Advice Needed

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Help please! So thankful for this forum btw, thank you all! I have just started my electrolysis business and am not even one month in it. I had a client come for a consultation yesterday, she wants her armpits done and does not want to do laser first due to previous bad experiences on other areas of her body. She has not had any laser done on her armpits. After the consultation was done she says she wants to come to me but is just torn because she wants some kind of idea of how long it will take, she wants to know for example will it be $700 or $2000. I have been trained not to give any estimates beyond saying it could take a year to two of regular treatments. However, I understand where she is coming from that she wants an idea so she can decide if she wants to commit to having a full removal of her armpit hairs. I told her that I will put together a very rough estimate for her but warned her it is only an estimate as it depends on various factors.

My questions are:

How do you handle this kind of situation?
Can you suggest an estimate/range in hours total that this might take? I have never done a complete armpit hair removal from beginning to end.

Thank you for any suggestions you might have!

#2

Yes, difficult to give estimates when you are brand new to this. However, start keeping and saving all your cases and treatment hours. From these data you can give averages: not my averages or anybody’s averages; just YOUR averages.

For underarms (sounds nicer than “armpits”) … my highest “average” is 8-hours for the entire job. I only know this, because of my own records. With that average, the client can then make some sort of determination. Your school saying you “should not to give estimates” doesn’t sound right to me … they should go the other way, and encourage you to keep records and make estimates.

With underarms, I’m so confident with my 8-hour TTT, that clients are told there will be no charge if I go beyond the 8-hours. But, again that’s only me …

I think we are taught this “hormone” and “growth stage” nonsense too much and it mostly seems like a lame excuse to me. Over the years I have heard so many lame excuses for treatments not working … like “Oh, you have Swedish hairs (or red hairs, or white hairs) and they are difficult!”

After years of doing this you WILL be able to predict treatment outcome. And, really, you have to admit it’s totally reasonable for a client to get some idea of what this is going to cost.

#3

Dear fellow electrologists
I have a dilemma: I am getting red spots after treating coarse hairs on chin and under.

I own Appilus Platinum and using 1 or 2TH probes and using medium intensity Pico Flash for coarse hairs that were plucked, waxed, lasered and still came back. In other words these are tough hairs. If I go higher than medium intensity which the hairs definitely need skin gets sore and puffy second day.

If I drop the intensity below the medium hairs would not slide out. I know, there will be some redness after electrolysis treatment, however, how do I handle situations like this? Is there a magic formula that will help me to reduce the after effect to the minimum but remove the hairs? How do I improve my workflow?

Thanks for the help.

#4

I wouldnt normally recommend pico for course hairs. Synchro would be the modality I would choose with a variable depth technique, depending on the hairs, about a 5 or 6 intensity if they are very course.

#5

Welcome to Hairtell.

I think your probe sizes are too small for tough hairs. Remember a smaller probe is a hotter probe.

If you private message me your email address, I can add you to Electrology International, which is a great place to hang out with other electrologists. I do need to see proof that you are an electrologist. Take a good picture of your certificate or send a link to your website, etc. There are many that can help you there. I can also ask that you be added you to the British site HairShoot. You need a facebook account to join.

#6

Synchro thermolysis is like a fast galvanic, except it doesn’t use direct current. Its very deadly to hair though. Seana is correct. Use Synchro with a larger probe.

#7

Also what Dee said. If they are course hairs I might be looking at a size .004 or .005 probe.

#8

Guys, thank you all.I appreciate you all. I am relatively new and struggling with this even though I’ve been through this in the school. I do appreciate your advice.

I will definitely try the sinchro. Pico, however, is working but I need to go higher than medium. The problem is the after effect. It’s getting swollen, puffy at the second day even if I do cataphoresis and having the redness which I do not think my client likes. Most of them have the idea they should not have any marks at all. This is another thing that I do not know how to handle.

I’ve been working with Sichro and BL probes with other clients and if it’s bit higher it leaves scars. Sometimes, I do not have the choice because of the hair thicknes and what was done to the hairs. I was wondering what is normal and what is not or more precisely what is normal healing time after each intensity (approximation) Where exactly can I find out this? It would help if I’d have the visuals (images) with before and after effects and modalitie to show the client and tell them ahead what they MIGHT expect. This would give me more sanity.

#9

SYNCHRO and PICOFLASH both work great. I frequently use a 5, 6 or 7 probe. The LAURIER IBP .007 is so gosh dern awesome for coarse to very coarse hair. You must order some and try them for big, juicy hairs.

The levels used depend on the probe selection. The one thing I can tell you for sure is that using a size 1, 2 or 3 is NOT what is appropriate.

Edema and redness is expected. If your clients cannot expect a couple days of down time, them electrolysis is not for them. Watch Mike Bono’s youtube video’s about the healing skin, then suggest your clients watch them. I really don’t know what people expect when we are destroying tissue that makes hair grow. Seems like other “skin” professions are not held to this standard.

#10

If you are needing to go to higher levels in synchro, it’s probably because your insertion depth is off. Try doing some depth guides.

#11

Guys, thanks a bunch again for support. I just had it reconfirmed what I already know. I am so happy I found this chat. This means the world to me. Here are not as many electrologists in my area and there is no one to talk to. No mentors:)
Thanks!!!

#12

dfahey thanks for all the comments.
Never heard a LAURIER IBP .007. How many sizes are available in general and in what modalities do they work? Are they insulated? Can I use them with Apilus? And you are gushing about them:) what makes them so special?

#13

www.laurierinstruments.com

#14

There are over 3 million hits on the Laurier insulated probe here on HairTell , 50 pages worth on one thread. Feel free to use the search feature on the upper right side of the screen.

#15

dfahey, thanks for sharing the info, I’ve never heard The LAURIER IBP .007. You intrigued me:) Is this working with Apilus? How different are they?
Thanks for all the comments again. You guys, gave my sanity back:)
So happy to find you.

#16

The Laurier probes are optimized for fast thermolysis. They work with any machine using such a mode. Many of us use them with timings around 0.2 secs.

How different are they?

When i switched from Ballet gold to Lauriers, i could immediately reduce the setting by about 10%. Now that i am used to them, it should be even more. The Lauriers come in two classes: insulated with a specially shaped free tip and a cheaper blank one with a slightly conical shaft. Both are fine needles. The insulated ones are a bit more efficient than the blank one, but IMO even the latter is slightly superior to my number three, the Ballet gold.

Like with Ballet or Sterex probes, the size (roughly) specifies the diameter in 1000s of an inch. Which means that a 006 by all three brands is used in the same situation.

#17

OK, thanks, I will certainly do so.
Guys you are the best:)

#18

I see so the main reason is that these probes allow you to do the same thing like TH-BL but it can be used 10% lesser intensity?

#19

Yes, as Beate said, you have to lower the intensity with a Laurier IBP or you will get sticking and sizzle sounds.

Do try them and don’t be afraid to use larger probes.