I just started electrolysis

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

hey guys. i just wanted to create a thread to tell about my experience since reading the threads from rachelle, sav, and others really helped me.

this morning i had a half hour appointment. i made sure to drink a lot of water on thurs, fri, and sat morning. i think it helped. the pain was completely tolerable. i really thoguht it was going to be much worse…but like my electrologist said…it’s more annoying than it is painful. she just worked on my side burns today…there’s still alot more of them to do because there’s alot of hair but i see somewhat of a difference. after i was done, she put aloe vera on me…it was a bit bumpy in the area and she said i might scab a bit. 10 minutes after i left her office the bumps disappeared. i have no scabs whatsoever…no swelling or redness. my skin looks totally normal and i seriously can’t wait to go again…my next appt is for friday again for a half hour.

#2

just a little update…i had my appt on friday and it is now monday. very little scabs have formed…you can’t completely see them but they are there. i hope they go away soon! esp. cause i want to move to the other parts of my face like cheeks…i hope they wont be too noticeable there.

#3

Hi Rani,

Does your electrologist use thermolysis?

#4

oops i should’ve specified that lol. yes she uses thermolysis.

#5

The scabs are a sign of effective treatment. Don’t remove them for any reason or you can cause scarring!

If they start to get too noticeable, you can use cover up to hide them. They only last a few days.

#6

I swear Ithought I replied to this last night…maybe i’m going crazy. Anyway that’s good to hear that it’s a sign of effective treatment. They look so small…almost like little dots…ingrowns kind of? and they ITCH. Maybe because they’re healing…

Thanks for the tips!

#7

If you are itchy, use cortisone on it to sooth the skin. Aloe Cortisone is better than a petroleum product.

#8

Thanks James! I will definitley try that.

it’s really weird…after two days of my appointment like I said i got scabs. But now I think they might not have even been scabs not ingrowns? They look like how ur skin does after a couple of days of not shaving. So they look like…hairs just breaking at the surface of the skin. Or maybe they are just scabs. They are sosmall I can’t even tell but if the were on my cheeks they’d be very noticeable. I guess I will ask my electrologist when I see her tomorrow morning.

#9

i had my second appointment yesterday for a half hour. i showed my electrologist the dots that looked like scab/ingrowns to me and she said they were scabs. she said they’d go away by themselves but they take some time. this session hurt more than the last one. she let me use some of the emla that she had and i put it on a half an hour before but it didn’t help at all…in fact it was more painful. that could’ve been cause i didn’t drink too much water for the 3 days following up to the session. i also had my period and some girls on here have said that they feel like it’s more painful when they have their period. this time after the treatment she put witch hazel on me. i asked her if i should buy that or aloe vera and she said to try the witch hazel. so i’m gonna go buy that today and put it on and see what happens. oh and also we worked on mostly the sideburns and i told her to just do two/three hairs oh my cheeks so i could feel what its like and how my skin reacts. so she did that and the cheeks definitley hurt more than the sideburns even with the lower setting. and i also noticed that the top of the sideburns hurt more than the bottom. i wish i had some money to invest in a web camera so we could all see my progress. unfortunately all my money is going to electrolysis lol.

#10

Hi everyone,
I have a couple consultation appointments coming up so I was wondering–what is the best machine? The Blend? Thermolysis? I heard one is slower but more effective, the other is faster but less? I"m confused!

THank you!

N333

#11

Here is some information on the newest microflash machines:

http://www.silhouet-tone.com/product/electro/vcm.html

http://www.dectro.com/apilus/sx500.htm

Apilus has another machine, the Senior II, which also uses microflash. There is a link to it on the same site.

Microflash uses shorter bursts of energy at higher intensity, which means faster more effective treatment. It also means less damage to upper layers of the skin.

If you want to know any more about it, Dee and/or James will step in and answer your questions.

