Coarse hair back 1-2 weeks post-Blend--normal???

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hello everyone,

I have been going for electrolysis since October 2012 and have had approx. 19 Blend treatments so far on my coarse facial hair (chin, neck, upper lip). I have been consistently getting treatment at least once per week.

However, the hair seems to re-appear again within 1-2 weeks of treatment. This is the same re-growth pattern that I had when I was depilating using other methods (waxing, plucking). Is this normal and to be expected???

I do not have any hormonal issues that could be contributing to re-growth. I go to the EINE Clinic near Boston. Of course since it is a training school,treatment is entirely dependent on which student you get. Also, a total treatment time (even approximation) is unfortunately not provided.

I have tried to find professional electrologists in the Massachusetts area, and have been to 4 others. However, I have not returned as most seem to pull/tug at hair (versus the hair sliding out); with others my skin has reacted horribly. So, EINE has been my go to option so far.

Please advise if what I am experiencing is normal.

Thank you all…and Happy Holidays!

#2

When you are a model at an electrolysis school the treatments are being done at very low settings to ensure the student is not damaging your skin. To complete your treatments you will be in for a very long process.

#3

Dear electrolysislady,

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, I cannot say that my skin is not getting damaged…depending on the student, and apart from minor scabbing, my skin has bubbled and resulted in hyperpigmentation!!! :frowning:

Blend settings used are usually (from memory) 10-10-60 or 12-12-60 (where the first two are energy and the last is lye, I think). Also, when the instructors look in on the students, they comment on good epilation techniques (e.g. whether the hair is sliding out or not, whether the root/bulb/sheath is got out or not).

So, based on the above information…what do you think?
Any feed back or suggestions from anyone else??

I have continued to look for a professional, but have not found a good fit so far. As I mentioned, most tend to tug/pull at the hair, which does not inspire my confidence in their treatment and intentions.

Thanks again!

#4

Ask EINE to use the IBP for you. They teach it.

#5

Are you clearing the entire area every time?

Yes, NEW hair coming in within 1-2 weeks is to be expected. It is difficult to comment further without seeing you. What kind of hair are we talking about? Can you post some photos? When the change in regrowth is gradual, many people tend not to notice it.

It’s not always the elevated androgens that cause excess hair, but at any rate, the hairs that regrow 1-2 weeks post treatment are not the same hairs that were just treated.

You will rarely get your money’s worth when treated by students. It will save you money, time, and your skin to find a pro.

If you specify your location, someone here may be able to recommend you an electrologist in your area.

Some tugs may be normal, but it’s impossible to say without seeing. You should address it with the electrologist that’s doing the work. I would be more concerned if you are getting a bad skin reaction.

Why do you insist on doing blend?

#6

Can you post pictures? Bubbling is not something I would think of with electrolysis.

Settings are different on all machines, so it is difficult to comment.

I agree with yb, some tugs are normal, you are best to find a good electrologist. Getting treatments at a school are usually free of charge for a reason, the results are sometimes hit and miss.

#7

Thank you all for your responses.

Laurier: I was told by a professional electrologist that an insulated probe only does damage to the root of the hair and so it would take longer to kill the entire hair.

YB and Electrolysislady, the following are my responses to your questions:

  1. Are you clearing the entire area every time? - Only the coarse hairs are cleared every time. All the vellus hairs, that are interspersed in between the coarse hairs, are not cleared as it takes approx. 1 hour for the technician just to do the coarse ones.

  2. What kind of hair are we talking about? Can you post some photos? - The coarse hairs are beard-like, dark and thick with “deep distorted roots” per some technicians. Unfortunately, I cannot post any photos as they were just removed. The others are still budding and are too tiny to photograph. It is good to know that the frequency of growth sounds okay. Though I must say that after 19 treatments to the SAME hair follicles, I would have thought that I would have seen some reduction in growth.

  3. If you specify your location, someone here may be able to recommend you an electrologist in your area. - I live in the Boston area and have been searching for a good professional electrologist for a few months now. I am also open to travel, and would welcome any suggestions.

