1st treatment of electrolysis

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I had my first treatment 1 hour treatment of thermolysis electrolysis. I have had the chin and neck area treated. The electrologist managed to get rid of all the thick and coarse hair. Basically she managed to clear all the area.

After the treatment I was red in the treated area, which is to be expected.

However, the following day I developed very noticeable, deep scabs and not just small dots were the electrologist inserted the needle.

Anyway, 1 week later exactly, those scabs have gone, but in place i have started to develop white spots which are pus filled. This is probably due to infection to the skin. Also my skin feel very itchy. Though i do not scracth the area, however much i was tempted.

Since I had the treatment last week, I have not been able to leave the house due to these scabs. I do not want these deep scabs each and everytime i have electrolysis.

My aftercare was non. Although i did not touch the skin i didnt appy any witch hazel or tea tree oil. Although the electrologist did after treatment. On the third day I started applying Nivea lotion.

I have decided not to go back to this electrolgist and have made an appointment with a BIAE registered electrologist instead.

I am not blaming the electrologist for this at all. I should have on all accounts taken aftercare seriously.

The good thing about the treatment is that in the neck area I would have developed hairs if i had my neck waxed as normal, but no hairs have not come through as of yet.

I just want to know if i follow my aftercare religiously, is there still a possiblity i can still get scabs? When I mean scabs, not just little red dots but full on very deep evasive scabs.

the electrologist also said that thermolysis does work on thick hair. is she correct? I have read on the net that thermolysis works on fine hair only?

Is the make of the machine also important?

I would also appreciate some advice on aftercare. To apply witch hazel during the day with a cotton bud. Then at night time, wash your face with soap and water and then apply tea tree oil. is this the correct aftercare?

I am seriously reconsidering of not embarking on this long journey if each time my face is treated it is left very scabby. Sorry I have no pictures.

#2

That was my experience too.

Like you, I was dealing with a lot of white pustules and beginnings of an even bigger infection. It was obvious that my body wouldn’t be able to fight this one alone. Fortunately I already had tea tree oil, which I use for other skin issues. It really helped me get everything under control.

The other thing is the deep red marks you mention. (No, I’m not talking about the superficial red marks left after a scab falls off, there were no scabs in my case. I mean really deep marks.) They are so deep they just cannot be due to something you and I did or didn’t do, but rather the insertions of the operator which seem to have reached a, yikes, muscle? (That part of my face felt weird/numb for 2 weeks.)

Your electrologist is correct in saying that thermolysis works on those hair, but what help will that be to us if we are going to have visible marks for months afterwards or, worst yet, forever?

Sadly this woman was supposed to be one of the best there is, and now it will be a long time before I can trust my face to anyone else.

#3

Tiny pin point scabbing is considered normal and some people will get that some of the time but anything larger can be avoided with better electrolysis.

You can help the healing process by following some good aftercare.
Don’t do anything that will cause the area to get sweaty and dirty so if you go to the gym, go before your electrolysis appointment. Avoid bacteria infested areas like steam rooms.

Don’t touch the area unless your hands are freshly washed and then, do not pick or rub or scratch. Soothe the area with alcohol free witch hazel and a clear aloe vera gel. If you have oily skin, use a bit of tea tree oil for just the first 3 nights after treatment. If you have dry skin, use a tiny bit of bacitracin mixed in with your aloe and apply that combination for the first 3 days.

Washing your face before bedtime is good but use a soap that is meant for the face that comes in a pump container. Do not use soap bars. After you wash your face, that is the time to use the witch hazel followed by the aloe and other products. Don’t use scrubs. You can start using gentle exfoliants after all of your scabbing disappears.

#4

wot can I do about these white pus filled spots that are emerging?

#5

apply tea tree oil, spot treat those pustules with a saturated q-tip not a cotton ball
do not double dip as the active ingredient loses its potency

#6

There is a possibility of getting scabbing with proper aftercare. Often, the scabbing is just a result of the amount of current applied to the skin.

