I’ve been getting electrolysis on my eyebrows weekly for the past year. I skipped my appointment this week, and about 8 days after my last appointment the skin on the underside of one eyebrow got puffy spots. Now there are itchy, puffy spots all under that one eyebrow and in a cluster on my cheekbone. They seem to be concentrated in areas where I get the most insertions, but only on the one eyebrow.
I find it very odd, because I’ve never had this problem before and it started more than a week after my appointment - up until then everything was normal. Any idea what it could be? Does electrolysis make skin more prone to allergic reactions?
After a year of weekly treatments, this is not a reaction we see. I don’t even see or hear about any reactions that occur eight days after any beginning treatments either. I’m 99% sure this is not related to electrolysis. I don’t know what it is, but I would rule out an allergic reaction.
Being that this is seen on one side only and involves the cheekbone as well, I will offer my opinion that it is a secondary reaction due to something unrelated to the act of electrolysis. Maybe you touched the newly treated area and some kind of germ got into the open wound. Is your electrologist adhering to good hygenic principles - hand washing, gloves, pre-packaged sterile probes, sterile tweezers not answering the phone while working on you, disinfecting everything she touches before she starts treatment on you etc… Watch for these behaviors and speak up if you see your electrologist touching germy things. You don’t know who was laying on that table before you. I wash my hands and wipe everything as my clients sit there and watch as we chat. They have confidence and reassurance that all is being done properly and with their safety mind.
Sorry that I cannot give you a definitive answer, Squash. I don’t feel comfortable even telling you what to do for this, knowing that this most likely does not relate to electrolysis.
Call (or e-mail) your electrologist now and let her know what has happened to you. I highly recommend two way truthful conversations when things go wrong. Examine what you did after that treatment and she should do the same. Strict office hygenic measures should never be compromised.
Call your physician if your instincts tell you this is what you need to do at this time.
I went to see my doctor who said that it looks like an allergic reaction. She said it didn’t look infected. She thought it was probably a reaction to something that was applied to the skin right before or shortly after electrolysis. My electrologist has started applying Polysporin as an after treatment (my last appointment was the second time she applied it) so it could well have been a reaction to that. (I do occasionally apply Polysporin myself to areas that look like they’ll scab, but I think she uses a different kind. I won’t be using any Polysporin anymore though!)
My electrologist, by the way, is very hygienic, but it did occur to me that, as far as I know, she’s not disinfecting every single thing she touches, e.g. the Polysporin tube. Does any electrologist do that?
I absolutely hate it when things like vitamin E oil, polysporin, neosporin and other goops are applied after electrolysis is done. It’s good that you will not do this anymore! Stick to with hazel and 100% aloe vera gel and see what happens.
I disinfect everything I touch, including the tubes of aloe vera gel and the bottle of tea tree oil if I touch these items with my gloves. Sometimes I take my gloves off and then touch the aftercare bottle or tube. Stainless steel probes can cause a reaction too if the client is allergic to nickel. Gold probes are great for clients.
I agree that Polysporin clogs pores, but in my experience, it’s been the best product for preventing scabs. I’ve tried witch hazel, 100% aloe, tea tree oil and all combinations of those three and have found witch hazel the least effective and aloe gel mixed with a tiny amount of tea tree oil the best. I think that what works best depends on the individual and the condition of the skin after electrolysis.
For best results, don’t mix the Tea Tree Oil with the Aloe Vera. Apply them separately. The Tea Tree Oil will soak into the skin and do it’s thing, and then you apply the aloe gel on top of the tea tree oil. It may sound like splitting hairs, but there is a real difference to effect.
Actually, tea tree oil alone at bed time should be enough to keep scabbing and pustuls away, but right after treatment both together gives healing and soothes the treatment area.