  4. Some tugs may be normal, but it’s impossible to say without seeing. You should address it with the electrologist that’s doing the work. - Yes, but I do not consider these normal for the following reason…each time I start with these professionals, the first few epilations feel like plucking. As soon as I bring it up to them, the response that I get is, “Oh, do you think that I should increase the energy?” !!! My response is typically, “I do not know as I am not an electrologist, but did that feel like a good epilation to you? Isn’t the hair supposed to slide out?” After that, they adjust the settings, and it progresses fine. Some of them in their quest of showing how quick they are have even plucked without treating first! When I point this out, the response that I get is that my hair is so close together that they forget which one has not been treated. Some also treat 1 follicle and then pluck surrounding follicles as well as the treated one. All of this makes me think that they are more bent on increasing the number of sessions (through faulty treatment) versus doing the treatment correctly and killing the hair. Of course it does not help that throughout, they are trying to sell me packages of sessions and their product. Another issue is the lighting and magnification being inadequate in some places, where they cannot see my pigmented vellus hair which is perfectly visible to my naked eye in normal light conditions. So, considering my experiences with the professionals so far, I have stayed with EINE.

  5. I would be more concerned if you are getting a bad skin reaction. - When I say that my skin bubbled during my last experience at EINE, I mean that it looked like the epidermal and dermal layers looked warped and bubbly (there was no edema). Subsequently, the wounds healed but left blotches of hyperpigmentation. Since this occurred a week ago, I do not have photos of the original wound.

6)Why do you insist on doing blend? - I leave the treatment modality up to the technician. I was told that blend would be best for my coarse hair, and thermolysis for the vellus hair and so that is what they use.

I just tried a 5th professional electrologist yesterday for a 30 min. session…she uses a Dectro machine and tried both blend and thermolysis on my upper lip and chin. The blend left the usual tiny scabs. But, my upper lip became very red and swollen after the treatment. Each follicle that was treated formed a red scab. Is this normal? Since the only other thermolysis (micro and pico flash) that I have had is at EINE, I am not sure whether this skin reaction is considered successful i.e. hair is being killed. (Whereas at EINE, every follicle treated does NOT form a scab.) My concern with this lady too (36 years of experience) is that she seemed to treat 1 follicle but pluck more hairs in the surrounding areas (without treating).

Please advise…

#8

I suggest you take a look at the thread Laurier, a test on the arm of my own daughter, with a insulated probe showed that this probe has excellent results compared to a bare needle. As if that is not enough, I did another test on the back of my son, 8 weeks later the clearance is still there. If even this is not enough, you can read the thread of Stoppit’s sister, everything was done with a insulated probe. The results are VERY satisfactory. Believe me, I would give up the use of this probe if I had to give up my kill rate.

If you are being treated on the face, and you also have thick hair with deep roots, your best choice is the Laurier IBP. If the school does not want to put at your disposal this probe because it is more expensive, you can buy for yourself and ask they use on your face. I would!

BEFORE:

24 HOURS AFTER:

15 DAYS AFTER:

8 WEEKS AFTER:

FROM CLOSER:

#9

You’re right, the edema is a symptom of the follicles have been successfully treated, especially if it is deep-rooted.

#10

Thermolysis is as optimal as the Blend. This neck was made with Thermolysis and the Laurier IBP:
BEFORE FIRST CLEARANCE:(December 2011)

Immediately after:

The area has received two clearances, the first in December 2011, and the second in September 2012.
1 YEAR AFTER (December 2012):

Side note: this is my son’s neck, he is now 22 years old, his beard still has not finished developing new hairs.

“My concern with this lady too (36 years of experience) is that she seemed to treat 1 follicle but pluck more hairs in the surrounding areas (without treating).”

[size:14pt]This is absolutely unacceptable!![/size], and I am surprised that this person continue in business if she has been doing this for 36 years. Here is the reason why Electrolysis does not have the good reputation that it deserves.

#11

Josefa: Thank you for the information. I will request the Laurier IBP and see how things progress. I have a question…how is it that your son’s beard shows so much PROGRESS after ONLY 2 clearances??? (Whereas, I have had 20 treatments so far for my coarse beard-like hair and still no reduction in growth??? Nor have I ever achieved a full clearance so far! Since I do not have any hormonal/endocrinological issues, I especially do not understand!) What is DIFFERENT in your treatment?

“Here is the reason why Electrolysis does not have the good reputation that it deserves.” — As with any profession and relationship, it takes time to find someone who is a good fit. I am still on the look out for a dedicated ethical professional who is focused on killing the hair while trying to minimizing damage to the skin. (I don’t care whether they hold the Guiness book of records for fastest plucker!) If anyone has any recommendations/suggestions for a good electrologist, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I am willing to travel too if the person can give me some dedicated time for a full clearance.

#12

Firstly, most of her sons’ hair was already on the surface,as he had not been interfering with it prior to commencing treatment.(ie, tweezing or waxing) Secondly, a skilled professional such as Josefa, can not be compared to an average electrologist, and certainly not to a trainee. Twenty treatments since October would be 2 clearances. Facial hair, if it regrows after a treatment,would take approximately 6 weeks. Perhaps consider traveling to James, for great treatment.

