Blend tips

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Electrolysis
#1

To you pros out there:

I’m using a basic blend machine (Precision) for DIY electrolysis on my wife’s bikini area. However, something’s come up that I don’t understand:

Having studied Bono’s book, I think I understand the procedure okay: Set the RF for epilation, then add DC for units of lye for a given hair type. Then, when epilating, test the hair every couple of seconds until it comes out, following with an after treatment of about two seconds.

So here’s the question: Once the DC is added, the hair epilates in a MUCH shorter time than with just the RF. I went from 12 seconds RF to five or six seconds blend. Plus, thick white goo (lye froth, right?) begins to appear at the follicle after just a few seconds.

In other words, I can’t put the full sixty units of lye into the follicle without a really long after treatment. It’s almost like the DC is set way too high, no?

Should the blend epilation time be close to the RF only epilation time, or is it normal for it to be much shorter? It seems reasonable it would be shorter, but then the whole “units of lye” concept is violated.

Thanks in advance for your insight,

Eric

#2

Dear Eric:

I figured that you would like it if Mike Bono himself answered your question, so I forwarded your question to him, and here is what he had to say:

</font><blockquote><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>quote:</font><hr /><font size=“2” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>Ha, I used to “bug” Art Hinkel about this all the time!
Indeed, adding the DC shortens epilation time — a bit.
But usually not that much! Common is, say, 12 seconds becomes 9 or 10.

Don’t worry so much about getting the correct “Units of Lye.”
Once you have the currents set, just get a good release and go on your
merry way.
The froth is a good sign … and, shows lots of moisture in the skin.

The “Units of Lye” is something like grammar rules.
Yes, they are good to learn in the beginning, but eventually you just
get a “feel” for the language and get on with speaking it.
Imagine if you actually thought about grammar rules each time you spoke
a sentence!

The blend is like that — don’t get hung-up in the “rules.”
Set the currents, get a nice release and epilate the hairs.
As Eric said, it is a “concept.”
That’s the idea: “Units of Lye” is not a hard RULE. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size=“2” face=“Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif”>I personally like to lead with the Galvanic Current and follow it with the Thermolysis because if one does it the other way, one dehydrates the follicle somewhat and actually makes the treatment more difficult to effect.

The important thing is to find the current settings that are as comfortable as possible, while still getting a good treatment. This may require longer durations on lower settings, unless your subject values time over comfort.

#3

Dear James,

Thanks for the follow-up, and for soliciting insight from the Guru himself! I had a feeling that there was more latitude than I was giving the process credit for.

On thinking about it a little more, I’m thinking I was exaggerating about the time compression with the added DC. I’ll pay closer attention to it next time. Of course, there’s a considerable hair-to-hair variability.

I’ll probably turn down the DC a little, as my partner is finding the pain to be challenging – this with analgesics and a glass of wine. Unfortunately, my epilator (Precision) doesn’t allow independent timing control, or I’d be experimenting with leading with the DC as you suggest.

I don’t know why I’m in a hurry on the epilation time, as I’ve found the preparation and insertion takes easily 3x the epilation time. Presumably that gets quicker with experience.

As an aside on pain: Do you ever suggest your patients obtain a prescription for a stronger pain reliever, such as Vicodin?

Thanks again,

Eric

#4

Honestly, since I have a pro unit that is made for comfort, I don’t have a problem with pain management. Very few of my clients even use topicals for anything. I have even had bikini area clients opt for no topical, although I do suggest it for them all.

I suggest that you take your time, and use a slow setting. You might even want to invest in a better machine so you can give the gift of more comfortable treatment. There may even be someone in your area who might show you how to do good insertions so you can give your partner an even better experience in this endeavor.

I had multi-probe galvanic done on me and instantly understood why so many ladies choose this for bikini work. The machine gives straight galvanic, and the settings are very low, and therefore comfortable. They just take a long time. Three to ten minutes is typical. What makes this useable is the fact that the machine gives you 16 to 32 probes to insert. By the time you are done inserting the last probe, it is probably time to start testing the first hair, and taking out the first probe. You can then insert that probe into another follicle, and then try the second hair that you inserted and go from there.
You may only get 100 hairs in an hour, but the person being treated could just read a book or watch TV during the treatment without any lip biting pain as long as the setting and duration are in sync.
I am not saying you should look for a multi-probe unit, but if you do get a better machine you may do well to use more galvanic, and just have the thermolysis be the catalyst that it is supposed to be in blend. It is only there to quicken the lye production and allow a treatment that would take 5 minutes in Galvanic to be done in less than 30 seconds.

#5

Thanks for the tips. I’ll try easing off the settings a little. I am running at around an eight to nine second epilation time; backing off from that by three seconds isn’t going to materially affect the time taken, as so much more time is spent doing the insertions.

You’ll laugh, though – we spent about a half hour the other night, getting about ten hairs. I’m sure the insertions will get faster, but thus far it’s pathetic.

Regards,

Eric