Example of "Clear & Wait" strategy

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

As promised, here are photos of my patient from the UK showing results of the (1-2-3) “Clear & Wait” technique. We are doing the third clearance right now, and at the end of the week I will submit all the details: hours for each clearance and real costs (in dollars).

Points of interest:

  1. With a younger client (fellow is 20) who has fully developed terminal hairs (like this guy), the job may look more difficult but is actually easier. The reason he looks so dreadful is that the hairs are not staying in “exogen” for very long (hence the very dense hair). Such is the case with young people. This density gives you the opportunity to zap more visible hairs and thus makes the task easier in the long run.

  2. Generally, a case (any age) that looks this bad is also easy and perfect for “Clear & Wait.” Again, as a general rule, the “oh my God” cases are pretty easy. Because this guy never lasered, waxed or shaved, the case is easier to predict.

  3. As you can see, the results of the first Clearance were not so good (see photo #2). This is also common with younger “very hairy” people; I expected this and warned the client that he would think “nothing happened.” I also expected GREAT results after the second Clearance … and you can see results were pretty good (photo #3).

  4. The most thick and dense areas are the areas that will remain 100% hair-free permanently … forever. All the terminal hairs have grown in and now there are no more possibilities. (Notice, in the photos, that the most clear areas in photo #3 are the ones that were the most thick and dense to begin with.)

  5. With this case, I do not anticipate the need for any “pick-up” sessions afterward. There will be scant hairs after this, but I doubt the guy will see any hairs. After this clearance, he should only consider “pick-up” work 6 months to a year after this final session. (He will be going to Scotland too!)

I hope this helps all my fellow “zapperettes!”

Before Clearing one:

Before Clearing two:

Before Clearing three:

#2

And yes, the client is pretty happy with the results.

#3

THREE TIMES! ummm, if not because I know the hard work behind this case, I’d say you have a magic wand, Michael.

Yes Sir, Electrolysis is [size:14pt]predictable[/size]!

#4

Wont the testosterone in his system mean he will experience moderate regrowth anyway?

#5

Nope.

Especially in the very hairy areas, this is now a “done deal” for the rest of his life. Why? Because ALL the follicles have now been removed. We don’t “grow” new follicles.

There are a few (typical) areas where there are still some “shooters” although these are very tiny and I don’t think most will develop. Still, the areas that were super bothersome are going to stay clear. He’s actually going to have less hair than the average “hairless” guy. Skin will be like velvet.

#6

What is the breakdown of hours on table per day for a hairy case like this? I’m just curious how the client manages to endure so many hours on table in short period even with pain management since lidoocaine does wear off after 1 or 2 hours.

#7

Like I said in the original post, I will put ALL the stats together on Monday (chap goes home on Sunday). I want to expose the unvarnished reality about electrolysis … for all patients contemplating this “life-altering adventure.” This is no “walk in the park!”

I don’t believe in hedging ANY reality … and I think that’s pretty clear (and yes I can be prickly at times … but Dee Dee is helping me in this area. That woman is KIND beyond my understanding. And Jossie? Oh my GOD! These women have changed my life.)

Patients? We watch movies! Watch a movie — get zapped; take a “food break” (LOTS of healthy snacks all day long) … watch another and so on. Netflix is super and often the kids bring their own supply of favorites. “Gone with the Wind” really gets a lot of work done! “Frankly my dear … “

(Actually, picking a movie is the only issue during the session.)

And me? Well, I now have a personal relationship with ADVIL!

#8

Wonderful work, Michael. Do you (or other electrologists) have charts on the average TTTs for different body/facial parts (for both men and women)?

#9

Oh sure, some of us have TTT charts. Fino Gior posts his TTT chart on his website; check it out.

The thing is, the ONLY TTT chart that is valuable is the one kept by the electrologist you are seeing! If an electrologist has been working for, say 10 years or so, she should create her own TTT chart of the areas she’s completed. Most don’t do this … for some unknown reason. Lazy?

It’s easy. You go through your files and add up all the hours for each “case type.” And, there you have it: YOUR OWN TTT charts and evidence of what you have been doing all these years. You will find that doing this will create several sub-categories and give you greater understanding of your own work too.

When a new clients shows up, you can tell them that: "An average case like yours took “so-and-so.” If you feel the case will be more, you can say that and give the client the reasons for this. For example, you might see more-than-average hair, or be working with a young person with hairs not yet visible. And, of course, the “hormone thing.” (But I do NOT buy the proposition that because someone has “hormones” you cannot make ANY determination whatsoever about TTT.)

With an average actual number, and factoring in the variables, this gives the client at least a general idea of time and cost. Are there lots of variable? Yes, of course … however, you do have records that will show YOUR averages. Saying, “oh there are just too many variables for me to make an average,” is a cop out! You have the data … so, look at it!

Saying: “Oh this will take about a year,” means absolutely nothing! Saying: “Oh I do cases like this all the time,” is also a worthless statement.

I think all clients deserve at least some attempt at specificity. Clients never “hold you” to an actual number … but they do appreciate the attempt! (Actually, I have had clients that did not start treatment because they didn’t like the averages/costs. But that’s fine too!)

But again, TTT charts are ONLY valid when they are your own electrologist’s … not some random chart put together by some random committee or other therapist.

(Now, aren’t you sorry you asked? he he he)

#10

Oh, another “hint” for receptive colleagues:

I always OVER estimate. If I think it will take, say, 10 hours, I will say 15. It always makes a much happier client when you “come in” less than the original estimate.

I HAVE lost clients because of this practice, but that’s okay. I REALLY like HAPPY HAPPY clients!

