hi all,
i got electrolysis done about a month ago on my upper thigh (near the bikini line) as well as a little on my abdomen. i have flat red spots (like scarring) that are rather visible (they cover up well with the electrolysis foundation i bought). i figured i’d make a thread about this because i can’t seem to find as much information about body healing from electrolysis. i’ll try to post pictures, but i was wondering, is it normal to have these prominent red spots after almost a month? or could this be a result of over treatment? it was my first electrolysis session. i have a high pain tolerance and the electric current was a bit painful. i am part asian, fair skin, and have coarser/thicker hair perhaps than caucasians females (plus i used to wax and pluck). any advice is appreciated 
Hi,
I think this is normal post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I had some work on my thighs also just over 5 weeks ago, they are fading week by week. It’s nothing to worry about.
thank you for your response.
i haven’t really notice them to be fading as of yet, but i have good faith that its true they will start fading soon enough. is it safe to continue getting electrolysis on that area or should i wait a while longer? not sure about the average person, but my skin is very sensitive in in the upper thighs
now that i found the name for it, i was able to pull up a good response from one of the senior users on here. figured i’d post it on this thread for informational purposes:
Good searching and a good post on this subject!
Perfectly normal, though I must disagree with the “White folks don’t get this” … I am and I do. I think maybe it could be more noticeable or prominent on a darker complexion, but it still happens with lighter skin tones as well. Me, I have slightly low iron levels & slow circulation = tissues don’t heal as fast = inflammation lingers = hyperpigmentation takes longer to disappear. And it also makes a difference which part of the body as to how quickly it responds. I can get an hours’ worth of treatment under the arms and it will have faded back to completely normal within 48 hours, zero sign of being touched… vs. she can spend 15 minutes for a sprinkling across my toes, the dots disappear within a day but the overall areas appear somewhat darker than surrounding skin for another two months. I think it just depends on personal chemistry including, yes, ethnicity, but other factors as well.
As for what helps clearing, now that you know the name you can use the search function here on the forum – there are actually several threads with the subject & some different product suggestions for dealing with it. I’ve never used bleaching creams so can’t comment on that, but I noticed rosehip seed oil recommended on this forum by many pros & clients alike, and it does seem to do the job. I got some a while back and have used it sparingly over particularly stubborn spots. I tried it for some time and it didn’t seem to be doing a darn thing, but I stuck with it faithfully and not much later it started making a visible difference. (Maybe there is some cumulative effect?) I believe it’s supposed to work no matter the reason for the hyperpigmentation - electrolysis, acne, sunburn, etc. - but it’s oil so you need to be careful to limit quantity if you have acne-prone skin. Also note that it’s just for this kind of deep/prolonged discoloration; I don’t think it has the same effect on “white marks” like scar tissue or stretch marks.
chingchong:
The upper thigh area near the bikini line and the abdomen can be particularly stubborn healers, more than all the other areas.
While most traces disappear after 6 months or so, these areas can also take up to 9 months or year.
All,
Thank you so much for your replies. Just an update:
Shortly after I posted this thread, the inflammatory hyperpigmentation started to show quite an improvement.
Yesterday, I went and had my second appointment in these areas with a different electrologist (my first was out with an injury and referred me to this one). This new lady (Sonia), did a very good job! She explained to me that she goes to the electrologist I went to the first time for touch-ups, and she tends to prefer using a lot of heat. She confirmed that the dots should definitely go away.
WIth Sonia, I had nearly no skin reaction on my abdomen.
On my thighs, I had the same results as before, but it makes sense since the hairs are coarser there.
She was very quick and knowledgeable. I will post her information for Maryland, USA, once I see how well the hairs were permanently removed =)
Okay so an update.
My upper thighs are ruined.
I had a second treatment done not long after my first post with a different electrolysis who I am pleased with. I do not think she is the one who caused the damage to my skin.
The area still has red inflamed bumps all over it. I believe they are ingrown hairs–I do not think they are the original red inflammation that happens shortly after treatment.
I think I am going to visit my current electrolysis to address the ingrown hairs and see what she can do to them.
Opinions?
Pictures please. You’re unlikely to get any advice of “any use” unless people can see exactly what your issue is…
If this are really ingrown hairs they can be treated by electrolysis. Thats the purpose electrolysis had originally been invented.
So it might be annoying if (more than a few) ingrowns had been caused by an electrolysis treatment, and i actually do have clients doing electrolysis because of ingrowns. But in most cases this does not ruin the skin, even if the ingrowns form red bumps.
Here’s a picture of the damage
qwerty Attachments
Electrolysis can certainly handle an area like this, but the hairs have to punched good. After the hair is treated with enough energy and timing, the electrologist should be able to lift the hair out of the follicle without resistance. Sometimes there is a small tenting of the skin when a big bulb is coming through a smaller follicle opening, but it shouldn’t feel like a pulling sensation as if you were being tweezed.
Under treating hair like this can look like the picture you sent.
Let me enthusiastically corroborate the good comments of Dee and Beate.
The question I have for you is: are you shaving the area too? The photo indicates you have been regularly shaving. (I will withhold a comment until I get your answer.) Thanks, (and CD)
Thank you everyone for your comments.
Yes, I have been regularly shaving the area. I’ve been doing whatever I can to exfoliate the area to rid the ingrowns. Apricot scrub, witchel hazel + tea tree, cocoa butter (of course long after healing from electrolysis treatment).
The area has been unsightly ever since mid September. It has been hard to differentiate between red inflammation from electrolysis treatment and ingrowns as the area has never been normal ever since the first treatment.
Just wondering …
There are many electrologists that, for one reason or another, prefer to work only on anagen hairs. Depending on their overall strategy, this is not “incorrect.” A few “dynamite” hair zappers have made this a trade mark, and that’s fine. I could make a case for this strategy myself (although I use a different one.)
Your electrologist that “wants to wax,” could continue to treat “anagen only” but follow a much better protocol. Instead of waxing, she could have you shave the area a week or so before your scheduled treatment. (Anagen hairs grow faster and are therefore very easy to differentiate.) Maybe you could suggest this to her?
In this way she would be sticking to her “only anagen” beliefs and not getting you into the whole waxing “difficulty.” As has been said here, waxing is not the preferred way to do this.
I mean, she is right there in your area and this could work for both of you very nicely?
Cheers (and CD)
Hope this is in the right place this time!
Okay since you are shaving too, it’s difficult for me to determine if this is electrolysis-induced. With shaving, it’s hard to see if this is really a case of “instant regrowth.” Shaving the upper thigh typically causes ingrown hairs. The red bumps could be caused by a number of factors. I don’t know.
Were you my client, I would want you to stop “fiddling” with the area altogether — yes, stop shaving. Let the hairs grow out and see what’s really happening? (CD)
Thank you for the advice, Michael.
I think I will visit my electrolysis to address to existing ingrowns, remove them, and try perusing regular appointments to avoid further ingrowns if you think that is a smart idea.
I am 3 months pregnant so its really hard dealing with this problem whenever this area is being exposed during exams, exposure during birth, etc… and most of all i want this to be fixed before my child’s first summer so i can go to the beach with them and be okay with wearing a swimsuit.
My legs always look like this when I shave. There is a very good chance this will disappear within a month after you stop shaving.
Mhmm, electrolysis during pregnancy…
… and what if something happens to the child? Which questions might arise?