sorry to intrude here, you can take this with a grain of salt
if it wasn’t for all the amazing electrologists posting on hairtell, I would still think electrolysis is outdated and questionable and not suitable for the amount of hair that I have.
I am fascinated by your work. to me, it is a craft. It is art. every artist has their tools and techniques but I don’t think it’s wrong to appreciate one over the other, just important to respect everyone.
Thank you, gorilla. That is what our mission is here, just as you stated. It must be respectful, but I do react to drive by shootings, when others refuse to see the obvious and I do so as respectfully as I can. Words have meaning and the intent of some words in this thread were very precise in their intent.
I know you have, as have I (of course not as often as you have!) I’ve been here for 2 years now so yes I’ve seen it posted. The problem is that new people come to the forum and don’t see it. Why an electrolysis FAQ does not exist is beyond me… this forum needs one and it needs to be in bold that every electrologist has their own path to getting there.
Ekade, I will post later about my electrologist’s strategy
I make this point to new people as well, Brenton. Some electrologists only check in twice a year and don’t see many good things that are belabored here over and over again.
I had a brainstorm about something and I’m in the process of making it a reality.
There are people who do not care about the money they can spend, and there are people who can not afford to spend a penny more than is strictly necessary. There are electrologists who want to stay constantly informed about what others are willing to share, and there are others who share.
Brenton, could you please describe the strategy your electrologist uses. It would be very interesting to her a new strategy! [/quote]
Hi Ekade,
So here is the strategy my electrologist uses for the beard (this is the only area she has worked on with me but for body areas, her strategy is more or less the same). She starts with the chin and kills as much hair as there as possible in the first session. After that in subsequent sessions (she essentially mandates to her clients that they need to come every 1-2 weeks, 3 weeks max), she goes back over what regrew in the chin, and eventually the chin will be bare. As the chin is becoming more and more bare, she will gradually expand out to other areas of the beard (pictures a bald spot on the chin that slowly grows until it encompasses more of the face) – that’s the best description I can describe it as. Right now, we’re knocking out the tiny peach fuzz on my face and whacking the bigger darker hairs on my neck.
She told me she does it this way for 2 reasons: For clients who are transitioning, the chin is the densest area of hairs, so with that removed, it’s much easier to “hide” a beard (obviously not as true for clients with very dense beards). The other reason is that she can go work on killing the hairs on my neck while the skin on my face (e.g. everywhere above the jawline) can heal over time whereas the neck is more hidden.
Brenton, you have explained the “classic” face technique that I described in my book (1994). Body technique may follow the “Clear & Wait” strategy, and face work uses the “Maintain & Advance” strategy (exactly as you have explained). It’s all there clearly outlined. Not a new strategy, but I’m glad you are using this and keeping on schedule.
“Things” are only new and revolutionary when you hear it for the first time. Almost everything has already been tried in this 100-year-old profession.
I’m looking at my illustration and it shows the “maintain and advance” strategy on the chin. In this case, starting at the cheeks and moving to the chin. This is fine too. Where you start is not important (except for the desired look the client wants ASAP). The key is that once you have an area clear of hair, you must MAINTAIN the area “clear” and then progressively expand into the adjacent areas.
Standard Stuff, out there for the last 20 years.
Thank you Mike for clarifying this. I did not realize that this is a classic technique, but I will admit that I have not seen this technique discussed here (the most common technique I have seen is clearance, wait a month, clearance, wait a month, etc.)
I give new people a choice for facial hair cases, excluding the copious amounts of peach fuzz facial hair cases.
Choice 1: do you want a full clearance ASAP?
Choice 2: do you want to divide things up into sections. I clear an area and then when they return in a week or two, I grab any new hairs in that cleared section and advance to the next section.
So many strategies and they all lead to permanent hair removal and, yes, Michael, there is nothing new that hasn’t already done before.
A few people have alerted me with concerns about the tone of this thread. I want to remind everyone how important these discussions are, even if we differ in opinion. I also want to remind everyone on the importance of civility in this discourse.
I know there are great differences of opinion on techniques, equipment, and clearance strategies, but I hope everyone will conduct themselves professionally. In my experience, professionalism and courtesy are among the top five things consumers seek, including efficacy, value, safety, cleanliness, and professionalism.
Professionalism includes not just how you interact with clients, but also with peers.
Please don’t express yourself in a manner that may reflect poorly on your professionalism. Consumers are reading and making decisions based on how you conduct yourselves here.
I am grateful to all who participate here!
Actually, I had not read all these posts (Andrea sparked my interest). I just did … well, mostly.
There’s a silly joke around (and I can say it 'cause I’m Italian). The joke goes like this: What did Italy do when America declared war on Iraq? Answer: Italy surrendered!
So, with that in mind … I APOLOGIZE! I know I feel much better now. And, just keep zapping, making people happy and DO post your successes here on Hairtell. Saying “I’m sorry” has always been easy for me, mostly because I’m usually in “that special position.”