Thermolysis works on ANY hair, not just fine hair.

Since upgrading, I do believe that epilator make is important, but most, if not all, epilators will work in the right hands.

No need to add any more about aftercare, because Arlene gave it to you straight.

#7

I have also noticed under the chin in the area that i have had treated a small hard lump just slightly bigger than a normal spot, which is under the skin. are these small lumps under the skin common after electroysis?

#8

Do you touch the area much?
Clients that have a hard time keeping their hands off the treated area
heal slower and might get pustules. The lumps could be pimples or something else.

Maybe you should go back to the electrologist and ask the practitioner about it. It might or might not need medical attention. Sorry; we can’t know what’s going on from where we sit.

#9

I only touch the area when to put some cream on or to wash it. I have developed pustules but they are going away while some new ones are forming. My main concern is that lump just under the skin could be a keliod. how common are these following electrolysis?

#10

I would find it surprising if you were developing keloids.
From my understanding, keloids take months to develop and you are referring to an electrolysis treatment that is very current.
I have never seen or heard or read about keloids forming as a result of electrolysis.

Do you have naturally oily skin?

#11

No i do nto have naturally oilly skin, but since saturday gone (the third day after my treatment) i did put a lot of niva lotion on the area.

The reason i say keloids because i have read on the net that you can get keloids as a result of electrolysis.

#12

What is the source of that information about keloids?

I am not familiar with niva lotion as an aftercare for electrolysis.
Could it be comedogenic (clogging your pores)?

What did your electrologist say about the situation?

#13

"The reason I say keloids because I have read on the net that you can get keloids as a result of electrolysis.

Actually NO. Dr. James Schuster, really THE electrolysis physician (dermatology) stated that even in people who are prone to keloid formation, electrolysis has never been shown to cause keloid scaring.

I can confirm these finding. After 30 years of working with people that form keloids (e.g., beards), I have never seen keloids form as a result of electrolysis. (Of course, this is not a guarantee.)

I’m wondering if instead of “niva” “Olive” means “Nivea?”

#14

I have never observed keloiding and most of my clients are people of color.

#15

Keloids from electrolysis? 30 plus years, plus talking to electrologists who have been in practice for as many as 50 years, plus talking to many colleagues who work on all types of skin - have never heard of any instance of keloids occurring from electrolysis. However, it is something that electrologists (and as a result, clients) have “feared”…it would be interesting to discover where that idea came from.

#16

From an electrologists website:

"Electrolysis and Ethnic Skin

What you should know about Electrolysis and dark skin complexions
It’s a sure and safe removal of unwanted hair. Dark-skinned individuals are usually of African ancestry, are endowed with melanin-rich skin and have very curly hair. However, others may present with dark, olive, or swarthy skin and wavy or curly hair. Curly hair is the single most important factor contributing to the presence of hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), pseudofolliculitis (ingrown hairs) and hypertrophic or keloid scars (raised, hard scars) in dark skin."

Not saying electrolysis causes keloids, but saying curly hair causes the keloiding.

From About.com Dermatology:

“Hair Removal with Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the hair follicle and applying an electrical current to the follicle root. This procedure actually burns the hair root theoretically preventing it from producing more hair. Each hair follicle must be treated individually and may take several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is a permanent form of hair removal but it has several drawbacks. First, there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis so finding an experienced, effective technician is difficult requiring talking to clients who have experienced permanent results. Second, this method requires repeated treatments for up to 12 to 18 months. Hair follicles that are in the telogen phase are more difficult to destroy than hair follicles in the anagen phase. Shaving approximately 3 days before an electrolysis treatment ensures that the hairs that are visible are in the anagen phase. Finally, side effects can include pain, infection, keloid formation (for people who are susceptible), hyperpigmentation, or hypopigmentation.”

