General questions about electrolysis on chin for pcos

[Nina]

Hi guys,

This website is great and very informative, so thanks for that. I’ve got dark coarse hairs on my chin and some on my upperlip. My skin type is between I and II. Tomorrow I’ve got an intake appointment at a laser clinic, but they do electrolysis as well. They’ve got the soprano ice platinum, but about electrolysis I can’t find any details.
The thing is I’m not sure what to do, electrolysis or laser. So I need your advice. Can I do laser and then do the last part with electrolysis? Or is it better to do it completely with electrolysis? How fast will I be able to see results with electrolysis? With results I mean a difference in hair growth, not perfect yet, just less hairs. Because I feel like it would be easier for me to continue when I see some results.
How many days before electrolysis do I need to stop shaving? This is an issue for me because it concerns my face and at the moment it’s very noticeable. That’s the main reason why I’m considering laser treatment. So I can keep shaving.
I hope someone can help me.
Thanks in advance:-)

[fenix]

If you have PCOS the best advice you’ll receive is to avoid getting laser on your face because of increases the risk of laser stimulated hair growth as a side effect where you’ll end up with more hair than you have to deal now. If you’re looking at laser as a convenient, faster option, it is not. Laser treatments for faces is a mixed bag of uncertainties and poor outcomes especially on chin and upper lip areas as it doesn’t always reach the entire follicle that tend to be deeper in those areas.

As for how soon you’ll see results from electrolysis is difficult for anyone to answer. It all depends on density of the hair, the skill of your practitioner, commitment and consistency on your behalf. Some people will notice changes after first 3 months and some people start seeing visual changes after 6 months. Remember that hair cycles influences the hair removal process and it’s something no one can control. Your electroligist will advise you when to stop shaving between treatments.

[Nina]

Thanks for your reply Fenix! I just came back from the intake. I stated I wanted to do electrolysis, but they insisted they would only do this for the left over blond hairs. I have some coarse blond hairs on my upper lip. I will call them and tell them I wanna do electrolysis or else I will look for another place. It’s strange though, I feel like all the clinics in the Netherlands are pro laser and try to avoid electrolysis. The internet tells me to do electrolysis but all clinics here tell me to do laser, and are pretty insisting on it as well. But your reply really helps me to stand my ground.

[Hairadicator]

The clinics tell you to do laser because they have to pay for the equipment investment. It really is that simple.

[Bono]

For old Uncle Mikey imagining virtually no electrolysis in the Netherlands is unbelievable. What happened?

During my many trips (16) to NL, we set up courses in nearly every school … curriculum designed by the ANBOS … and electrologists were everywhere with their own Dutch-made blend machines (4 different Dutch companies). The Dutch even manufactured their own tapered needles … pretty good too. During the 1980s – 1990s Europeans would travel to NL for electrolysis treatment; from Heerlen to Groningen … and even in Madurodam I’m told; small shops of course.

Like almost everywhere, well-funded laser companies took-over most of the electrolysis business. Friends in other countries, e.g., Australia, converted their electrology schools to dedicated laser schools … or a combination … but well-funded by the various laser companies. Hey, it’s business … not a charity.

Not to denigrate laser operators, but an electrologist must possess a higher degree of finesse and skill than the average laser operator. It takes years to hone an electrologist’s skills to master level. And, why would a young woman want to invest all the time and training to become a master electrologist ONLY … when she can (also) learn laser relatively quicker and make more money. And, with great advertising support from the laser industry.

After all these years when you tell someone that you do electrolysis, they either don’t know what electrolysis is … or, if you say “hair removal,” they assume you are a laser operator. It’s going to take a long time, if ever, for electrolysis to regain its rightful place. But the old guard … all of us … are dying out at the moment. Maybe electrolysis will be rediscovered at a later time?

