Electrolysis timeline - need some support/advice!

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi all,

Firstly, I just wanted to say thank you to all of the brave souls who have posted on this site - your journeys have given me the courage to begin my own!

I wanted to share my electrolysis experience in hopes that this community could give me some suggestions, advice, support, etc. Like many of you, I haven’t seen the results I expected, so it’s a constant battle of deciding what would be the right next step. To give you some background, I started noticing thicker hairs on my chin when I was 22 years old. Fast forward three years, and I found myself with two thick patches (about 60 hairs each) on my chin and other dark hairs sprouting along my neck and jawline. I had been plucking and waxing previously, but this totally startled me and I decided to go to an endocrinologist. My testosterone levels were higher than normal, and she put me on Spironolactone. I also decided that electrolysis would be the right choice for me. I live in central VA and don’t have a lot of options, but I found a certified electrologist in the area, and she seemed knowledgable and kind. She also has 25+ years of experience. I started seeing her bi-monthly (once every two weeks) back in August 2018. My first clearance took an hour, the next few sessions took 45 minutes, and now I’ve plateaued at a steady 30 minutes per session. I’ve definitely noticed some improvements (hair grows back slower, thinner, blonder) but I still have a pretty significant amount of hair on my chin. I just counted about 35 hairs in one of the patches, and I have my next appt on Thursday. When I did my initial research about timelines, sites suggested it would take 8-18 months for full clearance. I’m well into my 9th month and do not see an end in sight… Any suggestions or thoughts? My electrologist seems to know what she’s doing, but sometimes I do not feel a zap (maybe 5-10 times per appt). Is this something I should bring up?

Waiting for the day when I can touch my chin and feel smoothness!

Thanks!

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#2

I understand your concern, but nothing seems out of the ordinary here. If your treatment time has halved in nine months, then that is absolutely a sign of progress. You have gone from some 60 hairs in a patch to 35.

As for the treatment timeline, this is dependant on several factors. A complete clearance within nine months is not usually reasonable for facial hair on women. It relies on the client not waxing, shaving or otherwise removing the hair from around three months before treatment begins until the completion of electrolysis treatments. 18 to 24 months is much more realistic and typical in this case, though any untreated hormonal issues could provide a challenge. If you want to further clarify this, it would be best to ask your electrologist her experience in treating women’s facial hair and the expected timeline according to previous cases.

It can sometimes be normal not to feel the current, but you should be able to hear the click of your electrologist depressing the finger or foot switch anyway. Depending on the insulation of the probe, the insertion angle and depth, the treatment area, the ‘zap’ can feel very feint or non-existent on occasion.

Good luck, keep at it. As far as I can see, the end is definitely in sight for you.

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#3

Thank you - that is just the response I needed to hear!! It’s good to know that my perceived timeline was unrealistic, and I should plan on continuing forward for at least a few months. I mostly wanted to make sure that this was a normal progression… this will help me adjust my expectations.

I’ll chat with my electrologist about my progress and see if she has any suggestions or ideas.

Thanks!

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#4

Hello! Your experience sounds very similar to mine, and I often post in my treatment diary all my angst over my progress and wanting to quit. All the pros tell me what I experience is the normal progression of treatment. Hang in there!

#5

I often tell my cliets to expect ZERO reduction in the first six months, in fact, I tell them they will be REALLY surprised how much comes in during this period . I also tell them that between 6 and 12 months, they will see a reduction, and this is the true reduction and that we don’t see the results of our treatments for 6-8 months. Typically, an 18-24month series of treatments is required to completely clear an area regardless if its 60 hairs or 60000
It’s all in the cycles of growth. We don’t see whether a hair will come back for months after beginning treatment. That you are seeing the reduction from 60 to 35, is actually REALLY REALLY good.

What you need to do now, is just hang in there aand keep going for treatments. You will get tot he finish line.

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#6

Hi!! Thank you so much for sharing your story - I actually read it from beginning to end a few weeks ago to get some insight on timelines. How are things looking for you? Have you noticed a significant decrease since when you first started? I’m so looking forward to the day when I have no stubble on my chin…

#7

Yahoo - thank you! That is some really helpful context. I have certainly noticed a decrease since my first few months, which has been really nice. I’ve been diligent about going every 2-3 weeks and getting cleared every time, so I’m hoping the end is in site!

