No Milli, the method “clear and wait” just is a way to standardize the treatment. Set the time necessary to reach a maximum of emerging hairs. There is no difference in tolerance. The pain can be neutralized in various ways. The use of topical anesthesia is one of those ways. As you may know, this type of anesthesia does not reach very deep into the skin, so the more you wait, the less deep is the root of hair on the skin or what is the same, more superficial will meet the objective target. It’s another good reason to follow the protocol of Mr. Bono.
LAGirl, more than a century ago that the results of the electrolysis need not be tested. It is universally accepted. Set the ratio of effectiveness of laser hair removal is something that after a decade is still a pending task.
At no time have I doubted your testimony as a consumer. It is you who has questioned my professional work as electrologist and my rigor in data collection.
I’m not a biased person. I am a realist. I have no fear of scientific progress, on the contrary, I have spent over 36,000 euros in 2 years for equipment with 3 of the most advanced equipment in the international market electrolysis. If I saw my survival threatened by the laser, would have invested the money to buy a good laser. The stark reality is that I witness every day, from frustrated customers of all types of lasers. I know that in most cases, this constant failure is due to inadequate choice of candidate for hair removal hair, but that the client does not recover your money. In case you’re interested I’ll tell you that my work schedule is full until May or as we say here, is “overbooking”.
There are plenty of consumers here daily complaining about their electrolysis treatments, saying they didn’t work after years of treatments and worse, that they got permanent scars from it. Does this mean that electrolysis is ineffective or doesn’t work? No. It means that there are people out there performing electrolysis who shouldn’t be or who should be updating their machines and educating themselves.
It’s not any different with laser. If you go to a crappy clinic and get crappy treatments, it’s not the fault of laser hair removal in general. It’s the fault of that crappy clinic.
The problem is that you ignore those things when it comes to electrolysis and bring them up only when talking about laser. That’s the bias that I’m talking about. If you want to be a realist, you should be unbiased.
Magical, seek not the argument. I am merely defending my credibility and my hard work. I have not offended anyone, on the contrary, I have offended me.
I have taken the trouble to upload photos to Hairtell with the good intention to support the admirable work of a colleague, Mr. Bono. I tried to show the world that the electrolysis is full of myths and lies. If you’re using a lot of time to remove all the hairs on your tummy, maybe it’s because your electrologist is not as fast as you think. And no wonder, with a blend of 4 seconds, anyone would be slow.
Someone once said: Be careful what you wish for can come true:
Right underarm woman. Not shave for 4 months prior to the first treatment. Date: 2/4/97. Number of hairs treated: 605. Clearance First Time: 60 minutes. Method used: Blend in 1 second.
Look 4 months later. Just before the second clearance: Date:6/3/97. Number of hairs treated: 216. Time: 22 minutes. Method used: Blend in 1 second.
Look 4 months later. Just before the third clearance:
Date: 10/3/97. Number of hairs treated: 30. Time: 5 minutes.
Method used: Blend in 1 second.
My electrologist is one of the faster ones out there. James and Dee have both told me how great she is, and she travels around the country training others and giving seminars. Her name is Johanne Fortier, you’ve possibly hear of her. She does NOT use blend on me and never has. She uses picoflash which is the fastest method possible as far as I’ve ever heard. I don’t know where that “4 seconds” per hair comment comes from. Picoflash takes like a tenth of one second or something incredibly fast like that.
The images and times you quoted appear to be for ONE armpit. The time and money involved needs to be doubled. Also, that armpit is not very hairy at all. The hair is long, but there’s only like a two inch patch of it. I am NOT saying you didn’t do well. It looks wonderful! The client is probably thrilled. But I still think a laser treatment or two would have been cheaper and way faster (for the first armpit, and maybe for the second one you showed).
You may have had clients who got bad laser treatments (it happens), but it bothers me to see you act like laser is not helpful. It is terrific in many cases for good candidates (assuming it’s done correctly, of course). You may not think you’re biased, but you really do seem against laser (when you really should only be against bad treatments).
