Electrolysis Basics

Hi,

I want to get electrolysis done on my upper lip and have a few questions:
-I’ve read some posts on this forum and it seems like everyone getting it done has some sort of rash or red bumps that show up. Is this the normal side effects? Has anyone NOT gotten this? Exactly how noticeable are they?
-How often would I have to go for a visit? Ex. how many weeks between each visit?
-Does hair grow back more fast after electrolysis…is it like shaving?
-Can you bleach the hair if you are getting electrolysis done?
-What is the Approx. price range per visit?

Sorry about all the questions, and thanks in advance for any helpful responses,

Stephanie

i just had electrolysis done for the first time on my chin and upper lip today. since you asked about the rash i will tell you that i have had almost no reaction so far. my face was red (and still is a little) in the areas she treated. but so far, nothing else and the redness is really not even bad at all. the electrolysis i chose uses only gold-plated disposable needles and she told me that the metal probes seemed to cause more redness than the gold-plated ones. it’s only been about 5 hours since treatment but the reaction of my face so far has not been anything but some mild redness. by the way that was the blend method.

answers to your questions (will vary with individual, machine and person doing the electrolysis)

you said:
“I’ve read some posts on this forum and it seems like everyone getting it done has some sort of rash or red bumps that show up. Is this the normal side effects? Has anyone NOT gotten this? Exactly how noticeable are they?”

Yes it is a normal side effect. I have gotten them. Alot of us get them. Right after treatment the skin might be a little red and bumpy the first time. Very quickly redness will disappear but around 48 hours later scabs can and will form and last for the remaing week or so. Redness, bumbs are noticeable… but they vanish quickly. plus they look like the normal everyday blemishes on ppl’s skin. Scabs are slightly noticeable… but in time they will be gone as well.

PLUS… as treatments go along… the more you do, the less reactions you get and your skin will look as if notihng happened to it. Its only the first time your skin will have “serious” reaction… after that, not much so.

you said : “-How often would I have to go for a visit? Ex. how many weeks between each visit?”

If it is just your upper lip… you can clear it in one sitting in no time. subsequent visits depend on how fast the hair regrows back. USually people go everyweek and then after couple of treatments the hair grows much slower and you can skip a couple of weeks before your next treatment.

“Does hair grow back more fast after electrolysis…is it like shaving?”

No. When the hair is removed by electrolysis, it stays gone for a while. you might notice growth, but that is from other hairs that were not there the first time. the hair will start to grow slower and thinner with more electrolysis treatments until its gone for good!

“-Can you bleach the hair if you are getting electrolysis done?”

well… there wont be hair to bleach! electrolysis is removing the hair!.. but if you are taking a while between treaments and you see hair… then i guess you can bleach it… but remember this will make it harder for your electrolygist to see the hair and treat it. (you wouldnt want that)…also the chemicals in bleaching could tamper with the healing process of your skin so it wouldnt be wise to use it if you dont have to. take precaution.

“What is the Approx. price range per visit?”
that depends on where you are and who’s doing the work. Everyone is different. Generally, you will be charged per time. i.e. 25$ per 30 mins (like what i pay for my treatments)… or something like 15$ per 15 mins. something like that. electrolysis is for sure cheaper than laser.

hope that helps!
-rachel

Thanks so much Rachelle for answering my questions, and Jessicaz for sharing your experience with electrolysis. I think I’m going to just do it, even though I’m a bit worried about the scabs. But I’m getting really sick of waxing because the hair just grows back thicker and darker it seems. I have another question though: Are you allowed to cover up the redness with makeup, or would this be bad for the healing process?

Thanks again!

regarding makeup, my electrolysis says not to wear any and i notice james says the same thing here. she did give me some slight concealer made by instatron (sp?) that she said i could use but she told me for about three days i should only use witch hazel and neosporin cream and this concealer. but she also said it depends on how quickly my skin healed. once it is healed, whether that is more or less than 3 days, i am free to use my normal makeup and what not. i was also really worried about how bad my skin would look after because i knew i would have to go back to work and would want to look normal but my face really does look fine (i had chin and lip done) and this was only my first appointment. the redness is basically gone completely and the bumps are so slight that they really are only noticeable to me. it’s only been a little over a day since my first treatment which was for one hour. i am really not even worried about the scabs bcs i used to pluck these areas every other day which caused some ingrown hairs. i caused scabs myself when i was removing them with tweezers. so while everyone will have different experiences, my skin personally has reacted really well and i have just tried to do all the things my electrolgist and the electrolgists on this forum recommend regarding makeup and cleanliness and i think that helps a lot. i hope your results are just as good.