Electrolysis sticker shock. It's effective, right?

I have facial hair. It’s pretty wide spread, coarse, and dense. :frowning: It was laser treated for 3 years. Plucked/waxed off and on for 3 years after that.

Now I’ve decided to do electrolysis, especially after reading so many glowing testimonials here. I’ve met with 2 electrologists. The first charges $80/hr and the second $100/hr. And I felt more comfortable with the second. But my husband is really experiencing sticker shock about the cost, as well as the fact that no one can tell me how much money overall I may expect to spend, how long treatment will take, etc. I keep telling him that it’s highly subjective to the patient’s (me :wink: ) condition, but that sounds like code for “treatment could last indefinitely”, and he’s worried I’m being taken advantage of. He’s worried it won’t even work.

Is there anyone this doesn’t work for? After achieving first clearance, how often do you think appointments might be? I felt like I did my research when choosing electrolysis, but I feel like I can’t answer his questions at all, and it’s making me doubt that I’m doing the right thing. I just can’t afford to be doing hourly appointments for 6 months. :frowning: I just have no idea at all how much this is going to cost me.

Help, assurance, hand holding, whatever. I need some. :frowning:

I just talked to the electrologist. She said she’s estimating an hr appointment a week for 6 months. Then keeping up with regrowth after that. I’m stunned and so disappointed. I just don’t have the money for this. :frowning:

Check to see if they do a package treatment. I.e pay up front get a session free. My electrologist does 6 hour long treatments for $300 and 12 for 600$ - very affordable.

Electrolysis is very effective and in my opinion worth the money to gain your self-confidence back.

Where are you located? Someone might have an electrologist recommendation as well that is cheaper than both of those (I drive to LA to get treated, and I found someone great for $60/hour), so you may have to drive quite a bit to get decent treatment, but if you can go and do multiple hours, it can very well be worth it (minus the cost of gas!)

You have to want this really bad and nobody should get in your way.

If you are going to an experienced electrologist who is skilled, then you will get permanent hair removal. You have to trust what they are telling you. If you dont believe or trust, then you will have to keep doing your temporary methods, which can make your problem worse. WE CANNOT GIVE AN EXACT COST BECAUSE YOU ARE UNIQUE AND YOUR HAIR SITUATION IS UNIQUE. HAIR IS A TOUGH ENEMY, BUT ELECTROLYSIS IS TOUGHER. IT WILL WORK.

HAIR GROWS IN CYCLES, meaning all the hair you REALLY have is not present at the surface at one time so we can see it and treat. We have to clear the hair we can see at one particular time and then we wait around for the next group of hairs to pop up at a another particular time and then the next and the next and the next, until you run out of bothersome, obnoxious hairs to treat. This can take 1-2 years. The hairs you do have, have been mangled and pounded with temporary methods for how many years? That is another hurdle we have to deal with. Through these and all other obstacles, do not fear, you will still meet success with electrolysis.

There are many examples in life where you go forward, work hard, spend money and TRUST that you will get what you want in the end. Permanent hair removal, via electrolysis is one of them, but in many cases it is not easy, nor is it inexpensive. Inexpensive is a relative term. I asked a client tonight who is at the 18 month mark for upper lip, chin and billy goat hair, was it worth the $774.24 and 10.5 hours in 12 visits that she invested over 18 months to relieve herself of this hair. Of course, she said, “Yes!”. She is finished. She is happy and she understood that she needed to trust that I would guide her with good plan to rid her of this cursed hair. Other electrologists do this all over the world everyday.

If this is important to you, then it should be important to your husband. I know he wants answers, but this is a unique service where we can’t give exact numbers, (well maybe a few will), but most electrologists cannot predict the exact cost or whether it will be monthly or every 6-8 week clearances for nine months, twelve months, fourteen months, eighteen months or twenty four months? We cant say if those clearances will take 15 minutes per month or 60 minutes per month. We have no control of your internal hormonal environment, your medications now or in the future, your genetic code or characteristics, your inability to stop tweezing, your ingestion of diet drinks, stress levels, food intake, weight and the list goes on.

Professional electrologists give people the gift of PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL, but when do you, as a unique person with a unique hair problem, reach that end and for how much, well, that is where we cannot draw definite boundaries. We can make guesstimates, but we cannot be exact. I am sure you understand the variables associated with this very precise method for a very unique you, now that has been explained.