Are there any cases when the treatment has taken longer than 2 years? Do you know what would cause something like this?

#8

yes, absolutely there are cases that last longer than 24 months. They include:

Pluckers, especially pluckers that do not give up the habit completely. Every plucked hair will return, but we dont know when this may happen.

Cases who do not get enough treatment or who stop part way through. You need to be clearing all the visible hairs.

Cases who continue to shave throughout their treatment.Shaving prevents us from treating up to 2/3 of the hair that we could have otherwise destroyed.

And finally, cases where there are hormonal influences that are not addressed medically. This is a possibility with undiagnosed or treated polycystic ovarian Syndrome, . In such cases the high androgen levels ( which areregularly reduced with spironolactone such as in your case) . Refuse to get medical help in this way, and you can have a life long hair problem.

Happily, I dont see any evidence of these issues with you, so you should have good success.Just be patient.

Seana

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#9

I understand what you are thinking. Having done thermolysis for 45 years and galvanic multi for 30 years I am in a good position to compare. After 15 years of treating clients, I felt the same, when was I going to take this client across the finish line?. I decided to travel the world and seek answers hence my discovery of Galvani Multi probe electrolysis. There was a lot of work that had to be done to deliver the results that you as a client and I as an operator expected. When i purchased my first machine, I did not get the results i was expecting, so engaged, engineers, scientists, etc. and explored every aspect of the modality to be able to deliver. The settings, timing, needle size and pads all are important to deliver. Reading the responses I totally agree with them, you are unlikely to see results within the first 6 months using single needle.
I am speaking from my experience only and am sure others will do the same. However there is no judgement with other methods as they do work, only differently.
For your chin, using Galvanic multi probe, I would expect to see a great reduction within 3 months, by 6 months almost complete and no bristle, then the following 6 months would be an occasional visit to pick up any strays that still had to come through. By 12 months you would be finished. If I saw your original picture I would be able to give you an approximate number of hours of treatment required. However this is just feedback on another modality and am respectful of those that do it differently. I highly invested in this process so I could deliver and to date we have never been disappointed with the outcome

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#10

permanence,

I am getting really frustrated that in each of your posts you are promoting your Multi Needle Galvanic method and how it is the superior than others.
1 Galvanic -multineedle or single needle - same thing no difference of the outcome.
2.Multi Needle method can not control the hair growth cycle so the time to finish given area will be the same regardless the method used. You can not promise 2 times faster results compare to other modality.
3.Settings , timing, probe size etc are also very important for other modality.

So please stop advertising your Multi Needle Galvanic method as a superior compared to Thermolysis and Blend.
Dimi

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#11

You arent alone Dimi.

What we need to do, is keep preaching information on the cycles of growth. There is no way around it, regardless of modality, what’s being presented by the galvanic posts is statistically impossible, but getting into an argument here with other practitioners here does everyone a dis-service. The best way to battle incorrect information, is to present the correct information.

Battles of wills, well theydont stand a chance with such a strategy.
And…my heartfelt thank you for taking on as much as you have here recently. You’ve been of great assistance to consumers.

Seana

#12

All modalities under the banner of ‘electrolysis’ work well. Goodnight!!

#13

Hi
Firstly I ask you the same question “why are you promoting yourself as a single needle expert in all your responses”
Your answer should be “ because that is what I do best
When a person asks a question and I feel I can shed light on their query, then I give my time and expertise to the question based on years of experience
I note you do the same. However, the difference is, even though I may have a different opinion to you, I respect what you have written promoting your method and yourself as an expert, just as I, and all other professionals do, should you want to look at it that way.

This would be so much more beneficial to the person seeking knowledge

#14

I do like this statement. I respect my colleagues that are experts in one or all of the modalities.

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#15

Hi again!

I wanted to provide an update for those with similar experiences looking for advice. After about a year with my first electrologist, I finally made the decision to look for other options. I had been feeling a significant amount of plucking for a really long time, but had no other baselines to compare it to, so I thought it was “normal.” She also was a certified electrologist which I think gave me a false sense of comfort. Whenever I would ask her about progress or next steps, she would skirt around the question and change the topic. As someone who was so emotionally invested in this process, I found this worrisome and finally gained the courage to check out someone new in August 2019.

