Advice on scarring after electrolysis

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Adding to the many posts regarding scarring from electrolysis…

It’s been a little over a month since my last electrolysis treatment on my upper lip. I had been getting treatment for about six months prior, once ever week or so for 30 minutes. I would usually get some minor scabbing after appointments, but small enough that I could find examples of people posting about similar experiences and getting the response of “it isn’t a big deal.” I was seeing some buildup of persistent redness and pitting, but regrettably kept pushing through (I could only find one electrolysist in my area, so told myself there wasn’t another option). I finally threw in the towel a month ago and decided to sort my skin out before getting any more treatment. Below is what my lip looks like after that month.

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It’s a bit hard to tell in the picture, but the skin is pretty textured/has a lot of orange peel texture to it. I’ve been throwing some combination of vitamin C and scar cream at it, with minor improvement. So my questions are:

  • What sort of treatments are recommended for this?
  • If I can find another electrolysist who won’t completely cook my skin, is it safe to proceed with treatment while trying to heal existing damage?
  • (Bonus question) Any recommendations for makeup that can cover up both the redness from the scarring and the stubble from the remaining facial hair?
#2

You appear to have hyperpigmentation (not scarring), which can be a normal part of the healing process for some clients. Hyperpigmentation can also be caused by treatments that are a bit too aggressive. It’s not much different from temporary skin discoloration from a pimple. It always fades and completely resolves. The big difference is that scarring is permanent skin damage, while hyperpigmentation is a temporary condition associated with healing. It might be possible to minimize or avoid this issue by changing settings or the modality.

#3

I agree with the above. It’s a poor outcome and could have been avoided with a more careful treatment, but the texture will even out and the pigmentation will disappear over time. For your peace of mind, it would be worth pausing treatments for a few months to measure the healing progress. When you’re ready to start again, I would recommend finding another electrologist.

We’ve seen worse results than this heal given 6+ months. In the meantime, you could try using colour correcting and full coverage makeup.

#4

It’s not ideal. The questions is: Is the journey worth the outcome. Looking back at the time on the table… did you feel the needle being inserted beside the hair, there a hole there so you shouldn’t, did you feel the hair being removed? If you felt the hair coming out then it will grow back and treatment will not be successful. What did your skin look like before electrolysis. I found shaving can create this kind of skin trauma also. Do you have a picture before electrolysis? Do you have a picture right after electrolysis (same day or next day)? I would try to continue electrolysis with someone else even if you have to travel. I would recommend a full clearing even every 6-8 weeks since your travelling. Some home care cream like Riman’s calming gel or e11ements spray after treatment. I think that until the hair is gone, you’re going to skin issues. I do have training for electrolysis should yours wish to learn.