Electrolysis hypopigmentation scars

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I’ve been getting galvanic electrolysis treatments on my upper lip and chin area for a few years and stopped a while ago due to noticing that these white spots that weren’t going away. I’m pretty sure they are scars but my electrologist has not confirmed and keeps dodging any questions. The clinic never alerted me to the issue and whenever I would ask was told it was likely part of the healing process, so continued out of ignorance.

I consulted with another electrologist and they said neither the level of scabbing I would develop post-op or the hypopigmentation are normal. My electrologist is trying to get me to sign an NDA for a refund of the sessions I’ve already pre-paid. I always followed both pre and post-op instructions and used the witch hazel and aloe vera provided by the clinic, so I’m not sure why this has happened. I had about 20 hours of the blend method in the past and never had scabbing or scarring.

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#2

Picture of what the scabbing would look like post-op:

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#3

The scabbing is pretty normal looking. Those white spots are scars, They usually are not that big, but everyone scars differently. Proper post-treatment care can help reduce that, including anitbiotic ointments, 100% aloe gel, and silicone sheets, which can help even if it’s been a while.

If they continue to be a concern, you might try getting a professional “lunch peel” (a light facial chemical peel) to see if it helps.

#4

What would be the cause of these scars if the scabbing doesn’t indicate overtreatment? I was going every 2 weeks for 2-hour sessions for about a year, and then reduced the frequency to every 4 weeks after the advice of the electrologist who has been treating me. Here is a picture of some upper lip scabbing. Apologies for the poor-quality photo.

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The other electrologist I consulted with (who also uses the galvanic method) seemed quite shocked when I showed her some photos of the scabbing. She believed the clinic may have been using a higher current than necessary and could not find a single photo of any of her clients with scabbing even close to what I would get.

The first photo I provided was of my upper lip, with me intentionally making it taut to reveal the severity of the scars; they are almost unnoticeable otherwise and don’t appear so large, which is why I went so long without being aware of the true extent of them. Would using tretinoin on the scars be helpful? Also, why would the clinic not notify me that I was developing scarring this whole time? Surely it would be very noticeable during treatments? I first noticed some scarring fairly early on (just a few spots), but was told it wasn’t a result of their work.

#5

Over treatment around the mouth is unfortunately, very common. It’s very hard to kill the hair follicles on such thin and delicate skin, and those hairs are typically the most course hairs on peoples faces.

#6

Were you receiving single needle galvanic or multiple needle galvanic? The white spots are almost always permanent scarring, this is not hypopogmentation. They’re pebbles of uneven collagen. This is caused by too much DC current for too long timing and produce a lot of Units of Lye, operator error not a modality problem. This link discusses this type of galvanic scarring.

#7

That’s quite disheartening to hear. I was receiving multiple needle galvanic electrolysis. What can be done about the scars or am I just stuck with this for life?

#8

I can only suggest finding a dermatology practice or facial plastic surgery practice that have experience and various treatment modalities for scar treatments. Perhaps they will be able to successfully mitigate it with ablative/none ablative laser skin resurfacing or micro-needling radio-frequency treatments.