Whatever the final numbers are, please realize that someone trained to do a difficult procedure such as microsurgery on the ever hardy tiny hair, tucked inside a natural pocket in the skin, is giving you this gift of freedom called permanent hair removal. This is a miracle procedure . There is nothing else on this third planet from the sun that can relieve you of every bothersome hair structure, no matter the color, anywhere on the body or face.

Electrolysis works. It is a simple scientific procedure that takes a lot of skill and patience, but mostly it takes a compliant person, who is supported by her family.
Electrolysis has been in existence since 1868 'ish . If it didn’t work, it wouldn’t have lasted for over 100 years. Electrolysis has saved people from living miserable lives. Electrolysis is renewal and rebirth for many. Money and time can buy this one miracle in life.

I have been confronted with the husband factor many, many times. Seeing pleading, desperate women waiting for the approval of their better half makes me sick and sad for them. Do your best to read the electrolysis success stories on this forum. That, coupled with learning all you can about electrolysis should prepare you to bombard your better half with the conviction and confidence of a top-notch trial lawyer. Please read up. Hairtell has much to offer and all your concerns will be answered.

I can only be honest and share with you my own story. forgive me but I don’t have time at the moment for spellcheck.
I also Have been seeking electrolysis( E from now on ) for a facial hair. It started with eyebrows when someone I know had a very successful electrolysis done on Her eyebrows in a different city.
I found someone in my city worked on my eyebrows for years however i was never told me not to pluck between sessions, or use sunscreen or anything at all…i Had a fantastic relationship and got along with my e but eventually I just wondered why it was taking so long. When I finally found this forum I became enlightened and realized that A lot of things weren’t right . It was basically expensive plucking ,so I let it go ,and Began to seek other people for e work .
I really couldn’t find anyone where
I live so I’ve seen people in various cities.
It was honestly the photographs on this forum and information I read here that Greatly influenced me into continuing to seek for elytrosis on my face. Though much of the hair is blonde, and there is much much less of it than the photos I’ve seen here ,( for example a man’s back or a man’s beard ,) I have yet to find anyone who does what has been referred in word and photos , as clearances. In fact each time I’ve mentioned the concept of doing three complete clearances they tell me that is not the way it goes. I’m not knocking anyone else’s method I’m just telling you what I get told.
I’ve also learned that it’s not the amount of money that someone charges that will ensure the best service. I had one guy charging me Exorbitant amounts which I was willing to pay and till I finally started to feel, for several reasons, like I was just getting sponged.

I’ve now met someone who may not be quite as good or quite as fast but does decent work and charges a quarter of the amount and has a soul. I’m just as happy overall with her work and I can afford longer treatments which again will only happen for the limited time i am here. But what you see on this forum, like The incredible, awesome work of Jossie for example, well I’ve learned not to get my hopes that high as i don’t know that that degree of quality Is NOT found so easily out there. Now, hopefully I could be wrong… Unless you’ve been lucky enough to meet a good person close to where you live, Or are able to get yourself into see someone like Bono( well i think he doesn’t do female faces?) Jossie,James or Dee, then Expect to be patient With the process ,tread carefully, keep your eyes open, And never be Intimidated out of ask your questions here and. To your practitioner.

If you haven’t read this thread, you may find it helpful:

ELECTROLYSIS SUCCESS STORIES

Thank you so much for your reply, Dee. Thank you. <3

Is a tugging sensation always bad? The lady I saw last night seemed really competent and thorough with lots of good references, but there were a few hairs that I felt a tugging sensation when she was getting them out. Should I be concerned?

Hi…

You could consider travelling to get marathon sessions? Do your research…I found a brilliant electrologist with modern equipment (apilus platinum) and good vision aid.
I had blend treatment prior to this but it was very painful and time consuming. The beauty of the apilus is that it’s very quick and I would describe as almost no pain at all vs blend being quite painful for me!

After having 10-12 years of laser on my face and lots of stimulation in places on the face people shoukd grow hair I decided to try electrolysis…

My last laser appointment was in Feb 2012.

1st clearance was end of May 2012 - 4.5 hours (and the amount of hair was terrible I tell you)

2nd clearance was end of September 2012 - about 2 hours

3rd clearance was mid December 2012 - about 1hr 15mins

4th clearance was Mid February 2013 - about 45 mins-1hr

I could have put the last clearance off as there was hardly anything to clear from the December appointment, most of the time was spend clearing little areas and actually looking for the hair!! I’m really impressed and amazed…I’m factoring in 2 more clearances to be totally done although you could say I’m 95% there…

I’m a male, all work was done on the face…in total about 9 hours plus the travelling costs. After years and years of laser my skin is now looking the best it has ever.

