Electrolysis-related skin indentation

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi,

I had some thermolysis work done on my face and body. I went to many consults and I wasted a lot of money on what turned out to be expensive plucking. The consult with my last electrologist was excruciatingly painful, but after my experiences I wanted something effective which they promised to offer.

For the face, I had fine but a little dark and long around my eye/brow area, and asked for those to be removed. Scabs formed, which went away after a week. Nothing seemed wrong until about a month after, when I discovered what seemed like skin depressions where the electrologist had worked. It really took me by surprise because I guess I trusted the electrologist and I didn’t really obsess about how the area looked beyond standard care including sun protection. A photo of the eye area is attached.

I’m really sad because I spend hundreds of dollars for anti-aging products and I try to take care of my skin, only to have this kind of scarring. I’m thinking now of alternating gentle retinA products specified for the eye area with polysporin.

As for the body, the scabs lasted much longer, around 2-3 weeks. Some hyper-pigmentation appeared, but what took me by surprise is that again, after about 1.5 months, I got a strange acne-like attack, but the spots seemed to be coming deep within the skin. I’m wondering if it’s in-growns? The body hair was also villus-like but dark.

qwerty Attachments

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#2

Waitingforspring:

Pease review the following video, that is relavent to your “scarring”

Seana

#3

Seana,

Maybe you forgot to paste the link for the video?

#4

whoops, I think I did!

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#5

Thanks for the video. When I brought up my concerns about the indentation marks to my electrologist, they brushed my concern aside and didn’t explain that it could be part of the process.

I was not told about what to expect in terms of scabbing, skin indentations, inflammation at the consult either, and I think it would help if the electrologist tells the client in advance what to expect rather than having them be surprised when things pop up along the way.

To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced that indentations should be expected as a regular part of getting electrolysis treatment, although I understand now that it could happen every now and then.

#6

To be honest I used the video, because Michael presents the material in a pretty non-alarmest point of view. While scarring is possible , in electrology it’s pretty rare overall. The entire skin healing process post electrolysis can take over 18 months. Until at least this much time has passed it’s almost impossible to say what might or might not be “permanent scarring” but as electrologists, we can generally determine that in 99% of cases, what clients percieve to be “permanent scarring” completely resolve over that period of time with no trace of the treatment.You are absolutely correct however that too often electrologists dont explain it tot he level that michael has done.

If there’s one thing I can convey to you it’s this: Dont Panic. It’s all going to resolve and look beautiful . If understanding the skin healing process is what it takes to come to peace with this then I would also recommend having a look at some of the other material Michael has posted , in particular the healing skin 4 part series located here:

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#7

I cannot say whether or not the image shows “scarring” this early in the game, though I will say that those indentations are not something I would be comfortable with (and I have had a lot of electrolysis.)

I will also add, as somebody trained in skincare, that using Retin-A and especially polysporin on damaged, healing skin is a terrible idea. Retin-A can work wonders on fine lines, aging skin, and acne but it can cause extreme dryness and peeling…not something you want for wounds trying to heal. Polysporin should pretty much never be used as allergic reactions to the ingredients are incredibly common, and anyway there is no need for an antibiotic at this point in your healing.

Way too often people see scabs, redness, etc. and immediately freak out and start slathering the area with dozens of products that probably do more harm than good. Peels, “scrubs,” essential oils (which can be incredibly irritating) are not going to help but will make things much worse. The best thing you can do right now is give your skin a year to heal and maybe use a bland moisturizer like CeraVe at night. Your body can generally handle itself without too much intervention.

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#8

Hi. Can you please tell how your skin looks like at this point? Did it get better, do you a 100% recovery? I encountered the same problem in about 1 month after finishing the electrolysis?

#9

Hi. Waiting for spring: Can you please tell how your skin looks like at this point? Did it get better, do you a 100% recovery? I encountered the same problem in about 1 month after finishing the electrolysis?

#10

It looks a lot better, but the scars are not totally gone - I doubt they ever will be.

#11

Hi, Waiting for spring. Thank you for answering. I hope that it will all dissapear in time. having electrolysis done was the worst decision. Only after a month I could see the “results”.

#12

On the other side, many people have been saved by having electrolysis. I think where consumers go wrong is judging the outcome too early. There may be little spots and dings, especially in the beginning as we clear the hair, but it will resolve. Skill and experience does matter when you choose a certified electrologist. Part of being a professional is explaining to the new client in detail, if they want detail, about the healing skin.

I agree with wearenotafraid, the polysporin is not needed and the Retin A could be interfering with the natural healing process.

If one cannot accept the healing process, then one should not continue with electrolysis. It’s puzzling to me how electrolysis is held to a higher standard than other procedures that cause the inflammatory process to occur on the skin. I don’t hear this panic when microneedling or facelifts are done.

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