Electrolysis for children ?

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#21

May i take up this topic again?

I feel very unsure how to deal such issues.
When is it ethically acceptable to treat children with electrolysis?

Electrolysis hurts. Especially on the upper lip - a lot. Every client, not only children, needs a strong committment to stand that pain and have “that damned hair” removed. And that on children?

My spontaneous feeling: clearly not if the motivation/situation is clearly cosmetically motivated. But what if there is medical background like severe hypertrichosis, especially in the face?

And THAT motivation - projection of the feelings of the parents onto the children, should necessarily be a contraindication. The children have not only to decide freely but urgently want to get rid of their hair. Otherwise traumatisation is unavoidable - unfortunately, traumatisations may become visible years, even decades, after the traumatic experience.

#22

Hi there. Yes my girls do have hypertrichosis. It is obvious on the face especially on my 7 year old. Nothing outrageous yet but slowly getting there. They are only young and will still be considered “too young” when I imagine it will be a social / confidence / personal problem for them.

It is very unsettling for me as mum to know that even if they want permanent treatment undertaken that it cant be done as its considered inappropriate when what they have is not the norm in the first place. I wondered why they couldnt have a local anethestic (dentist like injection) in the area prior to treatment. My daughter has has many blood tests in the last couple of years for her problem and she doesnt even flinch when she sees a needle. Children with disfiguring birthmarks and lazy eyes etc often get these corrected before their teenage years for the same kinds of reasons. It just seems a bit unfair that children with “a real hair issue” not just your normal puberty hair coming through, cannot at least attempt to get it under control before it becomes a problem for them - if its what THEY want. Especially when its on the face. Grown woman dont like excess hair on their face and neither do children.

I in no way make out the hair is a problem and tell them they are gorgeous as they are but at the same time they can see no one else around them has this at their age.

#23

Fairygirl, what i did quote was Your motivation having this done, an argument coming from You and not from Your daughter - in the light of recent requests i intentionally do not quote. I am simply in the need of adjusting my position toward or against treatment of children and adolescents.

If i am responsible in my decision to dare a treatment i ought to reject any request where i do get the slightest doubt if the wish to have the hair removed really originates from the child or adolescent.

Concerning the numbing: first of all we can do as professionals is to explain to our customers how to apply a Lidocain ointment in a way which is efficient and avoids unnecessary load to the body. This stuff is potentially dangerous and should be used with care (and IMO avoided if the client can deal with the pain differently or applied selectively as i do when i visit my electrologist). We are simply neither allowed nor trained to do this ourselves (i do wear permanent scars caused by a collegue who applied Lidocain injections in my face; in Germany another electrologist put her client to death by such an injection).

So at present my feeling is not to generally deny treatments on children but decide from case to case with a hurdle the higher the younger the child is. So when is a facial hypertrichosis severe enought to justify treatment of a child? Quite probable in its most severe cases, and eventually diagnosed and attested by a physician. And of course, ONLY in full consent with the child’s wishes under the limitations we as grown ups and specialists (need to!) recognize.

#24

Hi again,

My only motivation is to help my daughters in any way I can when/if they decide they want to remove the excess hair. Maybe they will be perfectly happy with their appearance and it will never be an issue. This would be great. But I doubt this will be the case. New hair is quickly growing in all over their bodies as they age. Lots of it.

From time to time we discuss the fact they have hair in lots of places but its not a negative just a fact and these conversations are always started by them.

I was really just trying to see if it was an option in exceptional situations. IF its something they want to do. I cant see any reading anywhere that its done on a case by case basis (as laser can be - I personally have known a few children that have had this done for various reasons - birthmarks, hairy nevus or suchlike on the face). Various websites talk about permanent hair removal for children but in reality electrolysis didnt sound possible going from the response I got when I queried it. I cant imagine that laser would be too comfortable for a child either but they seem to use this when its required.

It just seemed the general consensus to treat children with this problem was no. Sight unseen. Im sure there are a few younger teens out there that would love the opportunity of having electrolysis done if their parents could afford it, they could handle the pain and someone could do it for them. If someone took their 10 year old to an electrologist and the child was willing and the electrologist thought the situation was bad enough to treat, what is the harm? I understand it doesnt seem right absolutely. But it could make so much difference to someone who is struggling at a young age with this problem.

Lidocain doesnt sound nice at all! Clearly not something you would want to put on anyone let alone a child if you could get away without it. Would something like Emla cream be effective enough to use beforehand?

Thanks for your comments. I understand its a strange query :slight_smile:

#25

My daughter is under 10 and hairy. I’ve told her I’ll do her whole body at 14. No exceptions. People have noticed her hairy legs and moustache and she doesn’t like it but i guess she can stand it knowing i have the tools to help her when she gets older.

Puberty can accelerate hair growth so it would probably be a waste of money if you did anything too soon. Wait until you know what you’re working with.

#26

I’m over 14. You can treat me!!! lol

#27

Hairy legs and a moustache I would happily tell my daughters is normal and not to worry about as most of their friends will probably end up with that at some stage.
But hairy nose at 6? No one has a hairy nose. Even older men dont have the hair growth she has. Also hairy clavicles? spelling sorry! Collar bone bit anyways.

I love Pink - I bet your daughter is happy in the knowledge that she wont have to wait until she is late teens to get permanently rid of the mo!

#28

yeah i see your point there. i guess your situation is a bit different. i don’t know what to tell you. but the chances of more hair growth at puberty are probably pretty high so if you started hair removal it would be an ongoing expense and plus your daughters would have years of treatment (pain and healing)that they would find very difficult i am sure.

#29

EMLA creme IS Lidocaine (+Prilocaine). On grown ups there are limitations on the are which may be numbed a day, and that limit can be reached during marathon sessions.
Simply due to their much smaller mass the limit of EMLA applicable to children is really small so that will put limits on its use.

I understand its a strange query

No, it is not. I think it is important to discuss the ethical aspects and the limitations on doing electrolysis on children.

@I love pink: You wrote exactly what i wanted to add. The long treatment just ot more or less maintain a steady state might be an extremly frustrating experience for children. Even more as it may be for women with, say, PCOS…

#30

Thanks for the Emla info. I never filled the prescription for Emla that we were given. One of the endocronologists we have seen suggested coating my daughters arms in that for a bit and then waxing them. My daughter wasnt keen and neither was I so she is still sporting fluffy arms and relatively happy since its winter :slight_smile: Also I have a suspicion she may be one of the ones where waxing doesnt make the hair thinner or sparser but may encourage hair growth. Wont find out for sure unless she does it tho I suppose.

#31

Also if absolute worst comes to absolute worst and my daughter insists on removing the hair (on the nose will concern her most I imagine) prior to her teens whats the worst that can happen if she puts a blob of hair remover on there to tide her over until she is old enough for more permanent measures? I hate the thought of her putting stuff like that on her face tho … can it make anything worse? Sensitive hair follicles dont “thrive” on the stuff or anything do they?

#32

the light vellus ones wont come back obviously stubbly and dark? Would really like her to just leave well enough alone for as long as possible before permanent options especially on the face.

#33

Okay scrap the above. I have just read a post on hair removal creams not being good for the smaller non problem hairs.

#34

A major part of this is that the young person actually wants it done.
Click this link to see video of My Youngest Client.