Hello all,
I have been getting electrolysis on my breast and, about once a month, I get folliculitis on one area. Is this normal? How can it be prevented?
How many treatments have you had? Do you get ingrowns in this area that you try to lift out? Is the full hair sliding out easily, with no resistance, after it is treated? Are you keeping the area clean after a session?
I’ve had about four treatments per breast and I started getting it probably after the second treatment. I don’t try and take any hairs out myself, but I do get a ton of in growns in general. I’m not sure whether the hair slides out easily or not. I am keeping the area clean after sessions.
The follicultis has mostly come months later when the hairs are growing back or even to follicles that I don’t think were treated.
Electrolysis is the cure for ingrown hair and should not be causing inflammation of the follicle. If the hair is being treated completely with enough energy and it is sliding out with no traction, the follicle will be disabled forever and the problem is solved. Make sure that is happening. If you feel pulling, then it is a worthless treatment. If you try to get the ingrown hair on your own and you are not using aseptic techniques, inflammation can occur.
If the ingrown is not too deep, the electrologist should have been trained how to gently lift the hair out with a sterile needle or forcep and treat it. You can use warm compresses and moisturize the follicles 2-3X per day to soften the skin so it is easier to lift out the hair. Sounds like you are prone to ingrowns. Don’t ever tweeze the hairs. Let your electrologist work on this and fix this issue forever. If she/he doesn’t know how to do this, shop around for someone who can. It is really quite simple to solve.
So, the folliculitis is happening because the hair isn’t being removed completely? I don’t feel pulling, but she does have to go back to the same follicle several times before she can remove it, even in that I’m not sure if she’s pulling.
In addition to this issue, I’m noticing that I’m not seeing the same hair reduction as I see in other areas I’ve gotten treated so I am become suspicious as to whether plucking is happening.
Can you ask to see the hair structures after she treats and removes it? If it is breaking off, this may be a problem. You should see a bulb. If you have done any tweezing, new hair may be cycling in and getting trapped. Four sessions is not enough. When did you start? Are you getting cleared every time? Discuss this with your electrologist so she can guide you as well.