I have been having this done for almost 18 months. I think I am at my breaking point where I am tempted to just start plucking again. Having to stay home or away from people for several days while I let the hairs grow out before treatment has been too much. What am I going to do when I have to go back to work in a few months? The only reason I am not working right now is because of dealing with this hair stuff.
My skin has always been sensitive to the treatments. For the first year, I didn’t have any major issues. But about 6 months ago the problems started getting really bad. The skin problems have not gotten any better. I had to buy and experiment with several types of makeup just to cover up the skin problems.
I only get a few hairs on my lip at a time. However, without makeup on, I look like I have a full blown mustache or 5 o’clock shadow because the electrolysis has messed up the pigmentation of my upper lip. Figuring out how to cover up the pigmentation problems takes so much time. I’m embarrassed to leave the house.
I thought that shaving the hairs off was what was causing the skin irritations, so I stopped doing that and started increasing the number of treatments (expensive!!) and the problems have not lessened.
Also, I have noticed that it doesn’t matter if I go a week between sessions or if I go two months between sessions, I always seem to have the same amount of hairs and it always takes the same amount of time.
I keep telling myself that this is the normal time that most people start going into maintenance stage, but I feel like I am such a long way away.
My hormone levels are great, I don’t have any health issues that would be causing this. Steroids (given after accident) was what triggered the growth. Four years of plucking before I started the electrolysis. After treatment is usually just antibacterial cream and witch hazel. Sometimes Aloe Vera.
I was looking at pictures yesterday that I took 3 years ago. My face looked so clear and perfect and I looked happy.
I just don’t know how much longer I can take, this is seriously destroying me.
Sorry you are going through this 
I don’t know how people reach 6 months or 12 months and if they are not seeing significant difference, keep on going with the same person.
What happens to the area if you don’t have electro for 4-8 weeks? Have you ever tried that? By 12 months, even with a ‘regular’ electrologist, if you left the area for that long, not too many hairs would appear.
It is strange that your skin condition seemed to deteriorate as time went on. With a skilled practitioner, the reverse would happen. Are you able to have some more consults and get some local second opinions? Where are you located,perhaps someone here can help you?
If you are getting pigmentation issues with your Electrologyist I would suggest changing poor results after eighteen months should sound the alarm bells
I too began to question my electrologist after 18 months and virtually seeing no results. I always felt the insertion, and the removing. I think I got hung up on the fact that she was nice. There were a lot of red flags. Too many to note here. Finally, I decided enough is enough and to go elsewhere. I never gave her any notice or explanation why I did not return. I felt as the consumer I did not need to but only needed to be more of an advocate for myself. I now go to a new electrologist. It happens to be a drive for me and I am able to only go once a month,however, I have far more trust in her. I do feel like I am starting all over but if I get the results that are important to me it will be worth it. This electrologist is up on current education which is important to me. She keeps telling me electrolysis is a forward process. Those are the words I hold onto for at times it is very frustrating.
Krafty has given good advice, trust your instincts and find another practitioner. One that will give you a treatment plan, also I would have a test patch see how your skin reacts from what you are saying it sounds more than likely caused by poor electrolysis.
You should not be having electrolysis for 18 months without seeing a difference, really you should be nearly at the end or finished completely.
With the right electrologist you will get back on track.
Keep in mind during treatment at no time should you feel the hair being pulled,if this the case insersion is not good and you
will most definetly experience regrowth.The hair should slide out
You are not alone in feeling this way with the hair problem.
Is it that they skin condition got worse, or it seemed that you grew more hair? If skin condition, then I say RED FLAG. Consider seeking a consultation elsewhere. If it is more hair, then there is something else going on.
This condition (pigmentation from treatment) should go away once the treatments have ended. It can take time, though. Do you have olive skin?
Shaving doesn’t usually contribute to pigmentation, but it can contribute to irritation.
RED FLAG
If there is something causing your hair growth (genetics, hormones, medications, etc.) then hair growth can be ongoing. However, dealing with the hair growth should be improved with good electrolysis.
Plucking/tweezing can cause skin problems over time, as well as causing the hairs to be resistant to treatments.
However, if you are unhappy with the results, I do believe you should consider consulting with another electrologist.
Your post should help educate other consumers, but I do wish that consumers would let their “old” electrologist know why they are seeking treatment elsewhere. Ineffective treatments negate the good treatments, as some people will not seek treatments elsewhere.
I think I am good, but when clients stop coming I then worry about why: Were they unhappy with my treatments? Did they move away? Did they get a pimple and worry about it? Did I have bad breath? I would like to know why, so that I can improve my service. I realize that some electrologists will be offended if the client suggests there is something “wrong” with performance…but even so…we all need to be self evaluating ALL THE TIME!
I’m sure it was never a bad breath issue, Barbara.
The beginning treatments in that first six months are the most expensive and I suspect people may have second thoughts. I have observed husbands not be on board with their wives hair removal needs and likewise, I hear statements from the wife, with blaming tone, “My husband wants to know how much this is going to cost and when will I be finished!”. That statement is usually verbalized around month four.
