Does electrolysis require a schedule to be effective? I’ve had laser before, but want to try electrolysis. However, I would only be able to go sporadically and not at regular intervals. Does this make the treatments less effective vs. going, say every 6 weeks (like laser)?
Even longer intervals that 6 weeks between two clearances of a specific area are actually even more effective (btw. also with laser). The skin must recover and the next generation of hair, i.e. the next steady state, must be given sufficient time to fully develop.
I actually suggest intervals of about 3 months to my clients, except, maybe, in facial treatments.
YES, you should maintain a good schedule when starting electrolysis. I agree with what Beate advised.
For facial work, if one tweezes, then first off, throw away the tweezers. As the hair starts coming in over the next several weeks, you will need to see the electrologist every 10 days to 3 weeks at minimum. If one can go once a month to get cleared for the first 4-6 months, then that is good. After that, every 2 - 3 months until finished is desirable.
For body work, if an area is cleared, and nothing temporary has been done to that area, then each clearance can be accomplished every three of four months.
So there are variables associated for hair removal with electrolysis. Factor in how fast an electrologist can remove hair, in order to clear an area of ALL bothersome hair. An efficient thermolysis electrologist can insert between 600-1200 times in an hour. That will get a serious amount of hair and thus, please the customer.
Don’t start, if treatments will be sporadic, unless you fully understand that you will be no better than a hamster on a wheel, going nowhere fast.
Thank you both for the replies. I am having the back of my neck treated. I do not tweeze (never have) and no prior hair removal has been done on this area. As I mentioned, the place is not close to my house, but I think I could go once every 3 months. It sounds like that will be ok.
If you do that, and get clearance every time, that schedule would be appropriate to your success.
Thanks Dee. I’m curious though, why do treatment intervals even matter? What I mean is, why would it matter if I went every 2 months or once a year? If the hair is in the growth phase and gets zapped (via electrolysis or laser) it should kill the follicle. Right?
Not ALL hair is present at the same time, so a schedule is needed to treat ALL hair as it cycles in on its own schedule. We are sure to get ALL the bothersome hair if we clear an area every three months on schedule. If you wait and clear once a year, that means, hair that appears in that year will shed and grow, shed and grow, shed and grow and many hairs will not be available for treatment once a year. We are playing Whack-A-Mole with hair, if you can imagine that. We have to be ready to smack new hair as it appears.
You will never get permanent hair removal going once a year, missing the opportunity to get new hairs as they pop forth on their own time schedule - not yours.
Got it. Whack-a-mole was a good analogy! Thanks Dee.