(Andrea’s photo! She’s a BABE! Am I allowed to say that?)
I do not know why but I join you, Michael, with the apologies. …if I have offended anyone. I must be stupid, but all I can see here is 1) A brilliant exposition on that good work can be done with different types of needles. 2) A complaint about the reasons that lead to other electrologists to stay away from Hairtell 3) A complaint about some electrologists talk more about a kind of strategy than of another, maybe because we use it more often? 4) A legitimate vindication about that Dee has always defended all types of strategy over many years of involvement. 5), and at last, another brilliant statement about another type of strategy which speaks less, but we all use when the case demands it.
What I see is that the users are being informed about details regarding their treatments. But this seems to conflict with the interests of some electrologists.
In any case, these past days I have been the target of a savage attack, and I have not seen anyone from the administration do anything about it. However, I do not want any post being deleted or anyone being kicked out of the forum. Everyone’s entitled to make mistakes and correct.
I have to agree with Brenton and say there really should be a comment in the fax about some very common misconceptions that new comers will get here. I came here originally with interest on laser and since this board is heavily laden with zappers i began to read copious amounts on e and was really excited about what i saw seeing.
As Brenton states I have seen MANY zappers in various areas and not one heard of or was willing to do the three clearances I read so much about here. Of course I never pushed it , i always allowed the pro to do what their thing. I merely asked .
So newbies may need to know that in the majority of cases , Especially women’s faces that this is not something one is likely to easily find nor are women’s faces something that generally go so quickly.
And for that reason you have to kill the messenger? 
Danika
I think there are lots of misunderstandings. The thing is, this 3-clearings-strategy is ONLY for bodywork and works super-best when anesthetic is used.
For the face, trying to do this “3-clearing thing” is completely impossible. It’s a misreading of what Jossie and I are talking about. If a patient expected results on her face in three clearings, I would be annoyed too. It’s just wrong! NOT happening! (Gosh, I hope you didn’t say, "Mike Bono said … " No wonder they want to “tar and feather” me!)
Furthermore, there is NOTHING wrong with doing the “Maintain & Advance” strategy on the body! A few colleagues do this at 6-week intervals, and that’s just about the perfect timing … following this excellent strategy. And, yes, I do this too.
I said somewhere (can’t find it at the moment) that patients will hear ONE bit of information and then try to apply this to every situation.
Patients are asking the wrong questions. They want certitude and easy answers. It ain’t like that.
Hopefully for the FINAL time on this forum I will state that I have NEVER told any zappers what to do! Never. Ive merely , in speaking together, have told them about this forum , talked about what I’ve read and seen , including the amazing three clearance photos I’ve seen here and asked about whether they did these methods etc. in all cases, no matter what body part it was ALL have said they have never done such a thing, nor heard of such a thing. Please don’t shoot, or misinterpret the messanger or the message!
In the photo, follicular units ready to be implanted. Some sectioned in its upper part and another in its lower part. Notice that there is NO blood supply and NO papilla.
Great photo Jossie … thanks for that.
Looks like these grafts are in a dish with “salt water” solution. If you look in the upper left corner of the photo, you will see what happens to a hair graft when left in this “water solution” for too long (45 minutes to an hour): the tissue absorbs so much water that you cannot insert the expanded/fat graft into the donor slit!
To remedy this, the “hair graft cutters” (I was one of these) places the grafts together in a tight ball … all in a big lump, and then sprays the “graft ball” with saline solution so they don’t dry out. In this way the tissue doesn’t “suck up” too much water and become useless.
I learned a lot about the structure of the hair follicle by looking at thousands of them under magnification. One other VERY interesting tid bit: the outer root follicle is extremely difficult to puncture with an electrolysis needle. (I would “pinch” a strip now and then; take it home and experiment by inserting into the follicles.) Even a badly “missed” insertion? The follicle actually “adapts” to the angle of the needle! “Puncturing the follicle wall” in electrolysis is actually difficult to do. (I suppose the needle tips of Ballet and Laurier, being rounded, assist greatly in not allowing this error to happen.)
Thank you Michael for always being willing to share your knowledge and experience with all of us.
Interestingly, the problem of hair loss raises the same concern as excess hairs. It is another world, but with the same profile players. High doses of frustration, people willing to travel thousands of miles for treatment, unscrupulous doctors who prey on the desperation of their patients, etc.
A few days ago I discovered a real case of fraud about photoshopped “before and after” hair implant. This is unheard how far that some miscreants may come to enrich themselves at the expense of other people’s despair. This has made me think about the accusations about the authenticity of my photos by Romanian boy. And I have come to the sad conclusion that because of these individuals (to call these thugs in some way), the results of many honest doctors who are doing a good job, is being questioned. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth trying so hard to upload photos, accept customers from Hairtell (leaving no time my own local customers) with the sole purpose of providing truthful evidence to the world about the incredible results of Electrolysis.