#13

Happy New Year everyone!!!

C O’Connell: Thank you for the explanation; it helped increase my understanding. I have the following questions:

  1. “Twenty treatments since October would be 2 clearances”—would you please explain what this means? I thought that a full clearance referred to every single hair in the desired area being removed (which I have not experienced)?
  2. “Facial hair, if it regrows after a treatment,would take approximately 6 weeks.” - Hence, my original posting…why do I see the same hair follicle sprout hair within 1-2 weeks post treatment (same rate as if I were waxing, tweezing etc.) instead of 6 weeks later???

I guess I need to try to plan a trip to James’. If anyone has any other suggestions/recommendations for electrologists also, please let me know.

Thank you again everyone for your help.

#14

Diane Curtis, Curtis Electrolysis, Albany NY

#15

You need to understand regrowth cycles, you are not having the same hairs treated every time.

#16

Laurier: Thank you for Diane Curtis’ information. I have spoken with her and she sounds lovely. Now it is just a matter of scheduling, weather dependent of course.

By the way, insulated probes are predominantly used at the EINE clinic, though they are using ones made by Ballet; any difference when compared to the IBP??

I went to a 7th professional electrologist in the interim (34+ years of experience). While I was happy with her epilation, I find that every single insertion has resulted in eschars (epilation for vellus hairs included). This was not apparent to me initially as they are all under my chin, but were pointed out to me. She uses a Spectrum machine, an uninsulated probe (she finds that the insulation strips off on the insulated probes) and used flash modality for both my coarse and vellus hairs. The total treatment time was 45 mins.

This brings me to another question…there seems to be a philosophical difference between older experienced electrologists and the younger ones. The older ones seem to believe in a “fry and kill” approach in that if there is no scabbing, wounding, edema, searing pain etc. then the treatment did not successfully kill the hair root. However, the younger newer electrologists seem to believe that the skin health should be preserved and that if the hair is epilating fine (sliding out without pulling/tugging), then the hair root is being treated successfully too. Obviously, the latter approach makes for a more comfortable treatment. But does it mean that the hair root is not being killed as well as it could?

What are your thoughts on the above philoshiphies, O Professional electrologists???

Thanks again for your help! :slight_smile:

#17

At Laurier, we are allergic to skin reactions. Not to say they don’t occur, in some work they are unavoidable. I will be very interested in your opinion of Diane’s work, she’s top shelf.

IMO the operator’s age/length of practice has little to do with what they allow as “acceptable” irritation to the patient. In my experience, the average electrologist will spend a considerable amount on their machine and then buy “on sale” needles. IMO the tip of the Probe is where everything happens and is one of the key components to superior work. We make a premium product and expect premium results from it’s use. I can say with confidence that Diane will demonstrate this for you.

#18

Well, I was finally able to sample the IBP (at EINE) on Wednesday and the following were my observations:

  1. Less pain and discomfort even under the nostrils and the center area of the upper lip - typically I use LMX for this area to numb it, but I was unprepared for the trial and found that the pain was bearable. Total time worked on the upper lip was 2 hours (we were only supposed to do 45 mins. but lost track of time).

  2. Quick dissipation of redness post-treatment - Typically, my upper lip post-treatment resembles a red faced baboon’s! Cataphoresis helps some but not much. However, with the IBP, the redness quickly dissipated and the skin returned to normal colour by the time I got home. There was no swelling post-treatment. Also, the typical numb feeling that lasts for a few days post a lengthy treatment only lasted a few hours. There was some very mild scabbing which is hardly noticeable.

  3. Good epilation of telogen hairs - My student technician found that the telogen hairs epilated well (slid out vs. the tug/pluck).

So, all in all, all I can say is wow! Whether this was a one time thing; or whether it was due to an optimal combination of that particular student’s skill, the IBP, the EL settings and the condition of my skin that day; or whether it is good for my skin type (I am from India); or…whatever, I do not know, but it was the best upper lip treatment that I have had so far. If they have any remaining samples that I get to try, I will be able to determine further.

Why is it that I cannot find a licensed professional in MA who uses the IBP or Kelly probe? If anyone knows of any, please let me know.

Thank you and enjoy your weekend!

#19

I thought MA has “best” electrology schools in the North East. Where are the experienced electrologists from these schools? :slight_smile:

#20

Probably it is the union of several of these factors. Glad to hear that things are improving.