My comment is due to the accompanying reference to your post. You can read "Apilus Platinum / blend / picoflash. Sorry I misunderstood. I do not have the pleasure of knowing your electrologist, but if you say she uses Picoflash and is fast inserting, I have no reason to doubt it.
I never said that the laser is not useful. Never!
Dee has expressed his preferences for a combination of two different techniques. I have responded by arguing with the reasons that lead me to not be the cause of “force” that combination. Of course I work in waste treatment hair postláser. But they are my clients who have taken the initiative. Never forgive myself if any led to a treatment with no guarantee of a percentage of permanent disposal. I am a passive witness to how my clients motivated by a large percentage of disposal in their armpits or bikini line, have initiated some arms or legs, failing miserably. Those crappy clinic Lagirl mentioned, are precisely those that offer more advertising in my country, and therefore, are what attract most naive customer.
As for the armpit that I have in fact shown is a single armpit, the cost should be multiplied by two. But if you look at the basis of most blonde hair has a tone, with very little chance of success. I fear that the money invested in laser, it would be misallocated. Thank you for your willingness to a positive debate.
I have seen and appreciate what a good laser and laser specialist can do for consumers with the right color of hair and skin on certain areas of the body of the body (underarms, bikini and lower legs). I have had people come back to me complaining that they were not satisfied with the amount of reduction laser gave them and wanted to complete the project with electrolysis. Personally, I thought they looked pretty darn good. I will repeat, that I am not very encouraging to those that want LASER hair reduction on their face and neck. I feel the same about men’s shoulders, upper arms and upper back (check out poster Byrce’s thread).
Laser has helped me as an electrologist. I can only offer so much of myself, hourly-wise, to people for electrolysis care. Electrolysis is labor intensive. If someone is a good candidate for laser, I am relieved to send them forward to get the bulk of the hair taken care of so I have open slots for those for whom laser won’t work that truly need electrolysis.
Remember, before there was laser hair reduction, electrologists were doing it all and they still can. Electrolysis is for everyone (no limitations). Laser is not for everyone (has limitations). I do see both modalities as being “partners” and have many clients that get both at the same time to speed up the process of hair removal. Time has passed and we can now see the patterns of what works and what doesn’t work. It is always up to the consumer to decide what is best for them. Consumers must be told the truth about the benefits of both modalities and I think this site does a good job keeping it real.
I respect your great work, Josepa. The pictures are fabulous. Anyone in your locale needing hair removal is very lucky to have you as an electrologist.
Take care everyone.
Dee
Ditto Dee. I send several people a month to Romeo & Juliet if I think they are good laser candidates. My office is busy enough taking care of laser failures – people who were poor laser candidates.
Both, Dee and Arlene, have hit the jackpot. The point is that the few that remain, we electrologist to coarse, we are working suffocated. A few in my town have retired, now only 2 centers of electrolysis. The new generations have no interest in this technique because their training is zero. Who is now responsible for all cases in which the laser has broken down completely or partially? Who will do something for the grandmothers who want to hug their grandchildren without fear of attack your tender skin? This reminded me of those grandmothers who told me a few days ago: I’ve never been so eager to see a person like to see you. For that alone is worth it.
I don’t know how many would be electrolysis students quit early on as they find out that we don’t get money for nothing.
Ah, I can hear them still ringing in my ears, “This is WORK!”
I think OCD people would make great electrolysis students, because we actually get a satisfaction from watching the little buggers slide out of the follicle and seeing a clear area get larger with each passing minute. I watch my electrologist and it almost looks addicting! 
How could you treat the area only once every 4 months and get rid of all the hair? Wouldn’t some hairs go into the wrong growth cycle?
Indeed Candela, most of the hairs were in a late phase of anagen, the others were in telogen phase. This has not been an obstacle to the achievement of treatment. Almost every hairs that emerged after the first and second clearance is the product of the false regrowth of electrolysis. You have been very circumspect in your conclusions. Congratulations