[Nina]

When I called them they said that the cases with paradoxical growth are due to the settings not being high enough, but that in the end it’s my decision. So I decided to do electrolysis. Just had my first appointment. She used the apilus junior 3G. With 3 pulses, I don’t know what other settings.
In the beginning and later sometimes I felt a real electric shock, is this normal? Which was very uncomfortable. I feel like she might not do it often because the longer she was doing it the less it happened. It also became less painful, but maybe I just got used to it?
The first hairs she also still had to change settings a bit. One hair didn’t come out, but that was great because this way I felt the difference between pulling on a “dead” hair and one that was still stuck.
Sometimes she had to pull multiple times to get the hair out, is this normal?
I uploaded some pictures. Is an hour of work for this result acceptable? I mean she doesn’t have to be the fastest ever, I rather have her doing it properly but also don’t want het to be considered very slow.
My next appointment is after exactly 2 weeks. I guess that’s normal?
I will try to update this thread so others can see my progress. It’s what I was looking for when I started to consider my options.

Before:

After:

[Nina]

This was a very interesting read. Thank you. Hopefully it will grow again. It’s not that most clinics don’t offer it luckily. It’s just that they push for laser instead of electrolysis. At least the 3 clinics where I did an intake. If I wouldn’t do any research myself and go into a clinic I most definitely would end up with LHR instead of electrolysis.

[Penketh]

Hi Nina, I think that’s a reasonable result for a first appointment. I use the first couple of sessions to familiarise myself with the client’s skin reaction and healing, machine settings, comfort level etc so that future bookings can just concentrate on getting out those hairs quickly and safely. You couldn’t pick up a new piece of music by a previously unknown composer and perform perfectly straight away, no matter how good a musician you may be!
Some hairs have been around longer than others, so will need extra pulses or insertions compared to the rest. Nerve endings may be a little closer to some hair follicles than others, meaning you’ll feel the sensation more in those areas. Everyone is different; electrolysis is an individually tailored treatment, which means ‘tweaking’ certain elements to get perfect treatment for you, the client.
Good luck with your hair removal, I’m sure you’ll be delighted you’ve chosen electrolysis to achieve your goal.

[Nina]

Thank you. This makes sense, she also told me about finding the right settings.
So a few more questions:
Is the pulling that I feel normal? In videos on YouTube the hairs slide out without any resistance.
What can I do against swelling except for drinking water and cooling? Will cooling still help the day after?

[Penketh]

Hi Nina!
When a hair sheds naturally, the hair bulb detaches from the root sheath and shrinks slightly to allow easy passage out of the follicle. If a hair is treated in the anagen phase (where it is still fully ‘anchored’), the root sheath is attached and you may feel the hair leave the follicle because this is bigger than the norm. You will see it as a white sleeve surrounding the root base, shown on many videos and photos of epilated hairs. I can always tell when I’m re-treating a hair in the next cycle as it almost falls out of the follicle in comparison due to the first treatment reducing the attachment to the blood supply. That also tells me it won’t be back! Having said that, there is a big difference between that and a ‘pluck’ sensation, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell during treatment.
I sell ice rollers to my clients for home use; nothing fancy, just the plastic ones you see on places like Amazon or Ebay. They’re brilliant for cooling down the treated areas and reducing any redness. I use one immediately after a treatment, my clients keep theirs in the fridge for use anytime. They’re also great for headaches, aching limbs and hot summers! You can try keeping your aftercare preparation in the fridge, feels wonderful after an intensive session. I hope this helps.

[Nina]

Thanks! I’ll look up the ice rollers.

[Nina]

Hi guys,

Today I went for my second session and I left feeling great. She asked me how my skin reaction had been, which for me was a good signal. Also during the session she noticed my hair slid out very easily, so she tried a lower setting and that was still working fine. I love how attentive she is about that. Also my hairs were not as coarse as last time and so this time I didn’t feel the pulling at all.

I took some picture which I would like to post. But I was wondering if I should make a new thread about my progress (for people like me who want to read experiences of others) or is it possible to change the title of this thread?

Also one more question, she recommended me cicaplast baume b5+, what do you guys think about this product?

[Luna_Luna]

I know Cicaplast as I’ve used it, it’s great but don’t forget to put moisturizer over it too!
Looks like your electrologist is doing fantastic, it’s giving me hopes considering I have a similar chin to yours