I have no experience in treating African curled hair, and a colleague overseas has sought my advice. She described the hairs as U shaped, and is nervous about using galvanic and causing keloid formation. She uses an Apilus SX500. Your help will be greatly apreciated.
I’m in NYC now, will private message you when I have a gap today, Christine.
Tell her that there is no evidence of electrolysis ever having produced a single keloid. The way keloids are produced, however is all about the client’s healing and nothing to do with the electrolysis practitioner’s skills.
There was once a good long discussion of this subject on the original AEA professional forum, but that got nuked years ago, and all that knowledge was tossed. I wish I could cut and paste what I wrote there to this discussion, but, oh well.
That is really interesting James. I have never had problems with any dark skins I have treated, but have not encountered the curly type. In our training though, we were taught to be paranoid about keloids, so I can apreciate my colleagues fears.
When you treat skin that is highly reactive as dark skin can be, apply cold compresses to the area after electrolysis.
I have never seen keloids as a result of electrolysis and I have probably treated more dark skinned people than most.
I used to get keloids from getting my hair edged up at the barber’s shop. I have had electrolysis all over my face and neck, and even nape of the neck where I used to get keloids from the barber, and I have NEVER developed a keloid from electrolysis.
Anyone who ever worked on me can tell you, if you want to see hard to work on hair, my original hair was it!
The problem with the barber shop was that while the blades were cutting the skin, they were also dragging shards of hair into the cuts and other debris would get sealed into the scab, and then the healing reaction simultaneous to the immune response produced the keloid via an imbalance in the callogen keratin balance in the knitting of the new skin. Electrolysis does not involve bulldozing bacteria and sharp broken hairs into an open wound.
At the Nashville AEA convention, electrologist Robin Harris, CPE, presented on “Treating Ethnic Skin…” (and distorted follicles). She also indicated that keloids are not a common problem with electrolysis - that they will occur with piercings and other large diameter (and deep) punctures/cuts. She also talked about using a multiple insertion technique, where you go into the follicle at different angles (imagine a triangle) - that the follicle will allow for the needle to follow the hair to a degree. Additionally, that these are the hairs that might require a second treatment (but the hair will be smaller in diameter) at the next growth cycle.
She had some great pictures of messed up skin (from tweezing) and then beautiful hair-free skin (the same person) after electrolysis. She also covered the cautions we must take with various types of skin.
Has anyone thought of designing a needle for curved follicle? it could be something like a fishing hook.
Mr. Roy, what do you say? Is this plausible? you seem to be the only one listening to us.
Taken right from the rolls it comes on, the wire is naturally curved. We go to great lengths to straighten the crystalline structure of the metal to correct it’s natural tendency to bend more easily in one direction than the other. You would be better served to bend the IBP for the specfic task at hand. Form it around a suitable object. Put a used one under a microscope and see how far you can bend it without damage to the insulation, I think you will be suprised. The .003" medium should be quite useful with it’s taper beginning further from the tip of the stem.
We have long been known to be superior when working with African american skin and the associated pigmentation problems, due to the effectiveness of our insulation.
Hi Josefa,
About 15 years ago I purchased electrolysis needles manufactured by CTI. I think they were a British company. These probes had a bend for those hairs referred to as, “distorted”.
I tried to add the photo to this post but it would not upload.
You can see the photo by going to the following address.
Yes, I know well the flexibility of Laurier. I’m always amazed to see how the needle returns to its original form, it looks so fragile but so strong at the same time. Today I needed to bend a probe 002 to a nasal cavity. I worked very safe, thanks again Mike.
Oh thanks Arlene, I did not know this brand. I usually double the probe to reach difficult areas like the neck. It seems that everything is already invented!
Thanks again for taking the time to put the information.
A big hug.
I don’t understand “double the probe” …size? …bend in half?
Sorry, Barbara, you know, the translator interprets my words literally from Spanish to English. The correct word (I think) is “bend”.
Please note that those “bent” probes, as far as I know, are not being manufactured anymore. I kept 2 of them in their original packages and have no intention of using them. I found that they were very limiting.
BTW, I still think the Laurier’s are the best.
Thanks for the clarification, Josefa.
I liked the CTI’s when I used them, but I did not see the point of paying extra for a “pre-bent probe” when if I freed my mind, I could bend my own when I needed to.
And for all those compliancy wonks who want to yell about sterilization issues with bending a probe, most probe packaging would allow one to bend the probe while it is still in the packaging.
One thing I didn’t address in my PM to you, Christine, concerns keloiding. I have never had a client develop keloids from electrolysis and I do a lot of people of color. Hyperpigmentation is not a problem either. When people come to me with very angry skin because they have engaged in temporary methods for years (shaving, waxing, tweezing, depilatories, digging out ingrowns with safety pins!) it is quite a scary scene. Any skin after effects when electrolysis is finished, is probably due to those harsh temporary measures that are not healed yet and may never heal perfectly.
I like the flexibility of the Laurier probe for these squirrely hair follicles. Before I was introduced this lovely probe, I used Ballet gold probed and still achieved great results for my clients. We get used to using what we have on hand and this is where natural instinct “marries” skill.
Don’t be afraid of treating these kind of hair follicles. You will develop a feel and instinct will kick in. Barbara, your post resembles my private explanation to Christine except that I describe the “V” angle while you use the triangle, which is basically similar. As long as you get the insertion right, which is not always easy, but it will get better with practice, then the probe and modality of choice will work nicely. If you need some more specifics about energy levels, I will share this privately with you.
I really like using the MultiPlex modality (thermolysis) for these hair structures on the APilus Platinum
I always bend the probe, and usually, multiple times during the session. Hair grows in different directions, and bending the probe helps with accurate insertions without hurting my wrist and with achieving greater speed. (my 2 cents)
Me too!!!