3 years of electrolysis and the hair keeps coming!

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I’ve been doing electrolysis on my sideburn area since early 2011. I’ve been doing it consistently since late 2011. Yet the hair just keeps coming back. The only real difference I’ve noticed is the time it takes to come back (it’s slower in terms of growth - I need to come in to get zapped less) and is a bit thinner. Other than that, I looked in the mirror today to see the same stubborn crop of ladybeard. It’s been nearly 3 years…I feel like I should be seeing much more of a difference or nearing the end of my journey. I’m starting to get really frustrated.

I’ve had my hormones tested and they’re normal. I don’t wax, tweeze, or even shave between treatments. I just let the hair grow.

Am I some fluke case? Is electrolysis just not going to work for me or take way more time than the average person?

I’d really appreciate some advice…

#2

Do you feel resistance when the hairs are removed, such as tweezing?

#3

Yes, I feel a bit of a tweezing sensation. Some areas hurt more than others, though.

#4

My question would be how much work has been done and on what schedule, and have you ever had any full clearances?

I have one client who loves to tell everyone who will listen that she has spent over $20,000 and over 15 years in hair removal and is still not finished.

First, she did not spend all that with me, and second (and more importantly) she did not work on a reasonable schedule. Between cancellations and months without even trying to make an appointment, there were years when we worked 3 hours all year long. At that rate, there will be hair to remove an hour before her funeral.

Who gets to shoulder the blame though? Why all the hair removal specialists she has seen as she tries this, that, and the other thing, but never sticks to anything because what she wants is to wave a magic wand, and have it be one and done.

Not saying you are like this person, just making the point that the number of years that have past are meaningless without significant work happening in that time.

In the same time, I took a fellow who was growing hair out of every last follicle in his beard and neck area down to the point of having a normal beard with between 100 to 150 hairs per square inch. How much work is that? It took 3 hours to remove one line of hairs from his upper lip from one corner of his mouth to the other.

Yes, the devil is in the details.

#5

Well, that explains it. You should not feel anything at all during this time of the process. The hair should come out without any traction.

#6

I don’t think you’re some fluke case. I am in a similar position to you. I originally came to the site because I was beginning laser treatment. However I was impressed by the photos I saw here and also my sisters good results on her eyebrows with E so despite the bad experince with E on my eyebrows I felt determined to keep up with E on my face. Now several years forward and although somewhat intermittent because I couldn’t always find an Electrolysist , I too have spent a TON of money with very little results!
I wish I could say otherwise but it’s my truth. I don’t think its because i am a bad client either!

I think the problem is that aren’t very many zappers out there and of the few that are many are just not very good. I could write a book after the many ive seen!

Surprisingly i always felt that E would be the best route and had very low expectations with laser. I didn’t pay much for my laser treatments, but to be honest now a year later I am thrilled with the results. I am currently in a tropical location where there’s very little water in the past this would’ve been a nightmare trying to shave daily …I think I’ve only needed to swipe lightly a razor across a couple areas of my knees in two months ! Amazing. And armpits i haven’t had to shave at all! All in all a very pleasant surprise with laser! However i just wont attempt laser on my face so that is not an option.

#7

The tweezing sensation is pretty faint (except on my jaw line, where it stings a bit more). It’s definitely gotten less painful since I started, and I’ve always been very sensitive. I just thought I built up a tolerance, haha.

#8

In the beginning, I did about an hour per week. I came in as often as the hair did, which at first, was very frequent. Then the hair growth slowed down, and I’m on my current regimen of coming in about once a month. I don’t pluck, wax, or even shave between treatments, and I’m very self-conscious of the hair, so I come in right when a new crop comes in. I’ve been very consistent with coming in as soon as hair comes in. The slowing of growth has been the only real improvement I’ve seen, however. I think the hair is a bit thinner as well.

#9

I often tell clients that electrolysis performed at even 5% accuracy, will eventually work, but it will take 20 times the number of treatments. Have you ever experienced treatment with another practitioner? I think it is time to consider having new consultations and test treatments and compare the options available in your locale. Do you live in a large urban area? Perhaps you could give your location here and get a good referral from here. In your case, this hair should now be a distant memory.

#10

Normal hormones aside, some women grow hair. What I’m saying is that their bodies turn on hair follicles that never grew hair before.

I’ve read that 10% of women who have electroepilation treatments will not respond. I don’t believe that for a minute. However, I’ve been in practice long enough to see people “completed” or cleared for years and then begin to have hair growth again.

One of my “now” consistent clients started with me when she was 18. However, she came twice and didn’t return until right before her marriage. Once. Then another couple of years later she came once. Her hair growth at 18 was NOTHING like what it was when she returned all those times. The last time she “came back” I asked her if she was going to come on a regular basis so we could get done with it. She has teenaged boys now, and she doesn’t want to embarrass them. What started out as a bad hair problem became worse with time. If she had been coming consistently since she was 18, I’m sure she would think it didn’t work (but she would have had more hair-free times).

