Is pitting a sign of bad electrolysis?

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi - I had a very painful experience with electrolysis.
After two months I have hyperpigmentation and noticed pitting on the sides of my upper lip area. Is this normal? I had to ice my face for 1 and half hours after my first treatment because my face felt like it was on fire. From what I have read, this is not normal. I felt that the pain I experienced during my treatment indicated very high heat settings. The practitioner denies this, and says that my face is reacting normally. However when I saw the deep pits on my face, I was very upset and believe that I have been mistreated - I would love some professional opinion on this though.

Note I am only 28 and my hairs and follicles were not that large
Edit: image links removed from post by moderator at the request of the poster/copyright holder.

#3

Two months is not long enough to know if this issue will be permanent. Chances are, the skin will heal up just fine and these marks will smooth out. It will improve over time, but could take 18-24 months to completely resolve.

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#4

How long have you had Electrolysis?
How many treatments?
How long were the treatment sessions?

What previous methods did you use - shaving, waxing, depilatories, laser or tweezing?

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#5

This was my first treatment.
The session was 1.5 hours for chin and upper lip.
To me it appeared to be and felt like a full clearance.
Previous methods included plucking and threading, but I have to say my hair was not very thick (just dark).
Like previously stated I had to ice my face for 1.5 hours after my treatment, which I don’t think is normal. My face felt like it was on fire.

#6

The practitioner did not inform me of dents/marks that would take 18-24 months to heal? These marks are worse than having hair. After my first session she said I would have one scab, but I had scabbing all over my upper lip which makes me think that she might be inexperienced with dealing with brown skin.
If a practitioner gives laser burns from IPL or something, (which will also heal over time) is this okay? I find it hard to believe that pitting is okay as long as it heals over time.

#7

Your skin could heal and smooth out sooner, but the healing process continues 18-24 months out.

#8

Plucking, waxing, threading and tweezing cause damage to the skin. It’s damage that you don’t see on the surface, but the damage is there nonetheless. Adding Electrolysis to the mix, people often think Electrolysis is the culprit, when Electrolysis only exposes the damage that was already there. Once the hair is gone we tend to notice our skin more than we did before.

Electrolysis is a process that uses energy to destroy the follicle so that it never grows hair again. There is going to be a degree of healing that has to happen. Sometimes the healing process is not visible and sometimes it is visible. Hyperpigmentation is something that happens to everyone, it shows up more on melanin rich skin tones.

Your skin will heal. The hyperpigmentation will go away. One session would not show scarring.

Some people have a higher sensitivity to Electrolysis than others. I have some clients that cannot tolerate more than 15 minutes and others that fall asleep during hours long sessions. People experience the discomfort differently. You may have a higher sensitivity to the process. Icing your face for over an hour can be perfectly normal for you. Maybe try shorter sessions. 15 minutes at a time might be a better option for you. There are adjustments that can be made, but only if you want to continue treatment. Your Electrologist has to have the chance to make those adjustments.

It comes down to how determined you are to get rid of the hair forever. Hope this helps.

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#9

I love this explanation. Good Job Laura.

2 Likes
#10

Thank you, @Iluv2zap

#11

Hi Vimyana, I had a very similar experience - if you go to my profile you can find my detailed comment on it, along with my solution (I got a new electrologist).

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#12

Thank you i followed your advice. I got a new electrologist who used blend technology and it has been very effective on my chin, less painful.
The previous electrologist i can confirm is inexperienced and had damaged other peoples faces too. She had a very unprofessional attitude towards me.
She also took payments with cash if you wanted cheaper rates (obviously to avoid tax) which shouldve been a good indicator to me that this person was dodgy.
I agree we must must do our research!!
Thanks again

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#13

Hi there,
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier. I’m glad to hear the good news. I believe, unfortunately, there are too many unprofessional and incompetent electrologists out there who are happy to take your money, and it’s easy to be victimised. So happy you found a good one.

#15

Did the marks heal ?