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.
A Little background about me—after my last baby (she is 5 now) I went from seeing a few hairs to seeing more and more and would quickly pluck them as soon as I saw them. You don’t realize how many you have tho until you can no longer pluck! So finally last summer (2020) I began my electrolysis journey. I haven’t plucked since we began treatment but have occasionally shaved-but it was her suggestion and she said that would be ok. Anyhow I was so so excited! My electrolysis is a former nurse and trained locally on electrolysis from someone who did it for 30 years. I live In a state Where you donot have to be “certified”.