Hello! I am 47 yo female. I had mild lip hair starting in high school. In college I did electrolysis (thermolysis) and it completely took care of it. I had a few baby fine chin hairs, not dark that I one time let an eyebrow waxer wax off. From then on, the chin hairs kept coming. The electrolysis seemed to take care of them for a few years. But then they seemed to start growing in again, more and darker/coarser. By this time (I’m now around early 30s) I had moved to a new city that had all three methods of electrolysis (thermolysis, galvanic, and blend). I went regularly for at least a year doing some blend but mostly galvanic as that was what the person I liked the best did. I’m not sure it actually took care of it. Life got hectic and I couldn’t keep going. Also, the pain had just become unbearable. Several years went buy and my chin hair kept getting worse and now the lip hair was coming in a little darker. I was now in my late 30s and wanted to take care of the facial hair. I now found a place that did laser. I went faithfully for almost 2 years. I never saw any reduction. I’m now in my early 40s, living in yet another place. I have to drive an hour for the closest electrolysis place and they only offer thermolysis. The next closes place is 5 hours away which is out of the question. I went once to the place an hour away. I explained my situation. I had started to suspect that the plucking of my hair after electrolysis may be what’s preventing it from being taken care of but the person said that’s not the case. I begged her not to pluck and she refused. I told her to turn up the heat as much as possible as I was desperate. (I know, dumb of me.) Well, I was left with huge burns that scabbed, and now a year later I still have craters on my face. (I previously never had even much redness after electrolysis or laser. This time the electrolysis was just too high.)
It does seem for some people, though rare, the plucking is problematic. Is it ever possible to just not pluck after electrolysis? I really think that is key. The year since that electrolysis session my hair is at its all-time darkest, thickest, and fullest. Even fine hairs that were treated started growing in dark and coarse.
A few other facts about me. At 47, I’m now in perimenopause. I realize this is a time many women start to grow facial hair. I do not take HRT. I suspect I have had insulin issues in the past but for a few years have eaten low carb and health (paleo/keto mix). The only PCOS symptom I have is the resistant chin hair. Yes, had lip hair but it was easily treated by electrolysis and only recently is coming back but it’s still minor. Oh, had 1-3 hairs on my stomach that were treated with ONE session of blend electrolysis and had maybe 5-10 hairs around my nipples that were treated with 3-5 sessions of blend and galvanic. But those were all taken care of. Why is my chin hair so resistant? And why does it seem like both electrolysis and laser makes it worse?
My biggest question though, is it ok not to pluck after electrolysis. I just really think that is for some reason the problem for me. Any other tips or suggestions you have I would greatly appreciate!!!
Electrolysis should have been your one and only solution. The best electrologists are not intimidated by facial hair of any color, any structure or any amount. You may have mild to moderate skin healing manifestations, but they should fade away like the sunset.
I don’t like laser reduction for a woman’s face. Your face has been tampered with in so many ways. Laser can throw off hair growth cycles in a way where we don’t no whether we reached the “bottom of the barrel”.
ANY modality of electrolysis, galvanic, blend and thermolysis, will disable hair follicles and each practitioner has their favorite. Don’t be persuaded that one is better than the other. Do take into account what is going on in your hormonal environment, as well. Some women need lifelong small cleanups due to their lifestyle, eating habits and DNA.
To answer some of your questions: Tweezing, waxing, sugaring and threading are a big NO NO if you are serious about removing the hair PERMANENTLY with electrolysis. One of our very fabulous electrologists coined a wonderful saying many years ago, “Only tweeze the hairs you want to keep”. Chin hairs can be very tough, but your electrologist is tougher. There are full proof strategies for treating those hairs and no hair can survive electrolysis when it is performed correctly, by an electrologist that knows how to do this well.
I’m sorry there are not more of us (electrologists) to serve the hairy. It’s a wonderful professional career that is far to often overlooked.
10 years ago I did my entire face in blend treatments. It worked wonderfully. Then I started working on others. No time for myself. There were maybe a few stray hairs when done but nothing serious.That was 10 years ago ( maybe more? I’m not even sure now)
Since that time, there have been times I am on and off various hormonal medications. My hormones have fluctuated the same as a cis womans hormones have fluctuated due to pregancy, puberty or menopause. Some strays came up, and honestly, being short of time, alot of the time I just plucked them.
I regret it now. I looked in the mirror this week for the first time in great detail in years. I dont like what I see.I owe though, to those hormaonal fluctuations…AND …to plucking . It’s my own fault. I should have taken the five minutes to treat those hairs when they popped up, instead of plucking them and putting it off for another 4-5 months till they regrew. It’s my fault.I’m doing something about it though! Today I took a needle to my own face for the first time in year. It was an overwhelming amount. Thankfully I have an old apprentise wanting to get some practise in, who’s coming to take it all off on monday.
Dont be me. Dont get too busy that you pluck it, or put off treating those hairs that bother you enough to even do so. They will become more if ignored. Fluctuations in hormones ( or the odd genetically induced hair) will happen. Just treat them as they come up and be done with it.
Thank you for your reply! To clarify, I don’t ever pluck, shave, wax, or bleach my hair. (The only time was once in college when the person waxed those few fine, baby hairs on my chin.) I only use a cuticle trimmer to cut them. However, every electrologist I have ever seen plucks them after she treats them. I found an article (that I can’t find now) that said plucking after the electrologist treats the hair can, in rare cases, cause more hair growth. I really think that is what has happened to me as I never saw any significant reduction with electrolysis, even before I used laser. I’ve only seen one electrologist since reading that article. I begged her not to pluck but she refused. All those hairs grew in darker and coarser just a few months later. Is it ok for an electrologist to treat and leave the hair and let them fall out on their own? Thank you again!!
Actually, no it isnt okay to leave the hairs. They will fester and cause follicular infections, as well the kill rate will besignificantly reduced ( not sure why but the results do show this). A couple years Ago Josefa did an experiment where she left the hairs in situ after treating it.She did find that her hair kill rate was affected.
Darn. What would you recommend for someone who seems to get paradoxical hair growth from electrolysis and laser? Neither has helped and has only seemed to increase the hair and make it darker/coarser?
Paradoxical hair growth is caused by laser, NOT electrolysis. If you feel that electrolysis is not helping one or more of the following issues are present: 1. You have not allowed sufficient time for electrolysis to work. 2. The electrologist is leaving behind hair after each treatment. 3. Your treatments are not frequent enough to keep up with hair growth. 4. You have unrealistic expectations. 5. Your electrologist is unskilled. 6. Hormonal or medical issues are stimulating new hair.
I’d say that I have never once heard of a case of paradoxal growth after electrolysis. The only way that this can happen is if the electrologist is undertreating the follicle and not destroying it, THEN plucking the hair forcefully. That still, would not be the same effect as paradoxal growth from laser. They are very different phenomina.
Also, if already have paradoxal growth from laser, how would you even know if electrolysis had this effect? How could you tell that it was not paradoxal growth caused by the laser treatment? The whole premise honestly doesnt make sense.