RJC2001

#12

hey guys. today i had another half hour appointment. so this makes it in total one and a half hours of electrolysis. again we worked mostly in the sideburn region but for the last 5 minutes i had her do some random hairs on the cheeks and the chin. the little scabs or dots or whatever the heck they are still haven’t gone away. i can’t tell if the old ones have gone away and new ones have formed, or if none of it has gone away. my electrologist says they’re scabs and they will fall off soon enough and that it’s different for anyone. i have been bad though and not realy done any after care whatsoever. so i’m definitley going to go and buy neosporin and witch hazel and see if that helps. also on my cheeks, scabs dont’ seem to form (thank god). they only form so far in the sideburn area. maybe because a higher intensity is being used there? all in all, i am pretty happy with all this. i must say though…right after i get it all done i’m scared to look at my face lol. it looks like so swollen and red. but then 20 min later it’s all gone.

#13

I bought polysporin and applied it on my side burns and cheeks. 50% of the scabs seem to have faded but I don’t know if that’s due to the polsyporin or just the fact that it’s been a while since I’ve had treatment in the area. It could be a little bit of both. I upped my next appointment to 45 min. instead of 30. 15 on each side burn and 15 for hairs on the cheeks. I’ll update on Saturday after my appointment! The scabs really do take a long time to go away, but once they are gone it is suchhhhhhhh a good feeling.

#14

rani,
After care is super important. Without it you can get mini-infections in each individual hair follicle, which could cause prolonged redness, swelling, scarring, etc.

Clean the area with the witch hazel (not soap). I found that witch hazel can be super drying, however, so using aloe vera gel was very soothing to the skin. Make sure you are using Polysporin cream (NOT the ointment). It’s a good way to keep the area infection-free. The ointment is petroleum based and it will clog your pores right up.

For your scabs, I guess some do take longer than others, but try some coverup to hide them.

hope this helps,
susie

#15

hey i apologize for not being able to reply/update in such a long time. Thanks VespaSusie for your tips! unfortunately i did buy the polysporin ointment gel thingy and not the cream. i stopped using it when i saw ur post and went back to find the cream but i couldn’t. so i just got witch hazel instead and that’s fine.

i’ve had two 45 minute appointments. i’m seeing results but since i don’t go for too long, it’s taking a long time. In total i’ve had 2 and a half hours done. my electrologist said that the hair on my cheeks is more stubborn than the one on my sideburns which surprises me because it is much much finer than the one on my sideburns. but yeah i relaly like my electrologist…she said that she could go faster but she would rather go a bit slower and make sure she really attacks the roots rather than go fast and have them grow back. my left side usually hurts more but this time my right side hurt SO bad…when she did the sideburns the current felt like it was going inside my ear and my whole ear felt numb. but then the left side was a breeze. overall it’s much less painful than threading or waxing. if someone continuously threaded me for even 20 minutes i wouldn’t be able to take it. electrolysis is certianly better with pain.

#16

hey guys. i haven’t updated in forever it seems. since the last time i posted, i’ve had about 5 one hour appointments. i see a HUGE difference in my sideburn area. there are very small tiny hairs left there now…you can actually see my skin instead of layers and layers of hair ick. my electrologist said she has not seen much regrowth at all. i never used to shave, wax or do anything to remove the hair on my face which is why it’s not being stubborn i guess. i’ve switched from using regular soaps (dial/lever200/etc.) to a really mild and skin soothing face soap from Aveeno. it’s made from oatmeal and it really is gentle on my face. the areas that my electrologist works on are really tender for many days. my sideburns just always feel sore to the touch. but it’s ok, it’s worth it. i’ve been doing REALLY good aftercare and i see such a huge improvement. i’ve bought witch hazel from T.N. Dickinsons and Aloe Vera 100% Gel from Fruit of the Earth. I use the aloe vera twice a day and the witch hazel twice a day. I’m not kidding but I literally see an 85% improvement in the number of scabs that I have. I hardly have any now, they all fade away so quickly due to my aftercare. my skin looks clearer everytime i go. i can finally wear pretty earrings and be able to show them off since now I can pull my hair back a bit. i have two one hour appointments next week so i’m hoping to get started on the cheeks already!

