Gender-Affirming Hair Removal

We are honoured to be working with the Vancouver General Hospital's Gender Surgery Program and Trans Care BC to provide Electrolysis Services to folks who are getting ready for their gender affirming surgeries.  

There are a lot of questions about timelines of hair removal completion before surgery and we will attempt to answer them here.  

• To be ready for surgery, clients will need to complete 6 - 10 clearances of the medically necessary area(s).   A clearance of the area can take multiple appointments and many hours.  Keeping these appointments as close together as possible means your skin is recovering at the same time and regrowth / results are more predictable.   

• These full clearances are 6 weeks apart so doing the math, achieving complete hair removal can take 12-18 months.

• After the first 3 clearances, the amount of hair remaining decreases significantly (40 - 60%) and the treatment appointments take less and less time.

• By the time we are on the 6th - 8th clearance, we are in the maintenance phase and can begin to discuss estimated surgery timeframes.  It is not uncommon for people to need 10 clearings.  These final 1-2 clearances are primarily to clear any stubborn hairs remaining.

• Having an organized schedule will help us be able to more accurately determine your completion date and have you ready for surgery as soon as possible.  

• We are excited to be able to offer our clients local anesthetic injections.  A Medical Doctor or Registered Nurse will inject the desired area with Xylocaine numbing agent which makes treatment 100% painless.  The cost of this service is in addition to treatment cost. 

How do you become an Electrolysis Hair Removal Provider with the Gender Surgery Program?

The criteria to become an approved service provider is detailed and each professional must meet the following standards:

• Must be an electrologist with training from an accredited college

• Minimum 500 hours of theory and practical training

• Passed written and practice exams

• In good standing with a professional body and/or association

• Hold current business license

• Current health inspections demonstrating no critical and nor outstanding non-critical infractions

• Provide services in a space that is in compliance with requirements for Personal Services Establishment (PSE) regulations

• Carry liability insurance, validated annually

• Have prior experience providing electrolysis to Trans individuals for Surgical Preparation Hair Removal

• Completion of Trans Care BC’s ‘Exploring Gender Diversity’ 60 minute education module

• Work collaboratively with client’s care team to assess and recommend treatment plan for hair removal needs

• Provide clients with an initial consultation and patch test