Is it possible to treat people with medium dark skin (brown skin) with electrolysis?
Yes, I have done it many times on many people.
Now LASER on people like yourself, is quite a different prospect.
James, could you please expand on your opinion of LASER on this type of skin?
Thanks!
There are those who would accuse me of knocking LASER if I did much more than caution that those who have pigment in their skin at all times, let alone tanned skin, should really make their choice of LASER practitioner wisely, or else face increased risks.
Perhaps our friends at Romeo & Juliet or SSLHR will chime in and give the best Pro-LASER talking points on this subject.
I would think that electrolysis is the safest thing for you to do. Even there, one would have the potential for more scabbing, and pigmentation if the practitioner could not give the best treatment to you. In some cases, short term pigmentation and or scabbing can’t be avoided, even with good work. But this is just another reason I say, electrolysis is the safest route for you. You just have to get as many consults as you can, to find the best available practitioner to do the job.
bump, do i have a higher risk of scarring since im dark skinned? with electroylsis i mean
NO! You may experience some temporary hyperpigmentation because tissue injury from any source (bug bites, scrapes, cuts, laser hair reduction) can excite the pigment cells. It is all temporary.
Where did you get that idea about electrolysis?
Keep in mind that for you, and people like you, activation of melinin and thus pigment change is a part of the immune system responce.
Dr. Dee, do you have experience with dark skinned patients? If so, what sort of results do they get?
I’m in Ohio so I may like to schedule an appointment w/ you if you practice close to where I’m from.^^
I’ve been called many things and have been mistaken for being a man, but Dr.Dee 
I’d have to work harder than I do to be called a doctor. Just “Dee” is fine or you can call me DeeDee or Ms.Dee or Deedra. I answer to them all.
Working on people of color is no problem for me. I’m in Columbus, but I must ask if you have had consultations with others nearer to where you live, wherever that is? That would be helpful for you if you can find someone trustworthy close by.
Bump. I am now thinking of looking for an electrologist. Dr. Fahey, I live in Canton :P.
Just some more questions though. I am not worried about temporary hyperpigmentation.
I’ve had LightSheer laser hair removal and regular yag laser hair removal which is much better suited for my skin tone as far as skin tone goes. I’ve also done Fraxel too.
I did the LightSheer in late 2003 to early 2004 and stopped. It worked but the guy was new to the business and he was treating me every 2 weeks or so. The hairs did not have time to reach that phase in the growth cycle in which to blah blah blah.
Plus the laser itself wasn’t suited for me and it actually burned my skin on the areas adjacent to my chin on BOTH sides. These burns healed completely though and left no scar.
I was happy with the laser hair removal but the yag laser was way better. It was more effective of course and did not burn me.
One thing though. The doctor sprayed water on my face after doing a pass. She called it ‘cool mist’ as if it was a new product. Not like ‘here’s a cool mist’ but a ‘Cool Mist ™’. Kinda funny… but then a few weeks or so later, i looked in the mirror more closely and noticed all these indentations on my face. Very very small - like the kind that disappear when you stretch your skin - yourself - not w/ pulling via your hands.
A lot of these looked like they were literally from a former hair folicle. For a long time the thickness of the skin even appeared to be more in one area and less in another. This was not an optical illusion. All the indentations are still there. It’s now a year and a half later… The thickness has improved some but is still visible when I look close enough but of course not a big deal (but im still upset this happened).
I had fraxel before the yag laser in the summer of 07.
This fraxel did nothing for me and I think it’s the cause of a lot of the new indentations on my face.
See, I don’t get much acne. Only whiteheads every now and then but its rare. So none of these scars and indentations can be from acne (i have some from acne but few). The indentations are in the shape of small small pinpoint indentations. Disappear when I stretch my skin.
I think the Fraxel was the root cause of the indentations I later definitely got from the yag because it took a layer off my skin…i dunno…
Anyways, what I’m trying to say is I’m unsure whether to know if electroylsis is safe for me. I would have no issues on body hair removal but i dont want scarring - especially ice-pick style scarring…
Is there any precautions and such to take or blah blah? Im serious about hair removal since Ive been through laser before.
