It seems that even though it has been said 9-18 months to hair free, people are going for YEARS. Every time I think La girl is done, I find out she is still going! Are these people who keep going w/ bad electros or do even you pros have constant patients (who kept your time schedule)?
LaGirl is like many people. She started one thing, and as that got easier to manage, she started other things.
The person who is working on ONE thing finishes.
I have a client who started on the upper lip, segued to the underarms, then to the sideburns, and moved on to the legs and pubic area. I am sure her friends and family think “Damn, when will she ever get finished with that electrolysis?” but they don’t know that the upper lip was done 5 years ago.
Great point James and what a wonderfully clear way to answer that question.
Electrolysis, or specifically an electrologist, cannot stop new hair that may be stimulated to grow in the future. Hair growth cycles can be normal or very long. There are other hurdles that affect hair growth as well. When we say finished in 9-18 months, we mean that. Should you come in 1-4 times a year thereafter because there are a few hairs here and there, this does not mean you are not finished.
If you started out with 1,200 hairs and are now only paying attention to 10 hairs here and there, now and then, that can be defined as, you are finished. When things are 99% better, be glad for that and get an occassional clean-up when warranted for the few noticable hairs that grab your attention over the rest of your life. If you do not need to do a temporary method every day or so to “hide” your hair problem, you are finished!
What is specifically happening to you want2bclear?
Dee
I swear hair removal is addictive. 
First I started with laser, just wanting my facial hair reduced. Before I even finished the first round of laser treatments I decided to do the whole thing and sought out an electrologist to clear the light hairs and spots the laser was not working well on. I was so happy with the ongoing results I decided I wanted more hair removed. Before I knew it, I was buying my own electrolysis equipment (I am now on my second electrolysis machine!) and started working on my legs and arms. Now I am considering saving up and in a few years having the rest of my body I can’t reach cleared (James, have anything planned in 2011? 
).
I don’t know where you’re getting this assumption from. I AM done on all areas except one. As mentioned above, hair removal is addicting. I just keep adding areas. I’ve been completely done with eyebrows, upper lip, underarms, stomach (large area here), and nipple area. I haven’t touched these areas for over a year, except stomach which I finished a few months ago. I haven’t had to even think about underarms for over a year. I wear whatever I want - sleeves or no sleeves without it even crossing my mind. I go to the beach now in LA every weekend without having to shave anything besides my legs and even that only once a week or so because I got 3 treatments of laser there.
The only reason I still go in for electrolysis every 4 weeks or so for only 30 mins is to get sparse hairs on the bikini area which I wasn’t really paying attention to before when doing other areas. I can probably not do it since there are so few hairs and they’re so thin and sparse, but I’m a perfectionist and I kind of want every one of them gone.
WOW! That was a lot of responses! Thank you. It is not that I have anything that I think is not working, I am just in the phase of is it working? James, it makes sense as with laser I have done multiple body parts as well. La girl, I was just asking a question. Not trying to offend, but you have a diary posted that I commented on. I didn’t know if you had been doing electro on your bikini since right after lasr and still weren’t done. That seemed like a long time and not what one wants to read 4 months into the process. I just wanted to know, what is done? never again or a few short visits for the rest of life? Some peoples stories go on forever…
Stories can go on forever, like poster “Rachelle’s”, if you care to do a search. If something is missing either with laser or electrolysis (skill, proper equipment, proper timing of appointments, with laser, proper hair color and structure on light skin - this doesn’t apply for electrolysis) then one only becomes a hamster on a wheel. The only difference is the hamster doesn’t know that she’s going nowhere fast and eagerly keeps pushing fast.
Permanent hair removal is a very tricky game full of challenges. You must have faith and patience, backed up by a solid understanding of certain principles that will get you to your goal(s). Those principles have been reported ad nauseum here on hairtell and we will continue to emphasize concepts that work 100% of the time for those seeking properly applied laser and electrolysis.
Simply put, yes, one really gets done with electrolysis.
Dee
Regarding that “is it working” statement - I have noticed that there is often a point where people will verbalize their feeling of “I’m not sure it’s working.” That is most often the turning point of where they see the big difference. If they were to quit before then, of course they would be telling people that it didn’t work, but if they continue - they would find that they were probably at the half-way mark and on their way to the home base.
One of my late-70’s clients comes in a couple of times a year to have me check her. She had an enormous amount of hair removed as a young woman and mother. She was “done” years ago, but wants to make sure that there are no “old lady” hairs. Sometimes I find 10 hairs and sometimes I find 30!
After I got done with laser on the bikini area, I didn’t do electrolysis there. It was only recently, when I got done with electrolysis on other areas, that I decided to finish up the sparse bikini hairs too. And that was mostly because I buy a package of a certain number of hours from my electrologist, so I had to use it up on something when I got done on other areas.
My timeline is like this:
Laser on underarms only, 1 treatment
Laser on underarms and basic bikini and stomach together starting with underarm treatment #2 when I saw how well it was working
Stopped stomach after 4 laser treatments because the hair was too fine (got about 40% reduction there) and started electrolysis there
Finished 5 treatments on underarms and 6 on bikini with laser (extended the bikini area after treatment 3)
Added nipple area to electrolysis treatments
Added finishing sparse hairs on underarms to electrolysis treatments (there was about 5% left)
Added upper lip to electrolysis treatments
Added some electrolysis treatments on chestbone area
Finished upper lip in 8-10 ten minute treatments
Finished nipple area
Added eyebrows to electrolysis treatments
Added 3 laser treatments on lower legs
Added bikini area to electrolysis to finish some sparse hairs
Finished eyebrows
Finished stomach
Right now, only doing 20-30 minute treatments on bikini to get sparse hairs every 4 weeks; expecting to finish my treatment package of 2.5 more hours and stop
Hope this helps.