I went to a new consultation in Sept 2019 and IMMEDIATELY felt much better. She walked me through the electrolysis process, asked me about my experience thus far, and helped me develop a new plan forward. I also noticed that I didn’t feel a single pluck when she would work on my chin. Part of me wanted to kick myself for not exploring more options in the beginning, and the other part of me is just happy that I’ve finally found a good home.

Fast forward 4 months and I’ve already seen tremendous progress. I’ve cut my treatment time in half and have soooo much more confidence than I did before. About a year ago my hair was all I could think about it - now it hardly crosses my mind. The hair is lighter, thinner, and grows back much slower. I’m down to about 20 minutes every three weeks and it feels great.

My advice for people beginning this journey:

  1. Go to as many consultations as you possibly can! You won’t know what feels best unless you have a baseline to compare it to.
  2. Make sure your electrologist is kind, caring, and transparent. This can be a really emotional experience and it’s important to have someone who understands that.
  3. It’s going to take a long time! I’m 16 months into my journey and am just getting to a spot where I feel confident and happy.

Good luck, everybody!!

3 Likes
#16

i’m super happy for you! Also thank you for coming back to update!

So if I can pick one thing out from your post that stands out to me, its that you were feeling plucking for a long period with electrologist #1 and none with # 2. Coincidentally, this was the key to progress. So there you have it, plucking =no progress VS smooth Extractions=definite progress. I’m certain there is a lesson in there…

Seana

#17

Thank you for this wonderful update! This will help many people.

#18

Long-time lurker at this amazing discussion forum.

I wanted add to what you have said, speaking as a client. I had a TERRIBLE experience several years ago whereby a brief initial consultation (15 minutes max) left me with deep scabbing on my face. This practitioner was very kind, experienced, professional in manner, and had a beautiful office dedicated exclusively to electrolysis. She inspired trust and confidence.

Although the scabbing EVENTUALLY went away, the stress and trauma of this experience is something I will never forget. The practitioner took no responsibility for the result, and this breach of trust left me confused and hopeless, and eventually brought me to this amazing forum. I spent many hours studying the various comments, from clients but also especially from the great pros here like Seana, Michael, Josefa, and Dee.

I finally got up the courage to try one more time. This time, however, I made a short list of practitioners that I had verified - through much research (mostly from this forum) -were at the absolute top of the field. This involved traveling to a distant city and staying overnight for treatment. I have now had several treatments, all life-changing, from this practitioner (I had many years of savings earmarked for it to draw from). In fact I began to see a noticeable difference after the second treatment.

I can truly say this has been perhaps the best investment of my life. The skill of my practitioner is truly beyond anything I could have hoped for. After several trips, I have not experienced any side effects other than a handful of very small pinpoint scabs that disappear within a day or two; most of the time, the only side effect is temporary redness.

If I could say one thing to people I would say, if you can manage it financially, travel to see one of the top practitioners. Spend the money. Book a cheap hotel if it’s what you can afford and have one treatment. This treatment will give you a baseline for what electrolysis SHOULD be.

In my opinion, you should NEVER be left with any sort of serious scabbing on your face after your first session. If you think you can’t afford to travel to see a top practitioner, consider cancelling your vacations and avoiding restaurants and clothes shopping for the next year or two, and save money until you can.

The fact is, electrolysis is a highly skilled profession that requires a great deal of dedication and technical skill to master. It is a vocation. I’m sure there are many excellent practitioners who quietly go about their work and never comment on Hairtell, but it’s just as likely you will come across someone who projects professionalism but doesn’t know what they are doing. To be blunt, there are some people out there who shouldn’t be let anywhere near either an electrolysis machine or a vulnerable client (no one goes to an electrologist because they are happy).

I’m sorry I had to learn this the hard way - I wish someone had steered me correctly at the beginning. I’m hoping this comment will save others from going through what I went through simply because of my lack of knowledge and a willingness to trust manner and appearances.

The great news is, there is light at the end of the tunnel if you approach this problem with seriousness and resolve.

2 Likes
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#19

Good to hear from you M ( Janeybird) . I of course recognize the story, and it’s been my pleasure to help with issues.Assuming I’m correct about who this is, but I’m pretty sure I am.

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#20

Thank you for your excellent post and advice, Janeybird! Agree that this is not a place to cut corners. Go to someone who is really reputable!

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