Disappointed with Certain Electrolysis Results

To clarify the title: I am not disappointed with electrolysis in general. The DIY results on my arm have been amazing! I am very disappointed with the results on my stomach from my professional treatments though.

I have had about 7 pro hours total on my stomach, from about 2 inches below my belly button to about 2 inches above, with a handful of hairs to either side as well. It’s not a large area and I have had 3-4 full clearances at least with picoflash. But 7 months later there is no difference. The follicles that were treated are still producing hair. How can I prove that? Well, most of the follicles that were treated are still red. I still have red dots from way back in JANUARY (and no, I was not over-treated, I just retained the marks because my skin heals slowly). Every one of these tiny red dots is still growing hair. Under magnification and in close up photos, it is clear that the hair is coming from treated follicles, not neighboring ones.

I know some of you will remind me that it takes 9-12 months, and 7 months is too early, but I think a reduction should be noticeable at least. I saw almost instant results on my arms, and I feel it’s reasonable to have at least SOME reduction on my stomach by now.

To be honest, I started treating my own stomach and already had better results with slow thermolysis. NO red dots ever anymore, and the area I’ve been treating (to the side of the pro treatments) already is reduced.

My electrologist was very skilled. I am not complaining about her, she is well known in the industry and I plan to use her for my face in the future! I need to be clear that I don’t blame her for this. I never felt the insertions, and the hairs always slid out perfectly.

Sometimes it would take two or three hits of the picoflash to make the hairs release. Is that a bad thing? Does it indicate the settings were too low? Curved follicles? Perhaps picoflash was just not the right modality for this area? My hairs were not super coarse or super dense, so I don’t think this should be taking this long.

As an aside: One student used multiplex on my stomach in one small area, and that is the only area that seems a little reduced (after only the one clearance). Could be my imagination, but it makes me think the picoflash wasn’t ideal in that area on me…

“it is clear that the hair is coming from treated follicles, not neighboring ones.”

In this area, two follicles are so close together that seem to emerge from the same follicle. You can see that there is regrowth on a red dot, but this may be due to the second hair that has not been treated. This is the drawback of not starting to work with a maximum of hairs present. Whether the two hairs are present, the two can be treated and hair regrowth is zero.

“…but it makes me think the picoflash wasn’t ideal in that area on me…”

Picoflash can be adapted to treat any body hair in any area and / or facial. The difference is that the Multiplex reach the goal faster.

“Sometimes it would take two or three hits of the picoflash to make the hairs release. Is that a bad thing?”

No, but if most of the hairs need 2 or 3 pulses, the most practical is to schedule three pulses and lift the pedal before the third pulse if the hair is going to be treated is thinner than the others.

"Does it indicate the settings were too low? "
Yes, or

  • too short pulse time.
  • too deep insertion.
  • few number of pulses.

“Curved follicles?”

I doubt that this area has curved follicles. In this area there are many swirls of hair. This indicates that the direction of the needle will have to change often.

Thanks Josefa. All good info.

Pairs of hairs very close together.

Parallel follicles. Same direction.

follicles that intersect. Opposite direction of the needle.

To me it sounds like insertions are not very good or settings are low. I would try either someone else or another method (regular thermolysis for example).

Regular thermolysis implement such a large area is slowing down a process that could be resolved in a seen and unseen with the Multiplex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAqCjmRcnXg&feature=channel

I also suggest that you try another electrologist. If electrolysis is being done correctly you will see very good results.

Be sure and view this link everyone. This demonstrates what a speedy electrologist can do. That probe holder looks mighty familiar Josefa!

Dee

My electrologist is known around these parts and came to me highly recommended. I simply can’t believe that she did anything wrong. I think I am just an unusual case.

I won’t be seeking a new electrologist, but I will continue treating my stomach by myself since it goes pretty well.

Based on my own experience in that area, I would try blend, multiplex or synchro and see how that goes. I know my hairs around the bellybutton are distorted and curved (lots of banana and J shaped). I had a few of those red spots with the hairs still growing out of them here and there around the area. Switching to blend eliminated the problem.

Hahaha, Dee, you already know. This is the Speedy Gonzales of the machines. The Apilus Platinum!!!

Yal, buddy! It’s a nice, nice product.

magicalprincesskitty, when you say you did your own electrolysis, did you use ONE TOUCH?, i was thinking of getting one of those so i could do my own eyebrows, also how did you learn to use it was it just trial and error??

I used the One Touch for a while, but upgraded to a better machine. I learned the One Touch through trial and error. It works, but it’s unnecessarily difficult and I would NEVER EVER EVER EVER recommend it for someone’s face. Never never never. It’s too imprecise. There’s no way to keep the current consistent, and the probes make it almost impossible to have perfect insertions.

It’s fine for your body if you’re very patient, but not on a super delicate area like the eyebrows.