Please consider the option of travelling to one of the fantastic electrologists on here. If you have clearances every 3-4 months you will know how much it’s roughly going to cost and can plan in advance. I found booking the flights early made them cheaper and flew home the same day…yes they are long days and the recovery time is more than normal but you have longer periods of down time inbetween!!

Finally…the electrologist is more important then the machine used but I was lucky and got the best of both!! Good luck!!!

You are very welcome.

The truth is, we don’t like to feel any tugging and you shouldn’t feel this, but it does happen sometimes. If it happened to you a couple times, then I wouldn’t be concerned. She may have felt it, too and she may have gone back in the empty follicle to shoot it again without the hair being in her way. The first clearances are tougher. It can be like playing Tug’O War sometimes.

It would be okay for you to politely let her know when you feel resistance if this happens more than a couple times. At least she will be aware that you know that isn’t what you should feel after she treats a hair.

Great post, Mark. My wish for the hair removal consuming public is that there will be no need to travel for marathon sessions someday. That adds such burden and expense to the whole project, but if it the only thing on earth that will help you, then you have no choice. I have a soft place in my heart for those that struggle with the beastly hair.

I read that in amazement. I am female and likely have way less hair, yet ive had hours and hours done on a small area of my sideburns alone. Never yet has someone done anything near a clearance in those number of sessions/hours . Seems i live on the wrong hairy planet!

Thanks…

It’s definately something worth considering!! I live in London and travel to Scotland for treatment, so about an hour on the plane.

Don’t get me wrong the 1st treatment I was swollen, sore and had tiny scabs but did have 4.5 hours treatment basically on the forehead and temples (this is where the laser made thick hair grow believe it or not!). The aftermath of treatment is quite a shock at 1st, I’m half itallian also so quite dark and did have some pigmentation…truth be told I noticed it and nobody else did, and by the time of my next treatment it was gone. I tend to suffer with whiteheads post treatment, be that laser, blend or flash.

I’m at a point now where I had an hour worth of treatment last week, the following day there was no whiteheads, no redness, swelling, soreness etc…infact you wouldn’t even know I’d had treatment…this is partly due to the hair follicles needing treatment being further apart and this time we used the Laurier Kelly probes…I have to say I hardly felt a thing during treatment, much less than when we used the the normal Laurier ibp!

Again all I can suggest is you try and find the closest electrologist to you on here and see if you can arrange something. I was lucky to find this website and have made huge progress in the past 10 months. The way I see it is that the electrologists who post on here regulary really do have a passion for their work and care about consumers. They are not afraid to show their work and can give you a decent estimate of price and a timeframe. I was told after my 1st clearance that I’d need a further 5-7 hours in total spaced out every 10-12 weeks on 5-7 occasions. If you add up my total hours its pretty much bang on what I was told give or take!
There are so many variables with electrolysis, you can remove most of them by going somewhere that countless other consumers have vouched for…cheaper and most importantly safer and quicker in the long run!!!

Oh how I agree and wish there was more competent electrolysists spread throughout the land. I finally FINALLY found a good one here…, sadly she lives across the country and I have to leave soon. It just kills me to have finally met the perfect electrolysist only to know that when I return home, poof I’m back to being a pumpkin :frowning: without a probe!

IF you can afford it without it getting in the way of things you need, and IF you can find someone great, go ahead and do it. Once it’s done you will be sooooooo happy that you did it.

It really is so hard to estimate BUT figure out how much you can spend and honestly, just go for those amount of sessions, at very least your hair will be much less. Then when you see how great it is, you’ll come up with the rest.

If your hair makes you miserable, it is worth a lot.

The best thing you can do is find a good electrologist,search online for reviews. And do what others have said here, pay close attention while getting your first treatment for plucking. If there is plucking juuuuust once every so often and the person goes back in to give it another jolt or 2, i feel okay with that. But it should be the small minority once you only have active hairs. 2%+ maybe. But i’m not an electrologist, so i don’t know.

I am pretty sure there is a thread on this site about how what you should be experiencing during electrolysis that will give you an idea of the difference btwn good and poor treatment.

it’s all about the skill of the person, if you have to pay more AND travel, worth it imo.