally, there are LIGHT TREATMENTS that are also safe and effective. These are NOT actual lasers. They are cheaper and less powerful and do not always require a physician. HOWEVER, my personal recommendation would be to have a COSMETIC DERMATOLOGIST perform any procedure you select.

Dude, an initial consultation with a doc will run you about $100. MOST of these docs will allow for this fee to be deducted from the price of treatment.

MY laser surgery is only going to cost $410. This is a great price. I'm going to do it a second time, after the first thirty day waiting period has ended from the first treatment, so $820 total. Then I've got a year to decide if I want or need to do it again. Maybe, maybe not.

I think this cost is very reasonable. The only problem for ME is that a dozen treatments totals six grand. Maybe I'll need six, seven, eight -- or just this one time. No way to know. I've got all the time in the world, though.

BUT... laser hair removal will not cost anywhere near this amount. Two or three treatments for a few stray hairs and that's IT. Price will vary according to the size of the area you wish to treat. If new hairs appear in new places, you can deal with them later.

Laser or light-based hair removal is done in a doc's office and you leave immediately after. Whether you chose laser or light, you can expect: minor discomfort during the procedure and for a VERY short time after (couple hours); MAYBE some redness and tenderness for a day; MAYBE some VERY MINOR swelling, but this is not likely. You will be required to use sunscreen so that hyper-pigmentation does not result (also rare).

And that's about it. Electrolysis, should you go for that instead, will yield almost identical effects after treatment, but hyper-pigmentation is not a concern as far as I know.

I'm guessing $500 should take care of this for you. All three are viable options. Doing this by yourself at home is NOT a good idea, and you'd probably just waste $200 on equipment and supplies that don't work. Better to spend an extra three bills and get ACTUAL results, no?

Lasers are fabulous. Don't fear them.

Here's some links regarding at-home hair removal so you can read some information for yourself:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...s&ref=tgt_adv_

(Product for sale, with a few customer reviews)

http://www.hairfacts.com/index.html

(Maybe start here. This site isn't selling anything. There are some forums here that will be of use to you.)

http://www.nevershaveagain.com/

(Site selling the product that I believe you should NOT purchase, but included anyway because you asked.)

Now, remember: laser for hair removal is NOT the same thing as laser for skin discoloration, though many lasers DO have multiple uses. I provided MY personal information just as a basis to help you make a decision. Overall, however, you can expect great results if you let a professional do this for you.

Good luck.

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The drawback of any hair removal system is that a single hair follicle can produce up to three hairs and that not all hair follicles on your body are producing hair at all times.

When you look into laser hair removal, keep in mind that laser is superior to light. And that the qualifications of the hand wielding the equipment matters also. A single laser session will price out more than electrolysis. Where electrolysis makes its money is in the number of sessions you have to undergo. What I have seen with laser is that if it doesn't do the job the first time, it is a year or more before it needs to be done again. Not so with electrolysis.

As I've gotten older, it seems I have hair appearing in some of the oddest places. And as a child, men with bushy ears and noses frightened the hell out of me. So I take extra pains to keep from looking like them.

I would not recommend anything made by Igea. One of their leg trimmers that worked so well on TV actually caused many of its users to bleed profusely and was quickly pulled from the market. It literally ripped the hair from the person and took small hunks of skin along with the hair.

Shaving for me isn't an option because I have curly hair. Right now, I use the tweeze method on the oddball external hairs. A few minutes usually before showering and most of the hairs are taken care of. I have a nostril trimmer that take care of my nose. If pain is a problem, get a mild numbing creme, rub it on, wait a couple minutes, then tweeze. If you can't reach the hairs, you're gonna need a good friend.

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Many thanks for ScruffyCub and GuyTopeka for your wise, vast and caring input. I certainly do not want to spend my money or time on crap or anything that will damage my skin. God knows that just the stresses of living can do that without additonal help. I was a bit suspicious of the IGEA line of products before I read your comments.

GuyTopeka, your recollection:

made me laugh. The other day, I attended a funeral on the northwest side of Chicago and the priest, and old Irishman, had ear hair that would send a bottle of Nair running into the woods. I don't want to look like that at all. There should be an order of nuns that stick to tidying up old priests!

Laser electrolysis sounds like a good plan for many reasons. If it's reasonably priced and works, I don't mind paying for it. I guess that I will have to get some referrals from our "brothers" and check things out. I see it advertised more and more, so time to act.

It'd be great to have a houseboy who give shaves for where the sun shines and where it doesn't, but until then, I guess that laser technology is the best choice.

MIL

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Not that you need additional convincing, but about 10 years ago I bought the IGEA radio frequency product. I hadn't thought in advance that I would be trying to affect a single hair. Do you know how difficult that is and what an arduous process it was? I don't think I even had it a week before I threw it away. Lesson learned.

I stick to trimming, tweezing and shaving. In the end, I simply view it as another task to prevent myself from turning into an old troll

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Matt:

Happy 2005 to you. It's been almost a year since we've communicated. Are you still in downtown Chicago working? We have to hook up some time!

I appreciate your words of widsom and experience on the IGEA RF device. Sounds like more garbage that I don't need.

All this talk of trimming made think of one of my fantasies--to go into an all male barbershop, get a haircut, beard trim from a hot guy and then get the "black forest" trimmed with a blowjob or handjob thrown in to finish the experience.

Anybody know of a place in Chicagoland where that happens?!

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I used to live up in Edgewater (Yes, Michael, I'm still living and working downtown ) and went to a barber there who "lovingly" shaved my head. His touch was more than professional and a few times I am confident that he was pushing his body against my arms and even once or twice (or even more) swore I felt his erection poking at the same.

One night in particular, he took extra care cutting my hair and spent longer than usual on it/me. There was another guy waiting but the shop was closed. He just wouldn't stop cutting/preening and I SWEAR he was waiting for the other guy to get fed up with waiting and leave. Then he could close the blinds and trim my chest hair, which he had commented on more than once.

Now this guy is married with a hunky son who ended up joining him in the barber shop because business was so good. I probably would have had a great time with dad, but once his son joined the business, I was always hard for him. I let him cut my hair a few times, but dad was better. ANYWAY, the night I thought he was going to kick the other customer out, I was on the verge of saying something to the waiting customer, something like "Would you come back tomorrow?" Ha!

I'm confident, had the timing been right, EXACTLY right, I probably could have gotten my chest hair trimmed and my balls shaved. Of course, he would have had a big sticky mess to clean up too, but those hot towels are good for more than softening a mans' beard.

Michael, check my profile for my email and let's chat

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Matt:

I would love to hook up with you in '05 after so many posts here and e-mail from last year. It'd still be fun to jack off together in a public men's toilet in downtown Chicago or even in the 'burbs.

I enjoyed reading your hot description of what "almost" happened. I would love to know the name of that barber shop and exactly where it is. I would have probably gone for the dad, too. Maybe we can get a cut there together.

Last Wednesday, I got a great haircut at the Tonsorial Parlor place in 5th Avenue Station in Naperville (the restroom there is a place for "action," should you be out this way some time), and all I had were my fantasies to keep me going. Not even a chance that I could suspect in this place from one of the humpy owners--there are two brothers. One is older but rather Halsted-and-Belmont looking.

I believe that you have my e-mail address and yes, I did re-check out your profile!

I hope to hear from you.

I would love to see some stories posted from anybody on hot barbershop encounters.

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