From a UK website:

“Hair Removal with Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the hair follicle and applying an electrical current to the follicle root. This procedure actually burns the hair root theoretically preventing it from producing more hair. Each hair follicle must be treated individually and may take several treatments to destroy the follicle. Electrolysis is a permanent form of hair removal but it has several drawbacks. First, there are no standardized licensing guidelines for electrolysis so finding an experienced, effective technician is difficult requiring talking to clients who have experienced permanent results. Second, this method requires repeated treatments for up to 12 to 18 months. Hair follicles that are in the telogen phase are more difficult to destroy than hair follicles in the anagen phase. Shaving approximately 3 days before an electrolysis treatment ensures that the hairs that are visible are in the anagen phase. Finally, side effects can include pain, infection, keloid formation (for people who are susceptible), hyperpigmentation.”

And lastly, if anyone can get this article from PubMed, translated into English, that would be cool.

Hautarzt. 1973 May;24(5):203-4.
[Formation of keloids after electroepilation].
[Article in German]
Vogt HJ.
PMID: 4753372 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

#17

If you have multiple infected sites in that region, lumps can form at the lymph nodes under the chin due to the amount of lymphocytes traveling to/from the area as they battle the infection. I had that happen to me once due to poor aftercare on my part.

I have also had a different type of small hard lump form on my chin due to a poor insertion. In general I tend to have more skin reactions in neck area and the base of the chin than anywhere else, it is a difficult area to treat.

It is definitely possible to get an effective treatment without scabbing though, so you should ask your electrologist to experiment with lower settings or different probe size, or find a different electrologist. It is likely that your electrologist used a higher setting than necessary in the interest of ensurng the hairs are killed on the first try and working quickly without spending time experimenting with a bunch of different settings.

#18

I would appreciate some advice if the follwoing products are suitable for aftercare.

(1) [ Aloe Vera Gel 200ml
Organic Aloe Vera Gel is produced from 99% pure Aloe Vera Barbadensis inner gel. Aloe Vera may help to soften, soothe and moisturise the skin. Aloe Vera Gel may be applied to:

Dry skin conditions
Sunburn and minor burns
Stretch marks

Ingredients
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf juice (Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis juice powder), Glycerine, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Preservatives (less than 0.1%), Benzyl Alcohol, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.

This product contains no colourings, perfumes, parabens or animal derivatives. Suitable for vegans.

(2) [b] Distilled Witch Hazel B.P.C (200ml)
Distilled Witch Hazel B.P.C relieves the discomfort:

Bruises.
Sprains.
Minor skin irritation.
Rough skin.
Sore unbroken skin.

Active ingredient:
This topical solution contains Distilled Witch Hazel (Hammelis Water) B.P.C. 100% v/v.

Active ingredients
Distilled Witch Hazel

(3)Tea Tree Oil
Targeted care for blemished skin. Can be used direct on skin or for facial steaming.

Soothing
Has antibacterial properties
Does not dry out skin

Key Ingredient(s)

Community Fair Trade organic tea tree oil
Tamanu oil
Lemon tea tree oil

Full Ingredients
Aqua (Solvent/Diluent), Alcohol Denat. (Solvent/Diluent), PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil (Emulsifier), Polysorbate 20 (Emulsifier), Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil (Natural Additive), Limonene (Natural Additive), t-Butyl Alcohol (Denaturant), Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil (Skin Conditioning Agent), Citral (Natural Additive), Leptospermum Petersonii Oil (Natural Additive), Denatonium Benzoate (Denaturant), Tocopherol (Antioxidant).

#19

When it comes to Aloe, the best thing is an actual Aloe Vera Plant, and you cut a piece of leaf off of it, and slit it open, unfold it like a book, and use the fresh, pure insides.

Next in line would be a 100% aloe gel or juice that was cold processed, and maybe even whole leaf product. This would require refrigeration after opening the bottle.

For me, the 99% stuff is an “only if I have to” product, as the real stuff is more potent, and has no unneeded chemicals.

#20

Definitely agree on the Aloe plant- my mother had one- don’t know if she still has it or new- and swears by it for very minor burns; the kind you get when you accidentally touch something hot on the stove or oven.

Sure wish I had one back in 2003.