Electrology student needs help (insertions)

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi, Im new to this forum and I have tried to search for tips on insertions (Im sure they are out there somewhere), but havent found what I’m looking for…yet.

I have some questions on insertions since my teacher demonstrates how she does it and lets me figure it out the rest on my own. When I work on myself I constantly feel like I’m poking myself. I cannot “feel” the follicle walls or bottom and I dont know when to stop the insertion (other than the measurement of the plucked test hairs). I am using a #3(ballet) tapered needle, but have swiched to a 4 because the 3 hurts too much when I stray from the follicle.

I know I am gripping the needleholder to hard…how light of a grip should I use?
Is there better needles(I’m using 3-4tapered)to use for a beginner?
Any tips for proper angles for insertion (other than what the books tell you)?
Also when I have done the blend, after the current has been on for acouple of seconds sometimes the needle feels like it has easily poked through the bottom of the follicle!! Am I pushing the needleholder too hard in a downward manner?

Thank you for any help I really appreciate it! Some days I get down and depressed when I feel I will never get the insertions correct, but I dont want to give up.

#2

This is probably not the place to teach an electrolysis student about the art of doing insertions well, but I don’t want you to feel that no one cares about your struggle. Insertions are the heart of it all. Without decent insertions, you will not destroy hair properly, so it is good you realize that you need some help.

Can you get your instructor to sit with you one on one and give you feedback even though she takes the approach that you need to figure it out on your own. This is true somewhat, but, I was a student once and I didn’t agree with that approach. It was counterproductive and plain mean.

I will say a couple of things though. You do need a light touch so you can feel your way down the follicle. Not all electrologists are able to feel the bottom of the follicle, so they admit, but they notice other clues that tell them they are probably there. I know you have read about those clues in a book.

If you don’t have two books, then I would seriously consider getting them. “Cosmetic and Medical Electrolysis & Temporary Hair Removal” by R.N. Richards M.D. and G.E Meharg R.N. and “The Blend Method” by Michael Bono. Read and think about the information on hair anatomy and insertions, then you can almost see what is going on under the skin. Most people need to practice a lot before it becomes second nature and some get with it faster. I strongly recommend that you invest in good magnification equipment if you think that might be holding you back.

If your instructor won’t engage with you, find an electrologist that will be more motherly or fatherly. I never liked this standoffish approach when it came to clinical instruction time. You do need to figure out a lot of things on your own, but I personally think this is too important to play “gotcha”. That was one of the most miserable times in my schooling experience and personalities clashed. The rest of the training was pleasant and exceptionaly good. Maybe I’m missing something important here in the education process, but I don’t get this detachment that instructors take on in regard to electrology students. I’m all ears if any one knows why this happens in so many training environments.

If you lived closer, I would be glad to help you personally, but see what you can do with the resources mentioned. Good luck to you.

Dee

#3

Thank you Dee for your words of encouragement :slight_smile: I do have the book Cosmetic and Medical Electrolysis & Temporary Hair Removal which is a much more helpful read than the Hinkle electrolysis, thermolysis and the blend. The school has ordered the blend method but it hasnt arrived yet.
It sounds like I should really lighten my grip since there are times I’m holding it like I’m ready to stab myself. At the moment pain is my only indicator that I’m inserting it wrong (I feel bad for the other people I work on).
Luckily I work at a salon once a week with an electrologist and she is very helpful!!!
I hear you about some miserable times in school :slight_smile: Sometimes I felt that learning practical info about electrolysis is very guarded and secretive OR maybe there is little words to explain how to “feel” your insertions, ect…
Thanks again and I’ll keep practicing.

#4

I hate that your instructor isn’t more involved. My instructor was a human pin cushion. It was easier for her to correct a student’s insertions early on rather than try to undo a well developed bad technique.

#5

You are very welcome, CareBearhair.

I think you will be fine with your set up and you seem very conscientious about mastering your insertions. This is an important part of your education. You can’t be spoon-fed and I know you don’t expect this, however, I do agree with you that more could be said and more could be explained. This part of your education doesn’t have to be so secretive. We need excellent electrologists so that when electrolysis is recommended, there is someone to go to in ones locale. There are many gaps to fill worldwide.

Consumers need professional electrologists who have skill, compassion and quality equipment. Start your career off right. Please don’t skimp and save on the equipment issues. Stay modern and keep educating yourself. Keep asking questions so you become the best.

Choice, I’m glad to hear that you had an involved instructor. I was beginning to think that all electrology schools had a secret pact to go silent and dead when it came to working with students on insertions. I usually don’t hear positive feedback on this aspect. We all eventually learn with some level of competence, though.

We wish you the best.

#6

The fact that you are aware of the grip you have on the needle holder is a good thing - that makes it something you can work on!

Have you ever practiced with the needle NOT attached to the epilator? Get a towel, use your lighting and magnification and begin inserting the needle between the threads in the towel. Pay attention to the sensation when you tear through a thread, instead of inserting between threads. Pay attention to the sound - yes there will be a sound… Try different types of fabric - they will help you visualize and feel the differences. You might even get a satin-type fabric and scrape the needle on it to get more of a sense of the “feel”…of the control of your needle. Try holding it with as light a “grip” as you can.

Since the .004 is more comfortable when you insert on yourself, I personally believe that you need to be working toward smaller diameter needles to learn that control. Perhaps you need to take more time per insertion. There is nothing like an “ouch” on yourself to make you learn! Make sure that the automatic timer is off, so you can take your time to make that perfect insertion.

