Are there any electrologists here who use flash thermolysis or is there anyone here who has had flash thermolysis done? i had a consultation with an electrologist last night (for my breasts and underarms) who only uses this method and i’d like to know what everyone here thinks of it (electrologist and client points of view).
Galvanic electrolysis requires 60 seconds or more to treat ONE hair. Multi-Probe Units attempt to better this situation by treating as many as 32 hairs at a time, but that would still be 32 hairs in five to ten minutes. The more probes on the multiprobe curtain, the longer it takes to insert them all before the current is even turned on. Frequently, as one is inserting other probes, the ones you have inserted fall out, and you have to reinsert them. When using multiprobe galvanic, it is not unusual to find that 100 hairs per hour is a good rate of clearance.
Blend treatment is usually a process that takes 7 to 30 seconds per hair. This already insures double the number of hairs as treated in galvanic. A competent electrologist should be able to treat 240 hairs per hour in Blend, faster ones will be able to approach 480 hairs per hour in Blend.
Thermolysis is the fastest possible form of Permanent Hair Removal. The treatment time is milliseconds per hair. It literally takes longer to select a hair and insert the follicle than it takes to treat that follicle. If the electrologist is utilizing up to date computerized equipment, and has an automatic firing mechanism, speeds approaching 20 hairs per minute can be achieved. Therefore, whereas a competent thermolysis practitioner would achieve 6 hairs per minute for a total of 360 hairs per hour, a top level electrologist would be speeding along at 1200 hairs per hour!
As a reference point, Fino Gior, with nearly 50 years experience cruises along at that speed. I have only 11 years experience in the field, and I currently work in thermolysis at around 700 hairs per hour on most folks (although I have achieved that speed on some rather easy clients… easy = many hairs close together all facing the same direction with an easy angle of insertion).
The thing is, thermolysis is the hardest modality to become superior in, followed by blend, and the easiest is galvanic. So the fastest method to use, is also the one you have to look the hardest to find the best person in your area to treat you with.
There is no substitute for getting as many consultations and sample treatments as you can, and really comparing what you have available before you stick to some one, or a few practitioners to provide you with the clear smooth skin you seek.
Just to follow up on this, I had in the past treatments with Blend and Thermolysis but had never had Flash. I knew the differences between the modalities but was just wondering if anyone else had had “Flash Thermolysis” and if so what they thought of it. I had my underarms treated with it last week. I didn’t notice any significant pain difference, I find the underarms really painful but can last through an hour or two with the aid of some LMX. It seemed pretty fast, about the same rate as Thermolysis when the electrologist who works on my face uses it. My skin seemed to react the same way as it does with Blend so no real differences there. Anyways, I liked the electrologist, I had asked her a lot of questions during a consultation before we actually began work. She has MANY years of experience and has also had electroloysis on almost her whole body so that is comforting to me. Just in case anyone else had questions about flash in the future, I thought I would share my experience with it.
I should point out that although most electrologists consider any form of Thermolysis to be equal, when one gets specific, I am a big fan of Flash, MicroFlash, and the new PicoFlash. They provide more comfortable treatments with high treatment settings and low durations of current. I would expect any practitioner who had the faster Flashes to use them most of the time.
I should point out that although most electrologists consider any form of Thermolysis to be equal, when one gets specific, I am a big fan of Flash, MicroFlash, and the new PicoFlash. They provide more comfortable treatments with high treatment settings and low durations of current. I would expect any practitioner who had the faster Flashes to use them most of the time.
So do Micro and Pico refer to the pulse durations used? What would a typical duration be for regular flash compared to micro and pico?
In electronics a microsecond is one millionth of a second and a picosecond is one 1 X 10E-12 seconds, or one one thousandth of a microsecond. I was wondering if the trade names were a direct translation of measurment units.
RJC2001
You are correct. The trade names are directly lifted from the science. Straight Thermolysis is measured in tenths of a second to seconds. Now the controls on the electrolysis machines don’t go down to the smallest measure, You can’t make a setting of one PicoUnit of Treatment Energy for One PicoSecond, but the newer machines are designed for the high power at much shorter durations.
To be blunt, the amount of power in a PicoFlash treatment would blow a hole in your skin if it were selected for a full tenth of a second.
