Hi there! So, I have a question about Professional Electrolysis. So, let’s say that a hair that is in the telogen phase (Resting Phase) is killed. However, there is a new, just starting anagen phase hair below the skin surface. What would happen to that existing hair? Will that hair just stop growing and stay there or would that hair stop growing and eventually dissolve itself? Would that hair push itself to the surface to try and shed itself?
When the follicle is being treated and if sufficient energy is administered, that second hair being produced will not develop into a full hair and moves up and out of the follicle. It might emerge more or less in length and sometimes, when very tiny, is referred to as a tombstone.
I get excited when I see tombstones. A new hair got in the line of fire when the hair above it was treated and becomes a dead piece of matter. That dearly “beloved” most hated hair will depart the skin just as a wood splinter would, eventually. I see tombstones quite often, later on in the process and it is so easy to gently lift them out of the skin, that is, if exfoliation doesn’t get them first.
Tombstones are super common on some of my clients. One of my clients in particular has been absolutely littered across her neck with them. I "ve told her to ignore them they’ll fall out and they have, though , and she has. I delight In pulling the odd one when I have a moment they are usually darker than the hair itself and moister and if you can grab the tip with your tweezers they come out with no resistance whatsoever perfect little bulb with a pointed tip… I’ll try to post a picture when the client comes in again
There wont be any root sheath, but the hard keratin that makes up the hair does have a bulbous look to it at the base of the hair.So yes, this bulb will be intact when one is removed.
yes the new anagen hair has sometimes begun to grow before the telogen hair has even shed into exogen status. So we go in with electrolysis and remove the visible telogen hair, the newly forming anagen hair slowly works its way out of the follicle as a tombstone.