Got my Epilator in the mail today.

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Electrolysis
#1

About a week ago I negotiated a deal with the owner of an Apilus SM-500 epilator (the one posted in the ebay thread) I thought I got a decent deal at $1099.00, but there seems to be some stuff missing, which is probably the reason.

The machine came with manuals, AC plug, Foot switch, steel handle electrode, memory card, and two needle cords and holders,

I know im missing the Roller electrode, but im not sure if im missing any thing else or not. There are two rubber holders on the back of the machine and I can’t figure out what they hold. So I guess im missing more than what I can think of. How important is the roller electrode? With my thick hair anaphoresis doesn’t seem like something I would use any way.

On a side note, I read the manual cover to cover and with the information from that alone I almost feel confident to start experimenting. The bazillion pre set programs (in Omni-Blend mode) are all I plan to mess around with, which seem simple enough because everything is set and timed for you. The way the manual makes it sound, all you need to do is be good at inserting the needle, and presets will do the rest.

Im hoping that I might be able to avoid buying those expensive books through the programmed foresight of the machine supplemented with maybe a decent online tutorial on technique?  Does anyone know of one?  I don’t have a problem with reading, or learning more about the process, I just don’t have much money for books after buying the epilator.

The manual calls for Push-in needles using standard “F” shank. I’m a little lost on what that means. Also what size needles do you recommend for course hair? What brand of needle?

#2

Congratulations! You got some deal, considering lesser machines than that sell for $2,500 brand new.

Now you see why I recommend one buying a machine like the SM-500, and SX-500 to the die hard DIY’er. It minimizes your responsibility to know what you are doing. Of course, you really should get one of the better books and read it. They pop up on Ebay from time to time. I should also point out that you should get intimately familiar with the “autosensor” mode, and how to set the “autodelay” so that you can just work on insertions, and the machine will engage the treatment energy after counting down from first contact with skin on a count you set from 0.1 seconds (if you are Fino Gior) or 9.9 seconds, if you are a newbie.

The rubber holders you refer to are for the metal pole connected to the red wire and the roller connected to the black wire. These are their resting place, when not in use. You can get a new “Cataphoresis Roller” and black cord from Texas Electrolysis Supply (800-626-6025) for about $35.00 if you need both cord and roller. The Roller alone would be less. Ask for a steel roller NOT a carbon one, as steel is more sanitary than carbon and you don’t own a sterilizer.

I would also suggest Ballet Gold Probes size 3 for you. You can also save money by buying these from Texas Electrolysis Supply’s expired probe sale.

The Ballet company makes and packages its probes in a fully automated process, and the probes are never touched by human hands. Once vacuum sealed in airtight blister packs, they are sterilized inside the package with a sterilization gas and UV lights and an expiration date stamped on the package. Does the expiration date mean that probe is unsafe after that day? Heck No! It just means they can’t guarantee the blister package is still airtight, and so can’t guarantee that the air surrounding the packages is not getting in the package after that date.

If you have tried collecting toys and left them in the blister pack, or blister card, you know this to be true, because the heat seal eventually gives way, and the plastic bubble holding the toy separates from the card, and eventually falls completely off the holder.

They can’t sell these to the average professional, but for those working on themselves, this is a great way to buy the best probes at deep discounts. As for the air, around the package, the probes spend their lives after the factory in sealed boxes until those boxes are opened to be shipped, and the boxes inside the big box is also sealed in plastic. The probes will have more suspect air around it when it reaches you than ever at any time in its lifetime.

I will quit rambling now.

#3

I called Texas Electrolysis Supply about the expired needle sale and they said that they didn’t have any of the Ballet gold probes right now; however, they do have some discounted Sterex gold probes for sale, do you know anything about those ones? I can buy the Ballet’s brand new but it’s twenty dollars more than the used Sterex gold probes. Any input? Would you still go with ballet?

#4

I personally would go with the Ballet, unless the sterex is a one piece. I still like Ballet’s one piece better than sterex’, but you have to make your own choice here.

What ever you get, make sure it is a one piece probe. You would go crazy trying to insert a two piece, and you would bend them up and throw them away much faster.

Did you price the Roller and or cord?

Aren’t they nice and helpful at TES?

#5

Yes, the lady on the phone seemed very nice, I will probably go ahead and get the Ballet probes, just because it seems like probes aren’t something you would want to skimp on. I looked up the roller electrode on there website and I think I found the right one. I already have the black and red cord, im just missing the roller electrode. I was actually thinking about holding off on it because im not sure I would use it. Do you think that’s a bad idea? Maybe I don’t fully understand the benefits of anaphoresis & Cataphoresis. Also, what all do I need to get started? Do I need any skin crèmes, Topical Anesthetic, or anything like that?