One insertion technique is the “three way stretch”. Your non-dominant hand (hand without needle) will be holding the skin, slightly stretching, while the dominant hand (ring finger) is stretching the skin - this makes a triangle. Your grip on the needle holder should be such that you can kind of “flop” the needle - like when you have a pencil in your hand and you are flopping it against the table or the palm of your hand.

These were just some things that I hope will help. While Dee is right that you can’t learn the art here, I also believe that we must share our knowledge. I’ve heard too many electrologists who think that sharing information gives away their “trade secrets”!!! I think that sharing helps us all to improve, which improves the image of the whole profession!

#7

Great suggestions Barbara, and thanks for helping out on this question. If you learn anything helpful here, CareBearhair, the best “thank you’s” that you can give would be to help someone new when you have mastered the art and science of electrolysis care.

Maybe Arlene CPE and James CPE will be able to give you some sage advice as well. We are all pulling for you because we need good people coming into this profession!

#8

I think you ladies are missing a very important part of the equation. Due to the way the rules are set up, the essential staff member of a certified school is the person holding a teaching certificate, not a person who actually has experience performing the craft. That being the case, what do you think is more likely A.) a really good electrologists takes the time to go to teachers courses and get state certified AND open a school, or B.) a local Gym teacher opens an electrolysis school and delivers canned lectures on electrolysis theory while never having performed the procedure, but because of that high school teachers certification, can collect $8,000 to $10,000 for saying “Read the book and figure it out amongst yourselves.”

#9

CareHairbear: You have to see how the hairs are growing out of the skin and follow this path and then, enter at the proper angles. If you can’t find where the hair meets the skin, get extra lighting and magnification and ask your teachers for help. If you are at a Dectro school, I know that they have great Power Point visual aids that you can look at to remind you of your finger and hand positioning. Remember that your middle finger has to stabilize you. Visuals are essential so ask for copies of the Power Point presentations.

Do you get practical exams? Don’t worry about not doing well on these tests. Just take the tests and retake them as often as you are allowed to. This is a great time to get highly individualized attention where every detail of your work is attended to - no interruptions allowed.

If you can’t get the help you need, speak to the administrator and find out what is going on. Advocate for yourself the way you would advocate for your own child.

In any event, there are awful teachers and wonderful teachers. There are also students who are gifted and students who have very poor hand-eye coordination who just can’t seem to “get it”.

It is up to the consumer to seek out the highly skilled and knowledgeable practitioner because the bottom of the class of students also graduate.

CareHairbear: If after seeking the support you need from your school, you are still not getting what you need, if there are no other schools around, I suggest you contact and join your local Electrology Association and ask for a mentor.

On a very personal note: Teaching adults is really hard. Overall, adult students do not like to be corrected, they do not like to be told what to do, they rarely do any reading or homework at home. I have to remind myself that electrolysis is a trade school and not a competitive university program. I only teach part-time. After what I have experienced recently, I am beginning to think that if I had my own school, students would drop out or get thrown out because I have very high standards and this is very bad for school business where there are plenty of available seats.

Overall, I agree that the education is really bad.

#10

In my actual situation, James, my instructor was well qualified. Here are her initials as stated: MA (Masters degree), CT(Cosmetic Therapist), CPE (Certified Professional Electrologist), COTIE ( Something… Teacher in Electrolysis???) Need some help on that last one. She successfully ran an electrology practice for many years and owned the school for a least a decade or more?? She understood electrolysis upside down. It was in her DNA practically. She delivered results to many clients and her reputation for doing that still preceeds her even though she is no longer in the electrolysis profession. So, this was not a matter of not knowing her craft, but it was a teaching style that didn’t jive with mine or others learning style. I respected her through all this and still have high regard for her program in general.

All turned out okay for me in the end, thanks to your unselfish involvement :slight_smile:

#11

CareBearhair, I thought of something else that goes along with the grip thing. Keeping a tight grip might also contribute to wrist, elbow and shoulder pain in the future, so lighten up that grip.

Another practical test you might do (haven’t done it myself, but it seems like it would make sense)… Place a layer of plastic wrap between two layers of a towel…insert between the threads and see if you recognize the point where you have reached the plastic. Just an idea.

#12

One of the reasons oranges are used for electrolysis training is because there are insertion points (under magnification, oranges have follicles) and there is also a change in what you feel when you pass through the skin to the fruit.

#13

Thank you all for your suggestions,
I will have to try them(fabrics/saran, oranges) out to help with my technique. I was thrown right into working on skin, so I can see picking up bad habits would be easy. I am very tense and I am gripping the needleholder like crazy.

Barbara: I tried the 3-way stretch and it really helps me to loosen up on the needle.

Arlene: Its not a Dectro school. I don’t believe we get practical tests except for the final(?). Good advice tho.

Unfortunately, there are very few worthwhile schools to pick from these days (as Im sure it is around N. America). I had debated about just getting trained on the job and buying the books, or taking a long distance course in America, but these would not be easily recognised by our association. They want a specific amount of school hours to take their test. It could be challenged, but in the end I decided to get the hours and the certificate at a school in my province.

I do realize I’m on my own for my education and thats why forum’s like this is a big help for advice and support.

Thank you all again

#14

COTIE = Certificate of Teaching in Electrolysis. (also has been listed as Certified Occupational Training Instructor of Electrolysis, but most people who have one use the former)
M/COTIE = Master Certificate of Teaching in Electrolysis (also Master Certified Occupational Training Instructor of Electrolysis but most who have it seem to use the former)

Lots of Alphabet soup here in Zap City :grin: