How to find an electrologist in your area

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

pasting a post from an electrologist on another forum which should be VERY helpful to all here:

The following are different suggestions for consumers to consider when shopping for an electrologist. Please keep in mind that being licensed, being certified, nor being a member of an association is a guarantee that an electrologist is the electrologist for you, but it’s a step in the right direction when beginning your search. Being licensed or certified usually includes mandatory continuing education, always a plus. Being a member of an association, especially a member that attends meetings and seminars, indicates an extra effort on the part of the electrologist to be on top of what’s going on in the world of electrology.

Word of mouth is the best way to begin the search for an electrologist, but it can be difficult to find someone willing to admit they’ve had electrolysis.

Currently, only 34 states in the US regulate the practice of electrolysis. To check the status of your state, go to
http://professionals.electrology.com/be-an-electrologist/electrology-licensing-requirements.html

I imagine that all the licensed states require that the license be displayed. Look for it, and also look for the expiration date. Even in licensed states, there will always be those who try to get away with working w/o a license. Sometimes it’s because they don’t want to pay the fees and sometimes it’s because they haven’t met the educational requirements. Whatever the reason, it’s not fair to those who follow the rules and a danger to consumers.

There are also voluntary certifications. They include CPE-Certified Professional Electrologist, CCE-Certified Clinical Electrologist, and CME-Certified Medical Electrologist. The CPE and CCE are on the same level, just sponsored by different national associations. The CME is the next step up from CCE. You must be a CCE to test for CME. CME is for those electrologists who also do laser hair removal.

I strongly believe that every electrologist should belong to at least one electrology organization. Professional associations are our main source of current information in this profession. Associations exist on local, national, and international levels. Most have websites or newsletters to keep members updated on our profession. They also have membership directories which aide consumers when shopping for an electrologist.

IGHRS-International Guild of Hair Removal Specialists began as an organization to aide consumers. In the 1970’s worthless tweezer type devices were popping up in salons across the country claiming to be permanent. Consumers were being scammed. The Guild was formed to take on these fraudulent devices on behave of the consumers. Since then, the Guild has evolved to also include educational seminars for the electrology community.
[ighrs dot org]

SCMHR-The Society for Clinical and Medical Hair Removal began as an electrolysis only association, but now also embraces laser hair removal. SCMHR sponsors the CCE and CME certifications. www.scmhr.org

AEA-American Electrology Association was formed in the 1950’s to work toward regulating electrolysis. AEA has been instrumental in helping many states obtain legislation. AEA sponsors the CPE certification. www.electrology.com

COPE-Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists. This is the only Canadian association I can think of offhand. http://www.electrolysis.ca/

If there are any large organizations that I’ve omitted, please let me know. There are too many state associations to list each one.

There are 2 sites that have not been maintained in years. Originally the electrologist was to pay yearly to be listed, but I personally only paid for one year, and have been on there for at least 5 years.

[wrope dot com] Worldwide Registry of Professional Electrologists and [electrolysisreferral dot com] Electrolysis Referral Directory. Both of these sites list the names of electrologists in my state that retired long ago. I just mention these sites as another option.

There is one more site I want to mention. It’s called, “Electrologists on the 'Net Who Treat Men.” It is free to be listed, but it’s a very valuable site. Even men who are not seeking genital hair removal seem to have a difficult time finding an electrologist who will treat them. This site has generated more business for me than any of the associations or paid sites combined. [laseawayhair dot com/Electrologists.htm]

The bulk of my business comes from an ad I run weekly in the local newspaper and the yellow pages. Those clients rarely educate themselves on hair removal before they call me. The fact that you are reading this means you are an educated consumer. I wish I had more clients like you!

#2

CPE’s who don’t have CCE’s are also allowed to take the CME exam, but the goal of the test is to test for LASER.

#3

Some states are also trying to make their training requirements retroactive. California for example is trying to make their school training hours count in other states.

#4

Hi Lagirl,
I do live in Orange Cty. and would love to try your electrolisyst .
Could you give me the contact information?
I’m willing to drive an hour to get proper treatment.
I would really appreciate it.
Thanks

#5

Tina Reynolds in Westwood. you can google her. There are many electrologists in Orange County and nearby there though. I don’t think it’s necessary to drive all the way out here. I heard of a few in Torrance. There is a mother daughter team I think. If you use the links above, there are a bunch you can check out. just do a few consultations and you can find some good ones. Also, try using the search feature and you can find previous posts with recommendations possibly closer to you.

#6

Just a little bit of information. Long Beach, California happens to have a electrology school, called American Institute of Education. It is possible to help students get their hours in under the watchful eye of very trained teachers for just a few dollars. You can also have your electrolysis performed with the use of Apilus Platinum machines which retail for $9000 each, as they have a large number of them.
You just might wish to consider going to them.

Martha Montgomery

#7

What is a Registered Lectrologist and a Licensed Electrologist?
How does that compare to CPE, CCE, CME?

#8

The search feature on the word “Certifications” would have turned up this post string:

and this one:

And lots more where that came from.

so go on, give it a try, that little search button is right on the right side of the page my friends.

#9

The link to the AEA website needs to be updated. As of July 2006 licensure became mandatory in the state of Illinois. We worked very hard to get this law passed, and are very proud of it. Buyer beware…there are some electrologists currently practicing who say they are licensed but in fact are not and are practicing illegally. Always check the [ifpdr dot com] website to look up the name of the electrologist.
Thanks,
Debbie

#10

Funny thing is, the immediate past president of the AEA is in Chicago and was president when the change came.

#11

I will notify AEA about the update. I’m not sure if Gerry was retired at that time or not.

#12

Gerry announced the licensure change to the convention in Las Vegas that year when it happened.

#13

can anyone recommend a good electrologist in Portland, Oregon? I am very worried about scabbing and scarring and had a bad experience with an electrologist when I lived in CA. Is it possible to do it on the chin/ under chin and neck area WITHOUT scabbing and or scarring? Does scabbing just have to be acccepted? I have a hard time not plucking some hairs so will I still see progress if I occassionally pluck in between treatments? Your help is greatly appreciated. I have some dark hairs but scattered amongst lots of blonde thick hairs that drive me even crazier.
How do I find out if I have an androgen problem? What tests do I ask for and what kind of Dr. do I see? Is it an endrocrinologist or will a dermatologist work also? Does thyroid play a role?
I had my testosterone tested years ago and it was on the high end of the normal range. Does that mean it is ok as long as it doesn’t go OVER the high mark in the normal range?
Sorry for so many questions. I feel so lost , frustrated and embarassed.
Sincerely appreciative,
Jallison

#14

You should not worry so much about temporary scabbing. Most scabbing has more to do with clients who don’t practice proper aftercare, and even then it goes away pretty quickly. Just use your Tea Tree Oil overnight, and you won’t have to worry.

As for an electrologist,I would start my search with these people:

Jaimee T. Bloom CPE
Wendy E. Dillon CPE
Barbara Failing CPE
Sheila K Ahern CPE

Now go back to your edit profile page and put your location in! It really helps people to help YOU having that info pop up next to your screen name.

#15

you should see an experienced endocrinologist to get tested for PCOS or other hormonal imbalance issues.

scarring is not normal. check out several electrologists and get sample treatments to find the right one. also, make sure to use proper aftercare to speed up healing and minimize scabbing.

you absolutely CANNOT pluck in between treatments. that will hinder your progress and you will goign in forever. You can only shave between treatments. Also, you should try to go in as often as possible in the beginning to get to your first clearance and then go in as soon as new hair pops up (so you have a better chance at killing it right away, when it’s still weak) in order to be done as fast as possible.

#16

Scarring is not normal and is unacceptable.
Scabbing, however is normal and should be very short term.

#17

After considering laser as the only option for facial hair removal, I’m looking seriously into electrolysis. Today I met with the only licensed electrologist in my area (I live about 2 hours away from Chicago). Could y’all help me evaluate her?

I’m still trying to figure out what was going on because she was a little flighty and very disorganized in her consultation - a very chatty Cathy and I came out feeling confused in more than one way. She has 10 years of experience, is AEA licensed, is experienced in all three techniques, scabbing doesn’t happen with her, clients and colleagues alike are amazed with the efficiency of her work, etc.

However, she stated a philosophical preference for the galvanic method, said that hairs will repeatedly regrow after treatment (within a couple of weeks) warranting weekly treatments over a couple of years, and was incredibly vague about any ballpark number of sessions or even hours for first clearance. She also made some dramatic statement that “you can’t kill hair without damaging the skin” which I didn’t fully understand. These all appear to contradict some of the things I have read on here. Have I been reading wrong or is something wrong with this picture?

Ultimately, I understand that as flighty as she was, it’s her skill with the needle (and the foot pedals) that’s more important. Aside from her indecipherable attempts at impression management, how is she sounding? She wouldn’t do a complimentary trial run (she charges $40/30 min). If I had her do a couple sessions (she’s the only gig in town), how would I know if she’s doing good?

p.s. I do appreciate that these things vary by the individual, but it was frustrating that she couldn’t (or wouldn’t) throw out a few numbers–and yet felt that anecdotes of blonde-haired clients would somehow be informative.

p.p.s. I’m between a Type III to IV South Asian female with some induced hair growth by previous laser treatment. For now I’m trying to remove hair in the jaw area (probably 100 coarse hairs, 200-300 finer hairs), and eventually upper lip, cheek and forehead.

#18

I won’t focus on what the electrologist “said” because heresay is uncomfortable for me to address but:

Hairs do not necessarily regrow, hairs cycle in and you need to be patient as much of the hair that grows needs about a year to present itself. As follicles are treated to prevent further growth, you will see fewer hairs so results are immediate.

If the tech. has a preference for Galvanic and that is your only choice, then try it. Personally, I think it is too time consuming but I have met the rare client who insists on it and I will do it only if the hairs are thick and growth is sparce. Since your growth is within small areas, galvanic would be my last choice. Scabbing might or might not happen. As long as they are pinpoint in size, its okay. You can treat the follicles and cause some tissue traumma (edema and erythmea) but its temporary and if she views this as “damaging the skin” then so be it.

Remember, initial clearance and consistant treatments will get you finished faster.

#19

And the fastest way to initial clearance is MicroFlash Thermolysis.

#20

Thanks for your responses everyone. It’s good to hear that I wasn’t completely mistaken in my understanding that consistent treatments are necessary due to staggered hair cycling rather than regrowth of the same (treated) hairs. Ordinarily I would have asked her to reconcile her understanding with mine, but at that point of the 1-hour consultation I figured she’d only respond defensively. And no one wants to alienate the only electrologist in town!

What concerns me most is her theory of repeated treatments and treated-hair regrowths. I’m trying to figure out whether this is due to a (mistaken) belief that the regrowth is from the same hair treated (versus different hairs cycling in), or whether she is actually under-treating the hairs. I understand that this is hard for you to speculate about, but it would help me strategize how to best work with her. That is, if it sounds like she’s treating the hairs just fine, then I’ll play along and give her a few tries. On the other hand, if it sounds like she’s under-treating, I’ll have to figure out how to subtly advocate for a more effective course of treatment (whatever you guys think that is).

Okay, so she talked about having a careful hand to be sure that treated hairs slide out with no resistance. To me that sounds like an indication of proper treatment. But despite this, could she also be using too little power in a single treatment to actually permanently ‘kill’ the hair? She was quite insistent that a single hair needs multiple treatments (my guess is 20-30) to permanently disable regrowth, and seemed to take pride in her clients never having horrible skin reactions.

Regarding galvanic v. thermolysis: She never actually got around to naming her preferred method, I only assumed galvanic given her critique of thermolysis. She had explained that although she could clear the hair twice as quickly with thermolysis, the regrowth rate was twice as fast as her preferred method (again, note her understanding of regrowth above), which would then require twice as many sessions. To her that indicated that thermolysis under-treats follicles, and she explained to me that the upper layers of the epidermis absorb much of the heat energy resulting in less treatment of the hair’s root. However, she was open to doing it if the client desired.

Can MicroFlash thermolysis be done with a foot pedal setup? I forgot to write down the name of the machine she uses, which does galvanic, blend and thermolysis. She explained that it was the most expensive machine on the market when she bought it 10 years ago, and at the time most popular with prominent electrologists. The name had “blend” in it.