When should a person start treatments? The day they see one hair or the day they have ten thousand hairs? What about a day between that? Who knows at what point a person is with their hair problem? It’s something we rarely talk about…

#11

It is true that roughly 10% of women will have ongoing facial hair throughout their lives,and minor check ups easily take care of this. It is only possible to determine this ongoing stimulation ,once the original growth is fully treated, and this unfortunate person is still battling with the original growth after 3 years of regular treatment. Given that she has no major hormonal imbalance, the skill of the operator must be questioned.

#12

Even if the client started treatments when half of their future hair growth had begun growing? Many of my “bearded ladies” have no measurable hormonal imbalance - even though they have visible external factors in my eyes…

I do understand helping consumers to discern whether or not they are getting effective treatments. I believe it is a very valuable resource that the electrologists give to hairtell.

Interesting to compare “10% of women will have ongoing facial hair throughout their lives” to the statement “10% of women who have electroepilation treatments will not respond.” That’s almost saying two different things. Would be interesting stuff to research.

#13

In the “old days” when I was training we were told that a womans’ sensitivity to testosterone was responsible for these situations and that their levels of the hormone, when tested, were usually within the normal ranges.

#14

Medications used for hirsutism (spironolactone, finasteride) are often effective at reducing hair growth in women even when testosterone levels are “normal.” Some women are just very sensitive to testosterone and will grow excess hair even when there is no imbalance.

#15

This is not true. Electrolysis or electroepilation always works. There are no exceptions. Statements like this are those that have confused people. It is necessary to differentiate between the follicles successfully treated with electrolysis, and follicles that remain intact, and are susceptible of developing a terminal hair where there before was an invisible hair.

#16

I am in total agreement.

Why is it easier to believe something that is untrue as opposed to something that is true?

#17

LISTEN TO THEM!!! THEY ARE RIGHT!!!

Electrolysis ALWAys works. That is, if you arent doing something wrong! I honestly dont think this is a hormone related issue. It IS an issue with your treatment.If you do have a concern over hormones, see a doctor. They can take a blood tet and tell if something wrong. But way back in this thread Jossie said something VERY important. Something you NEED to listen to. You were asked if you felt the hairs being removed. And you said yes.

THAT IS THE PROBLEM! it means the hair follicles were not sufficiently treated to provide a smooth - traction free extraction. This is critical to performing electrolysis. If the hairs are undertreated, you WILL feel it and in all likelihood the hair will grow back. Nothing else needs to be said.

Unfortunately, there are a number of , to nborrow a phrase from Michael, zapperettes who have been taught to UNDER treat hair. The end result is, that the clients dont get sufficient treatment and the hairs grow back.

Let me use a very personal comparison. About a year ago, I started electrolysis with some students. They tended to undertreat. I felt the hairs coming out. I paused after about 12 hours of electrolysis and didnt start up again until the start of october when I finally got the equipment together to work on myself.To put this in perspective, although i had had laser, I had a full, and thick male beard. I’m a MTF transexual.
Today, six months later, I’m doing a little bit of cleanup. I get the odd stray hairs which I treat regularly.I put a LOT of work into my face. But 7 months after really beginning treatment, I’m almost done! I’m mostly workign to satisfy my own fussiness over getting EVERY LAST HAIR. But here’s a key thing I did, I made sure EVERY LAST HAIR got sufficient treatment energy.

3 years, with no progress, is unacceptable! after a year you should have been screaming! it is NOT that your skin is different. It is not hormones. It’s undertreatment!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE listen to what the professionals are telling you, they are too polite to scream undertreatment, but I promise you they are thinking it. There is NO HAIR that cannot be treated. You need to see a diffferent electrologist, one that takes pride is getting EVERY LAST HAIR and will hunt them down like they are the demon.

Seana

#18

Seana, let me tell you with a picture:

#19

Perhaps my point was missed…

#20

Let me take an amatuer crack at your question Barbara.

The point at which they should begin removing the hair with electrolysis, is the exact point where the hair makes them feel uncomfortable. When it has caused them to have lowered self esteem because of what THEY in solely their opinion see as something undesireable and want it gone.

Yes, someone can have a hormone issue which causes hair growth, perhaps years after a full hair removal as you suggest. But they arent going to grow new follicles.They may have some previously dormant follicles begin to produce hair.However electrolysis ALWAYS works. You can take a man and remove every hair from his face. It wont grow back, but yes other hairs MIGHT necessitate future treatments IF and only IF it has made them uncomfortable enough to want it off. The numbe of hairs in my opinion is irrelavant.

Seana