#17

hey everyone! so far last week i had two one hour appointments. this week i had a one hour appointment. so in total, 3 hours since i last posted. the ones last week really hurt. i think my electro forgot what intensity to put me on or something because…for the first time last week i felt like when she zapped me…the hair was like burning. it sounded and felt like…when hair is burned. i don’t know i can’t explain it…but it wasn’t a good experience. i thought maybe my skin would be affected by this but it healed and reacted just as it had for all the other appointments. i have alot of scabs on my face now :confused: which sucks because school is starting. but that’s okay. i mean i feel really self conscious if im out with someone and i see them looking at my face too much. i feel like they can notice my scabs and are going to ask me what that’s all about. but i guess better that than hair? but overall, i’m very very happy with everything. so far i haven’t really been feeling too broke because i had two jobs this summer. but now that school is starting i’m going to quit one of them and ill have alot of other expenses. but really…electrolysis definitley is on my top priority. i really want to do like everything with it…back of legs, back, stomach, chest, and arms. i wouldn’t mind going to the electro once a week everyday for my life. i feel like liberated in a way after i leave the office…i just feel like each week, i’m less ashamed of showing my face. i don’t have to keep my head down when the wind blows outside and hide my sideburns. i just wish i had so much money that i could go to my electro for 10 hours a week! haha ok i’ll shut up now.

#18

yes, it sounds like you may have had a problem with the electrologist refinding the proper setting, however, keep in mind that you will feel more pain if you have caffeine in your system. It is a wise idea to avoid caffeine for 72 hours prior to electrolysis, or purge it from your life all together. It only exists to hook you on products containing it, and your body would rather you give it the amino acid L-Tyrosine instead of caffeine. Pop Tyrosine pills when you would normally drink coffee or cola and you will be just fine.

#19

hey guys. i’ve been away forever because college started in september and i’ve been super busy. thanks james for your advice…i have definitley been staying away from the caffeine.

so i’ve had about 20 hours of electrolysis done on my face so far. my sideburns are all clear…you really can’t even tell that i used to have any. there are a few scabs here and there that only people who look closely can see. no one even suspects that i do this every week haha.

i th ought by this time i would have first clearance on my entire face…but it doesn’t seem like it. my cheeks haven’t fully been touched upon…only some hairs here and there. also my forehead hasn’t even been touched once. my electrologist is slow but EXTREMELY effective. i can go two weeks without treatment with absolutely minimum growth. i thought my hair would be more stubborn than that. i really recommend switching to Aveeno facial soap while having electrolysis treatments. it has done wonders to keep my face from drying out. okay well basically there’s nothing really new to talk about. i’m progressing…and i’m happy. i talk about this site all the time with my electrologist and how everyone shoudl read this once over before starting treatment. she’s amazed at how much i know from reading this site and is very happy that i keep myself informed.

if anyone is in the new york area, try my electrologist out:
http://www.allmethodelectrolysis.com/

Her name is Jacqueline Glassman. She’s a wonderful, friendly lady and she will make you feel very comfortable. Just get your consultation done, go to the appointments, take a nap and let her do what she knows best. She will not dissappoint.

#20

hey everyone. i have not updated in forever because i’ve been very busy. i just got back from a month long vacation and thus missed about 4 appointments of electrolysis (i go in weekly and sometimes two times a week if my wallet and schedule permits). I have had about 30 hours of electrolysis on my face/chin/sides of neck. i still have not had full clearance…there have been parts of my face that have not even been touched yet such as the forehead. but it’s still going great, it’s just alotttt of time. one really must have patience. after missing 4 treatments, i went in last friday. my electrologist siad that the situation is looking really good because it’s not that alot of hairs have popped up, it’s that some have popped up and have continued to grow longer. she siad the quantity that she was expecting is not there. i noticed that no matter what i do to the area that has been treated (especially the sideburns) it stays extremely dry. i use aveeno soap on my face, then aloe vera moisturizing gel, ponds cream, drink lots of water etc. etc. nothing seems to work. my skin is flaky and white on the treated area. i am going to see if i can find better moisturizers although i’m scared to try new products where electrolysis has been done. i’m just scared that once there is more work on my forehead and cheeks, the dryness will be more visible since i can cover up my sideburn area by letting my hair down. anyway, i’m back on my regular schedule, and once the school year starts and i’m all set, i might even go in twice a week for an hour. i’m approximating another 25 hours before every area on my face is touched atleast once. however those hours also includes maintence for the areas that have already been treated and places that are growing in new hair.