#6

Especially as a novice using blend, you will need catapherisis to reduce swelling, and lower pH of the skin after treatment.

If you have Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera Gel, and Tea Tree Oil, you have the minimum to get started. (Oh, by the way, you should get yourself some real electrolysis tweezers next time you are on the phone to TES. Most people like the Oc3 (pronounced O.C. Three) or the H style.

A topical may come in handy, but, since you are a beginner, you really want to be able to feel what you are doing, in order to learn what feels right.

Get some for use later, when you get more of the hang of it.

At the conclusion of a treatment, apply Aloe Vera, and if you are not going anywhere for a while that day, a dab of tea tree oil, and roll the roller over your face in Catapherisis mode. It will lessen the swelling, and reduce redness, while pushing the soothing aloe and tea tree oil deeping into the skin.

#7

On those tweezers did you mean 3C tweezers? Because I can’t find OC3, all I can find that is close to that is OC-9 tweezers. Also I was looking at the literature on the Texas web site and they have “Cosmetic and Medical Electrolysis”, but they don’t have Bono’s “blend method” I looked it up on Amazon and used it was $175.00!!! Will the first book suffice? Does it go over technique and methods? Or is it a text about the science behind electrolysis?

#8

The web site is incorrect. TES has the new condensed version in stock now for something between $50 and $60. I just spoke to Miron about this 4 weeks ago. Amazon has the original selling at a premium.

#9

I too have purcahsed a similar professional machine, but havent had the time to really use it yet.

I purchased ballet gold 4 probes but found that it was very hard to judge how deep I should go into the follicle.

Insertion is no problem at all as I have excellent eyesight and a steady hand, but there seemed to be no resistance at the bottom of the follicles, I can keep going deeper without any pain.

How do the professionals know when to stop, do they rely on ‘feel’ or with the tweezer test to guage depth.

Im not sure what to do, i may try two piece sterex as they may help show the resisance for me better.

Any help would be great thanks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

#10

You are starting to see why this electrolysis thing is not as easy as the pro’s make it look.

For most, it is all in the way you hold the probe holder, and the tweeze and gauge test helps too.

Of course, this is another reason why to get really good work, you have to have a buddy and trade work. A pro touch requires one to hold the probe holder in such a way that the slightest resistance makes the probe holder slide out of your grasp. How would one do this when working on oneself? It is all one can do to get into position without dropping the probe holder when working on oneself.

Here me now and believe me later, people who work on each other get better results than people who work on themselves, but not as good as a well skilled professional. Even if two DIY’rs got good enough to do a job that looked as good as a pro, they could not do it as fast as a professional.

#11

I purchased ballet gold 4 probes but found that it was very hard to judge how deep I should go into the follicle.

Insertion is no problem at all as I have excellent eyesight and a steady hand, but there seemed to be no resistance at the bottom of the follicles, I can keep going deeper without any pain.

How do the professionals know when to stop, do they rely on ‘feel’ or with the tweezer test to guage depth.

Im not sure what to do, i may try two piece sterex as they may help show the resisance for me better.

Any help would be great thanks. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The “tweezer test” is where you grasp an anagen hair at the base, where it emerges from the skin, tweeze it out, and mentally mark on the probe how far it is from the skin to the end of the hair. Zap the hair and then tweeze it to make pulling it out easier.

You also can bend the probe 90 degrees at the right length. It made subsequent insertions much easier for me, both making the depth easier to locate and I found the finger motion easier.

You will never feel the bottom of a follicle. You’ll feel the “club” of a telogen hair, but that’s not the same thing. There really isn’t anything at the bottom. Just soft tissue which the probe easily penetrates.

Also, don’t shortchange yourself on the probes. I reused the same probes over many sessions, with the only concession to sterility being wiping the probe with an alcohol swab. So I found no need for large inventories of probes. No, I didn’t encounter major problems with infection. After your first insertion, the probe is covered with bacteria anyway. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

  • Eric
#12

One should be a little more careful about bacteria. The amount one collects during treatment on the probe is not a problem. What might grow on it in between appointments is the problem. Also, as the probe is used, especially at high treatment energies, the probe actually disintegrates as the coatings, are dissolved, and the hot blasts of vapor blow off pieces of the point and sides.

They are not made to last longer than a few hours of actual treatment anyway.