Electrolysis First Timer - What to Expect

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hello all,

I’ve been reading on these forums for a few weeks before joining and I have finally decided to make my first appointment for electrolysis treatment. My first appointment is next Friday, July 31. I have a thirty minute consultation followed by a thirty minute procedure to start. I’ve read countless articles and posts about different experiences, but I’m looking now for input that is more recent that can tell me a little about what to expect.

My conditions are that my electrolysis will take place on my chin and jaw line area. I’m 25, female, fair-skinned, and the hairs I’m hoping to have permanently removed are a mix of reddish, dark, and course. I have three (small) moles on my chin that also have some hair growth out of them (the worst!), so I’m unsure how my electrologist will be able to treat these areas, if at all. I’m also unsure how long my future appointments will need to be, but as of right now I’m going to overestimate and say I have between 30-50 hairs that need treatment. I know I’ll get more of this information at the consultation.

What are your facial electrolysis experiences like, and have any of you ever had electrolysis done on a mole? What were your side effects after your first treatment? Should I remove all of my makeup before my appointment? Seems logical. Lastly, do I tip my electrologist? It seems like I should.

Thanks and Bless!

#2

I would remove all of your makeup before your appointment, and I would try your very best not to wear any makeup on the area you’re treating between appointments too! Or, at least not for the first 24 hours.

I’m not aware of any electrologist who accepts tips. I’ve been to two electrologists, and both of them basically rented out a space and practiced solo. It was not like going to a salon or spa.

As far as my experience – I’m 26 y.o. female with olive skin. I have coarse black hairs scattered along my jawline, neck, and on my uppper lip (mostly corners). They’re mixed amongst much finer hairs that are just a shade thicker and a bit longer than typical peach fuzz (you would have to get really close to my face in a when lit area to see those hairs).

I started my treatments 6/17. My treatments are weekly. During my initial treatments, my electrologist used one probe to remove all of the coarse hairs along my neck, chin, jawline, and eventually – as I got further into my treatments and had fewer dark chin hairs between sessions – upper lip as well. At first it took her a whole hour to do so, and there wasn’t time leftover during a session to treat my finer hairs. Since the amount of dark hairs I grow between session have begun decreasing, she has also begun using a finer probe to attack some of the thinner hairs on my chin, left cheek (for some reasons I don’t have many on my right cheek), and upper lip. She hasn’t removed many fine hairs on my neck yet, and she has not yet cleared all of the fine hairs in an area. Her strategy is basically to get rid of all of my more bothersome dark hairs first. Finally my most recent sessions have also shortened from hour long sessions to 45 minute long sessions because my coarse hairs have decreased (whereas, when I first started, it took an hour and 45 minutes to clear my face in small sessions over a week and a half, and an hour to clear my face my following session, which was my first long session).