Personally, I don’t think I’ll ever be finished with electrolysis . . . even if I live to be 100!! I have a ton of blonde facial hair and even though I go once a week for an hour and have been doing so for a few years, I have never even come close to getting full clearance. I estimate that a minimum of 500 hairs are removed each time (probably more) but that is just a drop in the bucket compared to what is left after each treatment. I don’t blame her . . . it’s just that a billion hair follicles were stimulated by laser treatments and removing it all is never going to happen in my lifetime. I know I could pluck all day and all night and not even come close to removing all of it. Fortunately, it is all blonde and is really only very noticeable in certain lighting (when the sun is behind me). So I find myself specifically avoiding standing with the sun behind me if I’m talking to someone. I really wish laser was successful on blonde hair. I had laser done in the bikini area and underarms and I am thrilled with the results. I also use Vaniqa on the neck area and am also pleased with the results . . . although it is now unavailable in Canada which is just another disappointment.
I am actualy working on two ladies who sound similiar to you. Both had laser, followed by billions of blond hairs. They claim that they never had anything like this until they had laser hair reduction. Whether there is something else that has happened by coincidence as they were having laser treatment, I just don’t know.
Anyway, I worked on a client yesterday for 4.5 hours, 137 minutes on the right side of her face, chin and upper lip and 138 minutes on her left side, chin and upper lip. We accomplished 2,653 insertions and she did look much better, however, she still had some small areas that she thought needed attended to, but we were out of time and had to stop. Since May 31st, 7,225 insertions have been performed on her face.
What I’m trying to say is 500 hairs per hour is good speed, but longer appointments for what appears to be “billions of hairs” would be better as long as your skin is reacting well. These are what I call challenging cases for both the electrologist and the client, but it’s the only option for you if you want the hair off permanently. I’m not sure if your electrologist does long appointments. It is hard on the body and being that I am a little sore today, it is understandable why some electrologists can’t do the marathon sessions. I will say that I couldn’t either if I had an older epilator with a footswitch and sucky eyewear and lighting.
I, too, would be very happy if there was a light-based device that could damage blond hair for situations like yours. Maybe someday, but it isn’t to be for now. Do an act of kindness and warn other women about lasing their faces. Tell them they are gambling and the stakes are way too high if they are on the losing side of things.
Unfortunately, all she can give me is an hour a week. I have gone to at least 6 different electrologists over the years in hopes of finding another skilled one who can give me more than an hour a week, but I wasn’t happy with any of them. One used an old old machine that hurt a lot. One managed to remove less than 50 hours in one hour!! One completely damaged my skin (found out later she was basically burning/melting my skin with each insertion). One used a very slow method that took a few seconds until you heard a beep . . .way too slow a method for my needs. Another one wasn’t too bad but found it very difficult to work on such blonde fine hair. Plus a few others that I can’t remember off hand. Right now I can’t afford more than an hour a week regardless. When I had more disposable income I offered to pay my electrologists for an 8 hour day if she would come in on her day off and just do 4-6 hours of treatments. But she wasn’t interested . . . she only works 3 days a week and doesn’t want to work another day. She is sort of semi-retired and is very happy working just 3 days a week.
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There are realy no good electrologists in Toronto? Can you visit James in Buffalo for a long weekend and get to a clearance at least fast? I think it would be worth saving some money and going in for along set of treatments.
Are you shaving before your treatments so she’s only at least treating the hair that’s in the right phase?
Many years ago (mid 90s or so) there was a salon called “Absolutely Fabulous” that offered electrolysis in downtown Toronto. I knew several folks who had their beards cleared there and highly recommend the place, but I don’t think they are there anymore, but might be worth a look if you can’t make it down to see James.
I actually don’t live in Toronto … . moved a few years ago and never updated my file. I live in a small town now. Financially, I am unable to afford more than an hour a week regardless so I’ll just have to be happy with whatever can be done in an hour. If money was no object, I would definitely consider travelling out of town, staying overnight and having a full day treatment. At times, I feel that just having an hour a week is a waste of time and money but at other times I feel like at least having some treatment is better than nothing.
Hi ht2003:
If you can only afford an hour at a time you may want to
continually clear the same area, such as the upper lip
on each visit. At least in that way, eventually the upper lip
will be hair free and you can gradually work on other areas.
I’m not sure what area you live in.
I live outside of Toronto, so if you need a
recommendation east of there send me a PM.
My electrologist has managed to permanently clear my beard
so I can vouch for her skill. She also will work for more
than an hour if needed. I did 2 hour sessions but that was
because that was the maximum I could handle.
Alicia
PS- Are you sure that some of the light hair you see under
certain lighting is actually terminal hair and not vellus hair?
How many hours of electrolysis have you had on your face in total?
How would one know whether the hairs are vellus hairs or terminal hairs that are light?
Hi Angel:
Probably someone like James can give a better answer,
but vellus hairs are the very fine hairs that every
woman would have on their face. Sort of what would be
called peach fuzz.You can only really see them at certain
angles in bright sunlight. They generally don’t get
very long.
Terminal hairs are regular thicker, whisker type hairs
that would go into making a beard.
Alicia
If you’re only going for an hour a week, I would make sure to shave a few days before so that the electrologist is treating only the hair that is actively growing. Otherwise, this can take years.