I am thinking about starting electrolysis on my lower arms next month. I have been doing it on my face for a while now also. I figure that since it is going to get colder soon, I can hide the scabs that will form by wearing long sleeved t-shirts and whatnot. Well I’m a girl and I had been waxing my arms for about 4 years I would say. Then I read on this site how that is so horrible for your hair, so I stopped and have been using Nair. However, now due to waxing my hair stands up rather than laying down like girls arm hair is supposed to. So it looks all prickly and gross. That’s why I want to get rid of all of it with electrolysis. My question is, what is the approximate healing time for arms? If I get them all cleared the first time around, should I wait about a month to get rid of the new hair? I read that parts of your body take longer to heal (scab-wise and all) than your face does. Like the scabs will stay on my arms for longer…?
Hi Rani,
One of the areas that is both relative comfortable to work and also fairly resistant to the types of damage that occur to the face is the arms. Doing the work during the winter is a good idea for the reason that you are a lot less likely to get too much sun which is the most common problem that I’ve seen post-treatment on this area.
As the arms are an area that gets a lot more environmental contact than the face, the epidermis is thicker in this area and doesn’t scab or scar as easily as areas like the face. They also usually heal within 4 to 5 days on me, where it often takes at least a week or longer to heal on the torso and other areas. Blood supply is generally very good everywhere on the arms, except in the fingers.
When a student in electrology first starts out, arms are one of the first areas that they usually work on. It is also the only area that candidates for licensure in California work on during the practical exam.
These are fairly large areas to work on though and it will take a while to get full clearance on them. You will also need to stay with it until you go through the entire regrowth cycle.
Good luck and keep us posted,
Joanie <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Hey Joanie,
Thank you so much for the very informative response. I had no idea that the arms were practiced on so much and the skin was so resilient. This encourages me even more to start on them asap. My electrologists offer a two on one session…two electrologists work on you at the same time. Although this sounds very good for time purposes, I dont know if I will be able to handle it. I know it would be perfect for doing on the arms but it seems way too painful! Well i’m going to start on October 28th and will have an hour on each arm done…I will keep you guys posted on how it goes!