I do ask my new clients to not be afraid to give me feedback if they stop treatment. Most do, but some forget. That’s okay, because I know if they stop before they are finished, they will call again to start over in the near or far future.
The problem is often not the electrologist but the long and expensive commitment.
Many of us also have to travel several hundred miles back and forth and if you need several sessions to get 1 clearance this can get even more expensive and tiring really fast.
Some of us may have had previous bad experiences with “permanent” hair removal or with unskilled electrologists. This can make it much harder to trust and stay on track.
Logically we might know we are on the right path but invariably our mind starts playing tricks on us. Or our families start complaining about the frequent trips and cost. Or we just run out of money.
In the meanwhile a few other lucky ones get done in 3 visits and at less cost.
It’s a very, very, very difficult situation for a client to be in.
I agree with all the folks that tell you to find a new electrologist. You either have an electrologist with bad aim/depth/power level/timing or follicles that don’t respond well to thermolysis (if that’s the modality your electrolgist was using). You may want to find a blend practitioner and see if you have better results. Most machines can do either mode but some blend electrologists will use too much thermo and dry out the follicles. You really need a second or even third opinion to get good results. 18 months is way too long to see no real progress.
Let me share my thoughts with you, the electrologist. This is addressed to any electrologist, anywhere. As a client, I am seeking your help. I am trusting that you have the education and skills to provide me with permanent hair removal. I come in good faith,keeping a schedule, investing time and money. In return, I am hoping for successful hair removal. It seems to me, if electrolysis is the golden standard for hair removal, the skills and continuing education of the electrologist should be also. If not, I feel the public is being blindsided. I am not sure what the answer is for your profession. Many medical professions demand continuing education and proving of hand on skills in order to maintain a license. I feel electrolysis being an intimate service, should fall along these lines. When I made the decision to longer go to my electrologist, traveling a distance to my new electrologist, I asked her what her thoughts were on if I owed my previous electrologist an explanation and without hesitation she replied no. I feel I gave her a fair shot at 19 months with not even a hair reduction not to mention the money involved. Perhaps a different angle to this would be if the electrologist is wondering why a client has not returned to give the client a call. We do live in a customer service world. If I could elaborate on more advice: Please, do not chastise a client for hair removal methods prior to he/she seeking help. They already know they made a mistake, in many instances are already stressed without having to take on further blame. Futhermore, do not tell them there hair problem is not like “so and so’s”. Hair is all relative. What may be a problem for one, may not be for another. But, it is an issue for that one person and they have seeked your professionalism. L My heart goes out to all the clients out there who are undergoing additional stress in their lives due to a hair issue. They come as innocent people to you, the electrologist, for help and it is so disheartening after a substantial period of treatments to see no improvement. Thank you for this forum and allowing me to share my thoughts.
Krafty … I agree 100%
This last week I encountered three patients that were severely ripped off … no other way to say it. (I am NOT making this up!)
One kid spent $10,000 on his back with no more than 20% reduction (thermolysis … the “new kind”), Another spent 130 hours on the beard, just under the chin (at $95 per hour) and it looks like NOTHING was done (the blend, AND a machine I helped develop!). Another young guy spent $4,500 on laser and got MORE hair growth.
If I had any hair on my head, I would be pulling it out. I actually got physically ill over this … I just had no idea that “things can be so bad.” So, I came up with a couple questions that prospective clients should ask. For example, let’s say you are doing your back.
Question 1: “How many backs have you completed?’ I don’t want to hear “Oh, I do that all the time.” Give me an actual NUMBER of completed clients. Ten, 300 … just how many? My plastic surgeon does this … why not “us?” For example, I know “how many beards”: it’s 56. Simple, just count up the patient in your patient records … it’s not difficult.
Question 2: “How many hours did it take to complete the job?” (I don’t want to hear “three years.” What does that mean? It’s all about the total hours!
Better yet: “May I have the phone number of former clients that had the same “hair situation” that I present?” Hey, I do this all the time … almost every time. And, I always tell the former patient to “just tell the truth … do not gloss over anything!” My plastic surgeon does this … why not “us”?
If you cannot get an actual verifiable number … RUN! Don’t do it, and move on! I would also ask for a “money back guarantee.” I do it; so why not everyone? It seems pretty simple: if you are paying money for a service you should actually get the service. So far, my attorney (Michael David Fox, esq.) has a 100% record on getting money back from laser that did not perform. (Eventually I’m going to post his letters and docs., so anyone can use them.)
I sure am chatty today … sorry!
To be fair to those who are starting and they do not have a long history of cases resolved yet, you can require a test to determine efficacy. It’s simple, let the hair grow for a few months and then require that all the hairs in a radius of a few square centimeters are removed. Wait and see. If there is no substantial difference in the density of hair, then run away.
Great advice, Josefa. This is a matter of skill and always has been. Old verses New high tech electrolysis both work, but you can’t expect either to work without THE SKILL FACTOR being present.