#11

Like! :slight_smile:

#12

(Finished up yesterday)

Stats

Client: 20-year-old male with full/dense coverage: neck, shoulders, upper arms and full back.
Total treatment time (TTT): 105 hours @ $70 per hour
Total cost: $7,350.00
Total “elapsed time”: 8 months to completion

Breakdown in Clearances:
Clearance 1 (February 10, 2013): 50 hours
Clearance 2 (June 10, 2013): 33 hours
Clearance 3 (September 16, 2013): 22 hours

Note: the only area of potential new growth will be a narrow strip along the sides “lats.” Presently there are only vellus hairs in the area (I spent an extra few hours this last clearance to remove many). These may or may not grow terminal hairs, however, the majority of the areas will not grow any hairs (as I explained earlier).

I will post a photo later today to show the entire just-completed cleared back. (I didn’t photograph the entire (original) back because the client was too embarrassed, but here’s a photo of the upper area to give you an idea of the original density.

#13

One nice thing … the kid from England used to drink “Diet Coke” all day long. After my explanation of the verified/documented/REAL risks, he’s totally OFF Coke and all artificial sweeteners!

Everything that James said about artificial sweeteners has now been documented … GET OFF the stuff NOW!

#14

Final Clearance … field: full back, neck, shoulders, arms.

#15

WOWOWOWOW <3 LOVE to see this sort of info along with photographs. It also gives people who are reading an idea of how long these things take as sometimes they dont realise the dedication and time that goes into this work.

BRILLIANT! MORE PLEASE :slight_smile: x

#16

Wow I just read the info and saw the pictures. That is a lucky man, he got a great deal and I can’t imagine how much happier he will be soon when the skin clears up. Michael do you know how many hours were used just on the back?

#17

Thanks,

I’ve been at the “Hairtell thing” for 2 years now. What gets the most attention are two types of postings: 1) posts with personal rancor, and 2) posts that show actual photos of clients that have had treatment.

The first type of post is “attractive” for, well, all the WRONG reasons! The second type is, in my opinion, what the internet is all about! The internet is becoming more and more a VISUAL marketplace. SHOW me; don’t TELL me!

People come here to get real answers. Most are not interested in “puffing” or hyperbole or reading banter about “conflicting modalities.” Actually, none of this is very productive and, frankly, nobody cares either. I don’t, and I’m done with it.

Furthermore, all of the anxiety about a “pimple,” a scab, a mark, and so on, could easily be dispatched by a well-written piece that tells the REAL story about after-treatment manifestations.

Indeed, we go through a seemingly endless bunch of “stuff” for some poor soul that’s worried about a “pimple” or something. After nonstop opinion and stroking, he or she feels better … and then two weeks later another person starts the same conversation all over again. These issues are important, but doing it this way on Hairtell (over and over and over) is a gigantic waste of everybody’s time.

One good thorough document would cover everything and be done with it!

For me, I’m taking my “marching orders” from “my” Jossie: just show it, be real, and give all the details (the good, the bad and the ugly … I especially like the “ugly”). It’s what I would want to see, and I think everyone should be doing this: SHOW IT! Show electrolysis and laser … SHOW IT don’t just “tell it.” Cameras are cheap … click click click!

Note: it would be MUCH easier if Hairtell could “upload” photos without the nuisance of such junk as “Photobucket,” et. al.

#18

Hi Johnson … No, I didn’t make a special note of each area. Perhaps you could reduce the total by about 1/3 or 1/4 without the neck and arms?

(For some reason, the arms went WAY better than expected … even with only one clearance. Guess what? Even with 40 years of doing this “bloody” zappage, I still don’t have all the answers!) I never will.

I see that “timmamit” is in the UK? If you wish, you could send me a PM with your phone number and I can have the actual patient “ring you up.” He’s pretty “shy” but (as I tell all clients), tell the story as it actually happened … don’t embellish! It would only be “fun?”

Frankly, this was probably a horrible experience for this great British kid (I’m an Anglophile, by the way). You see, electrolysis SUCKS! I hate electrolysis too (having been a VICTIM myself!) However, it DOES work … always! ALWAYS!

(He just got home to Winchester, so he has a few days to recover … then, off to University!)

#19

Great images, Michael- really demonstrate what electrolysis can do!

Just a point of clarification. In response to a question about regrowth due to changing levels of testosterone, you talked about how there would be little, if any regrowth in the particularly hairy areas with dense terminal growth. Does this hold true for say, female legs with coarse, terminal growth, provided that you are getting full clearance?

#20

Thanks for your excellent question Sierra,

Actually, for female leg hair the situation is even better … WAY better. This is one area that CAN be guaranteed hair free for life …

Specific areas of hairs on the body (male and female) respond differently to hormone stimulation. Areas such as the underarms grow in rapidly during puberty and then will never again be affected by hormones: as far as growing MORE hairs. The legs are the same.

What you have (on your legs) is what you have. As you age, you will experience fewer legs hairs for a number of reasons. Again, this is even more “on spot” if your leg hairs are “coarse.” I love cases such as yours because the result will be “insanely” smooth legs … like soft velvet … and, you will never have another hair EVER! Yes, the “oh my God cases” always turn out best.

Hairs all over our bodies are not the same. These little “appendages” are more like separate colonies of creatures that respond differently to systemic and environmental influences and changes.

For example, consider how close together head hair and eyebrows are, and yet these are two distinct “colonies.” With testosterone stimulation, head hairs will “miniaturize” and eventually cause baldness in predisposed males. On the same person, this identical hormone stimulation may cause his eyebrows to grow thick, long and wire-like.

One biologist said that humans are less like a single “being” and more like a reef: organized cells all doing something different yet cooperating to maintain the “larger body” for their own self interest and well-being.

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