Don’t worry, since the machine The Apilus Platinum is the only PicoFlash machine at the moment, and it costs around $10,000.US, you won’t find too many electrologists in the world with one, let alone an inexperienced “set the treatment for the client’s pain threshold” type electrologist. In fact the company insists that anyone who purchases one take a training on the use of the machine either at one of their locations, or they will fly someone in to try to make sure you know how to use the machine well enough to keep from melting and desiccating your client’s flesh.
Hello all,
This posting probably is better placed in more areas than jus this one BUT I’ve been meaning to write about my experience with Thermolysis so here i go…
First, let me state that I’m a man, 32 years old with unwanted back, shoulder and chest hair. I’ve been getting electroysis now 3X a week (1 hour each treatment, thanks to a suggestion I read from James in another post) and have gone to exactly 17 treatments (17 hours) as of today. My treatment areas so far have been my back (really hairy) and shoulders (not as bad). After 17 treatments those areas are not fully cleared yet but probably will get there in the next 5 treatments or so. I am very pleased with the results and the experience. Here are some of my thoughts when embarking on this kind of work (and it is work)…
- Pick an experienced electrologist with references. I apologize to all those electrologists just starting out but there’s no way I’d let you work on me.
- Find a CONVENIENT location. Keeping up with the work is VERY important and location weighed heavily in my decision (right after skill level of the technician).
- You will not know the level of pain until you try it. And it differs per region on your body. For example, I barely feel more than a brief sting on my shoulders and upper back but along my spinal column is much worse. I had my upper neck done and that was a cake-walk too. When doing areas other than my spinal column, I catch up on reading so you should bring a book.
- Stop thinking about it, do your research and get started. I wish I had started this years ago…
Lastly, I think I’ll give my electrologist a plug because she really has been amazing. Her name is Joy and I’ve listed her contact info below. My experience with her has been great. Some basic reasons I say this:
- The cost has been reasonable - $74 per hour
- She’s extremely efficient - I’ve secretly timed and counted her productivity, about 1000 hairs per hour and that includes me taking off 200 I’m assuming were mistakes or double blasts to a single hair.
- She’s really sweet and easy-going. She’s just really made what to me is an incredibly embarrasing process, into no big deal at her.
So, that’s it. I’ll try to keep everyone up to date with progress.
Joy S. Anzarouth, C.P.E. Board Certified Electrologist
315 West 55th Street Suite #LD New York, NY 10019 JoyanzyATaol.com (917) 670-6878electrologist
Thank you very much for your post. As a male I appreciate it even more because most posters on here are female. I too want to get much of the same areas cleared, and its good to hear someone with a positive and successful story on here. Keep up the good work and good luck on your journey to permanent smoothness.
I agree…thanks for the update. Also, James or anyone else. Any information on a good electrologist for this type of treatment in the Kansas City area? Any help would be appriciated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Sorry, but I have never been to neither Kansas City MO nor Kansas City Kansas. Since you did not fill out your profile, and you did not specify, no one else knows which one you are talking about either.
I hope someone replies. Of course, if you check our referral directories, you may find someone listed there already.
Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS are in the same metro area, just separated by the state line. Thanks for the response though.
Just to update again, I have now permanently switched to an electrologist who uses nothing but Flash. It is the most comfortable form of electrolysis I have had. Before this I had only had regular Thermolysis and Blend. It also leaves my skin looking the best, MINIMAL scabs (really only in the stomach area and they are the size of pinheads and there are very few). To date, no scarring or hyperpigmentation. Thanks to neosporin the areas that were treated before are looking a little better also (there was some hyperpigmentation). Tonight and last Monday I had my electrologist spend one hour on my face, meaning cheeks and sideburns. Tonight she actually did a little chin and some upper lip as well. For the first time, there is serious light at the end of the tunnel. In February, I had 5 HOURS of slow blend done on my face in these same areas. It was incredibly painful, and I couldn’t really tell anything had been done to be honest. It was a giant waste of time and money. At this point after two one hour treatments a week apart, I see a HUGE difference. At this point, with one more hour of treatment there will be no hair on my face (or very little fine blonde hairs). It is amazing. By the way, I know my facial hair VERY WELL and am looking at it in a 10X magnifying mirror. I doubt that she will even be able to spend a complete hour on it next week. Good luck to everyone!