My main concern is very very light hairs all over my face which i think was caused by Laser hair removal since im dark skinned (brown) and the laser couldn’t go high. Ive read that low intensity levels can cause new growth in adjacent areas. well im proof i guess.
please help, i want to get rid of this annoying hair 
id like to schedule an appointment too with you Dr. Fahey since we’re almost neighbors!
Well, I’m not the doctor in my family, LDLD, I’m just a humble electrologist that has a killer instinct for ridding people of unwanted hair.
I’d be glad to take a look at your problem and advise and treat you, but then perhaps we can work on finding someone closer to where you live to make this more convenient for you. Have you tried consulting with other electrolgists closer to home?
Are you saying you got ice pick scarring or indentations from laser? I never heard of that complaint before??? Fraxel for hair reduction or for smoothing out your skin?
Electrolysis does not scar if it is performed with skill and proper equipment. It just doesn’t. This is inaccurate information promoted by people with an itch to make money off their competing brand.
I had Fraxel for complexion issues. To be honest, I never needed Fraxel. I just rushed into it without knowing enough about it. I didn’t have it for hair removal.
Yea, I’m just worried is all, since I’m not very knowledgeable about electrolysis. Would it be ok if I signed up for a consultation? I don’t know any electrologists in the Canton area but I wouldn’t have a problem driving to you.
Well, okay then. You can find my contact information listed in the Hairtell Practitioner Locater forum under ‘Ohio’ of course. I prefer an initial e-mail, so I don’t have to return a phone call. I don’t answer my phone when I’m working. Or, you can private message me here on hairtell.
I’d be glad to treat you, but you are free at any time to check out what others offer in your area. If you like what I do, then at least you will have something to compare with if you seek out electrologists later on in your area.
Thanks,
Dee
Bump, Hey guys.
I got related question:
In general, how are the results for electrolysis in dark skinned patients and how many here have treated dark skinned patients?
I can’t seem to find any information on electrolysis and dark skin other than it’s riskier.
I have treated lots of dark skinned people. In every case, the skin was improved by the end result of the hair removal. This is because they no longer had to deal with the constant daily irritation of the hairs growing, getting ingrown, rubbing and scratching on the skin.
For many people, well performed electrolysis treatments are the only way to safely get to a clear complexion. One just may have to deal with a few weeks of healing time to get there.
The results are dramatic with well-performed electrolysis for people of color. Electrolysis serves these clients very well and they end up with well-deserved freeeeeeedom from unwanted hair and the side effects that come with unwanted hair.
Great.
My only doubt is that after fraxel and then 4 months later, LHR (yag) - i notice that one side of my face is not level. it’s all subtly depressed in some areas while not in others. the lasers did a number to my skin and took of patches. it hyperpigmented them and it’s been 2 years now! it left pinprick size holes in my face too. not deep like ice-pick deep but still visible. it looks like a bunch of black specks when i look at it up close.
combine this with my unwanted hair, and it’s a bad bad situation.
my face use to look nice too…
so im wondering if i should get dermaroller done to fix that side of my face that is uneven in thickness and littered with pinprick holes or try some electroylsis first.
bump, has anyone seen pictures of dark skinned patients who have undergone electrolysis?
Would you like for me to give you client phone numbers who are women of color that have had successful electrolysis? If so, I will contact them to get their permission and then privately e-mail you. You have been worried about this so long. Maybe you just need to talk to real clients in real time.
As said before, it is possible to treat Indian skin or any color of skin successfully with electrolysis. My practice is heavy on the side of treating people of color. It works and it works fantastically well for Indian, Pakistani, African, Latino, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean skin. If you are overly nervous about this, then you should probably just continue with temporary measures.
I have to admit I am worried. (I have scarring from LHR - I’m almost sure it was due to LHR)
I’ll send you a PM. Thank you Dee, and I apologize for excessively bumping this thread. I just need to get as much info first because I have been careless with cosmetic treatments in the past and it has been harmful to my face><