This is one woman's story; does this sound familiar to you?

"Since electrologists are not licensed in New York State, many physicians do not recognize this profession, nor recommend electrolysis for their patients. However, done properly by well-trained electrologists, electrolysis can be done safely and unwanted hair removed permanently. For the sake of women with excess facial or body hair, please read my story.

My own problems with unwanted hair began when I was a teenager. I never noticed it until a boy pointed it out to me. This dark, stiff unsightly hair was on my cheeks, chin, lip and neck. I was so embarrassed and ashamed. I felt this ugly hair had to go.

I tried Nair, which didn't remove the hair. It only burned my skin. Bleach worked for some of the hair, but the stiff hairs remained black.

I resorted to shaving. Eventually I had to shave my face daily. It worked quite well for a while but over the years as my skin changed and aged, it became more difficult to hide. My face was reddened and sore, but every morning when I woke up I felt I had no choice as my dreadful beard had returned.

At around age 16 I wen t to a gynecologist-endocrinologist in Vermont to determine the cause of this curse. After bloodwork and various tests, my diagnosis was "idiopathic hirsutism. I was put on birth control pills and spironolactone to decrease the hair growth, to no avail.

I did go to electrolysis at a beauty salon one time. Since permanent electrolysis is a series of treatments, one visit was useless. Apparently this was not explained, as I never went again, and was left with the impression that electrolysis didn't work.

My curse had become the center of my life. I couldn't go a day without shaving. It was awful, painful, and time consuming; my self esteem had reached rock bottom. My face couldn't take it anymore but I didn't know what to do. I was too ashamed to talk about it anymore.

It had been twelve or thirteen years since I'd spoken to a doctor about my problem. I forced myself to go and see if any new cures had arisen. Once again, I had blood tests and exams. I saw an endocrinologist. My diagnosis was again "idiopathic hirsutism." I took more birth control pills and spironolactone. I was sent to a dermatologist. He put me on accutane and antibiotics to control the acne and folliculitis that resulted from shaving. He discouraged me from using make-up, as most dermatologists do. No make-up! I wore gobs of make-up to cover the redness.

I was miserable. I had reached my lowest of lows. I truly thought I might kill myself because every morning when I woke up, it was back, more red and painful than the day before. But I had to shave because I had no other choice. To me, red sore skin on a woman was better than a beard.

One day when I truly felt I could take no more, I told my sister everything. She made a few phone calls, finally one to Bellevue Hospital. They referred her to Hair Goes, Inc. I met Ginny in October of 1993. She told me she could take care of me and that I wasn't alone. A tremendous weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I had hour long appointments each week and by Memorial Day of 1994 I no longer needed to shave. My skin is now normal, healthy pink.

My life has changed immensely. I can now focus my life around the important things, not how I look. I only wanted to be normal. So much pain and unhappiness could have been avoided if the first doctor I went to 15 years ago had referred me to a board certified electrologist. I do not want another young girl to repeat what I've been through. Electrolysis works - it is safe and permanent."

- Kim W. R.N.

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