If you’re looking for trans-friendly electrolysis in Chicago, you’ve found one of the few clinics in the country built around it. Electrolysis 100% Permanent Hair Removal & Skin Care has spent years doing high-volume hair removal for transgender women and men, and it’s the work our founder set out to do on purpose. We’re at 1315 N Larrabee St in downtown Chicago, a few minutes from the Gold Coast and Old Town.
Electrolysis is the only method the FDA recognizes for permanent hair removal, and for trans clients that distinction matters. Laser is only cleared for permanent hair reduction. It targets pigment, so it can thin a dark beard quickly but leaves behind the light, gray, and fine hairs it can’t see, and those are exactly the ones you don’t want left. Electrolysis treats every follicle, one at a time, regardless of hair color or skin tone, which is why it’s the method that actually finishes the job on a face that has to stay smooth.
For pre-surgical work, surgeons require the area fully cleared, and many prefer electrolysis because it’s permanent and catches every hair. Laser is also widely accepted, and for some clients with dark hair a surgeon may even suggest starting with it. We’ll work with whatever your surgeon asks for, and we’re happy to coordinate directly with their office.
Most clients reach us from outside Chicago, so we run an intensive schedule. Instead of a one-hour session every week for years, we book long sessions and clear large areas at once. Many people finish the bulk of their facial work in roughly four to ten visits, depending on hair density and how often you can come in. If you’re traveling for surgery in the region, we work around your timeline.
For appointments that are one hour or less, we require at least 24 hours notice. For appointments longer than one hour, a minimum of 72 hours notice is necessary. For treatments scheduled for four hours or more, we require at least 14 days notice. If proper notice is not given, a fee of 100% of the scheduled service will be charged. If you need to make changes to your appointment, please call us at (252) 722-5006 or email us at [email protected].
Our Trans Hair Removal Services
We split trans hair removal into two focused services so each one gets the time and the specialist it needs. Facial work and pre-surgical genital work are very different procedures, and we treat them that way.
MtF Facial Electrolysis
Facial hair is the thing most trans women want gone first, and it’s the area where electrolysis clearly beats every alternative. We clear the beard, jawline, neck, upper lip, and chin permanently, working close to your pain threshold with numbing and sedation so the long sessions stay bearable. Our electrologists are specifically trained on coarse beard hair, which behaves nothing like the fine hair most clinics deal with day to day. Pricing, what to bring, and exactly how a treatment day runs are on the facial page.
Pre-Surgical MtF Genital Electrolysis
If you’re preparing for genital surgery, your surgeon will require the surgical area cleared of hair first. Many ask for electrolysis specifically because it’s permanent and removes every hair, including the light and gray ones laser misses. This is sensitive, technical work, and we treat it with numbing injections and oral sedation so the longer sessions are manageable. It usually runs four to six sessions spaced several weeks apart, and the earlier you start before your surgery date, the better. Bring your surgeon’s hair-removal instructions and we’ll follow them. Full pricing, session structure, and insurance notes are on the genital page.
Why Large-Volume Electrolysis is Faster
Standard electrolysis means short weekly sessions stretched over years. That doesn’t work when you live three states away or you have a surgery date coming. Large-volume electrolysis is our answer: we clear big areas in long sessions, often with two electrologists working on you at the same time.
- Two electrologists can work at once, which roughly doubles how much we clear per session.
- You grow your hair out once before a clearing session instead of every single week.
- We can inject lidocaine to make sessions essentially pain-free, which also lets us work faster.
- Our progressive epilation technique with insulated probes is built around two things that usually fight each other: a high kill rate and low risk of scarring.
- Fewer trips. For out-of-town clients that’s the whole point.
Comfort and pain management
Electrolysis has a reputation for hurting, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. What we will say is that we’re one of very few clinics in the US that offers a full range of pain relief for long sessions, managed by board-certified nurse practitioners. Depending on the area and your tolerance, that can mean topical numbing cream, lidocaine injections, oral sedation, IV hydration, or ProNox nitrous oxide. Several clients have told us the ProNox is what made four-hour sessions doable. You decide how much you want.
Why Trans Clients Choose Us
Our founder, Valeria Tartacovschi, started this clinic partly because she saw how few electrologists were willing or trained to do trans hair removal well. That’s not marketing copy. One client wrote that what made her comfortable coming back was that we were upfront about being a safe space, and that we kept checking on her insurance fight instead of making a hard process harder. We’re TG-friendly verified by Laura’s Playground and members of the American Electrology Association and the Electrologists Association of Illinois. Our team speaks English, Romanian, and Russian. The clinic has a 5.0 rating across 100 Google reviews, a lot of them from trans clients who traveled to get here.
Getting Here And Traveling In
We’re at 1315 N Larrabee St, Chicago IL 60610, open Monday through Friday, 9 to 6, by appointment only — no walk-ins. There’s parking, and we’re an easy ride from downtown hotels if you’re flying in. If you’re combining your hair removal with surgery in the Chicago area, ask us and we’ll point you to nearby places to stay and help you plan sessions around your dates.
Transgender electrolysis FAQs
Is electrolysis or laser better for trans hair removal?
For truly permanent results, electrolysis. It’s the only method the FDA recognizes for permanent hair removal, and it works on any hair color because it doesn’t rely on pigment. Laser is faster and cleared for permanent reduction, but it only sees dark hair, so it can’t clear gray, blond, or fine hairs. A lot of clients with dense, dark beards use laser first to thin things out, then electrolysis to remove what’s left for good.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on hair density and how often you can come in. With our large-volume approach, many facial clients get through the bulk of the work in about four to ten visits. Pre-surgical genital work is usually four to six sessions spaced several weeks apart.
Does it hurt?
It can, but you have options. We offer topical numbing, lidocaine injections, oral sedation, IV hydration, and ProNox nitrous oxide, managed by nurse practitioners. Most clients find the longer sessions very manageable with the right combination for them.
Do I need to clear hair before genital surgery?
Almost always, yes. The skin used in vaginoplasty has to be hair-free, so surgeons require the surgical area cleared beforehand. Many prefer electrolysis because it’s permanent and removes every hair, though laser is also widely accepted and sometimes recommended first for dark hair. Check what your surgeon wants, and start as early as you can so there’s time to finish.
Do you work with people who travel to Chicago?
Yes, most of our trans clients come from out of town. That’s why we run intensive, long sessions instead of weekly ones, and we’ll help you plan visits and find somewhere to stay if you’re also having surgery in the area.
Will insurance cover it?
Sometimes. Many policies still call it cosmetic, but pre-surgical electrolysis can often be covered with prior authorization from your medical provider. We’ll provide and re-send itemized invoices to support your claim.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ELECTROLYSIS HAIR REMOVAL
TG-Friendly by
Laura's Playground
American Electrology
Association
Electrologists Association
of Illinois
