Just did electrolysis!

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

So finally tried out electrolysis. I had a group deal for 30 mins for $19 from a place a year ago that I forgot about here in Toronto so just went and did it. The woman seemed really knowledgable she was older and been doing it for almost 30 years. I think she used the blend on me as I did my stomach. I had done electrolysis once before 6 months ago on my chest and it was literally 20 seconds a hair and took forever. This time she was whipping through the hairs. All the red dots are almost faded but in an area the size of my thumb I count 10 hairs or so, meaning she did at least 150 hairs in 30 minutes, is that possible?

It seemed good, I felt a slight plucking feeling when the hairs were removed, on a few of them. Def not a painful pluck, like the hair was definitely treated it just felt almost more like the root was bigger than the follicle and it was popping out if that makes sense. I’m excited since it was so fast so hoping all is well as for areas like my stomach and chest where its just a few hairs there’s really no reason to do laser. The only thing I found was I find it more painful then laser. I love my laser and am addicted to that snap knowing the hairs are all being fried. Electrolysis is def ouchy, not brutal but not pleasant. I dont’ think I could handle it on my face without numbing cream.

#2

That’s 5hairs/min. That is normal for Blend. My electrologist did anywhere from 5-8 hairs/min with blend.

Our HairTell electrologist’s with machines like the Apilus do way more per min.

I think Josefa did about 20/min on my face and I know she’s a lot faster on the body.

#3

Oh amazing, to be honest I think it’s more than 150 but that just seemed so unrealistic I thought it wasn’t possible. So that’s really good to know, was definitely very happy with the speed. Can’t remember what mode was used at the first place I went to but it was SO slow. I remember feeling it pulse the electricity on me then a few secs later again, then few secs later again and I was thinking great that was 3 hairs or so, and it was only one.

What are the pros/cons of blend? I told her that my previous place was way slower and I think she thought I was trying to imply that she was rushing and not doing a good job. She said she can go slower if I want her to but that the method she’s using is like treating 3 hairs at the same time.

I have to say, I hope this does work as I do love laser especially for large areas, but she cleared a LOT like a good 6" by 6" area in only 30 minutes so for areas where I don’t have tons of hair or what not I’d def do electrolysis over laser. It’s just really exciting to see the hairs all gone right now and know that they’re gone for good vs laser where it’s like the patient 2 week waiting game to make sure they shed lol.

The only question I have (and I’m sorry I know this is asked all the time) is in terms of number of treatments. Laser seems more cut and dry, you shave the area get treated hair falls out 6-8 weeks later it’s in the next stage of growth and you go back do it again until it’s all gone. With this, she cleared this all then said I’m all done. I asked when my next appointment should be (as there’s still more hair there) and she was like oh you want to remove more of it? And then made it for 2 weeks from now. Like she almost implied that 1 session would be all I needed which I know isn’t true. Is it generally the same, 6-8 weeks from now new growth is back and I go for another treatment? I seem to remember people before saying go every 2 weeks or so to kill the hairs while fine before they even become large but just wondering the number of sessions typically needed.

#4

Maybe the first place was treating the same follicle more than once. Nothing wrong with that either.

I wouldn’t say there are pros/cons. All that matters is that the electrologist is using a modality that works. I guess electrologists like Dee, James, Josefa, have little need to turn to blend because their equipment and skill with thermolysis doesn’t require it.
Just to give you an example, my local electrologist preferred Blend because she felt it killed more hairs with one treatment (as opposed to regrowing later). But if the case called for it, she was happy to use thermolysis - which she is doing on my friend these days as Blend makes my friend feel sick. But to be honest, let’s say she does get more regrowth, it doesn’t matter that much because with thermolysis she’s probably doing >10/hairs per min in the first place, so she’s been cleared faster.

Okay, so let’s say your electro cleared the area (or you can go back soon and get the last few hairs cleared). In the next few months, you will get the next cycle come through. If you really want to see how effective her first clearance was, then don’t treat for 3 months and see how much appears.
We have seen Josefa’s work time and again on her and I’ve also seen the results first hand. 3 months after a first clearance, there is 30% of the initial amount of hair. Second clearance takes about 1/3 of the time of the first. Third clearance after another 3 months is usually just a few hairs.

Most people, keep going back every few weeks to catch new hairs as soon as they come. Partly because they want them gone and also I find usually because there is this impression that the hair will only be killed if it’s in anagen - so best to catch it early. And to be honest, this may be true for many electrologists (they say it in the consultation) - kinda a self fulfilling prophecy. Josefa effectively dispatches telogen, which is why an area of ‘full, advanced’ growth gets such great results just from one clearance.

Laser depends on the machine, the settings, the hair being treated etc etc. Electrolysis is very practitioner dependent and unless the electrologist knows their own work well enough to predict - no one else really can.

So I can’t help much except to say stick with it! As long as hairs were sliding out, it sounds good.

#5

Awesome thanks so much for the detailed reply that all makes sense! I’m just comparing it to laser in a sense that laser you do a treatment 2 weeks later you’re hair free, 6-8 weeks later you do another treatment, and it takes around at least 8 treatments to get rid of as much hair as possible. From what you’re saying it sounds like with electrolysis although the treatments are slower in terms of hairs treated, you don’t need as many if they’re skilled and do it well. I mean when I look at my stomach it’s a good 6x6" area totally bare, then its just around the sides maybe 2" where its much finer hair that there wasn’t time for. Put it this way, if you were 3 feet away from me I’d look smooth even before the last treatment that’s how fine they are.

I think what I will do is go back in 2 weeks to get the rest to get it all and then I’ll leave it for at least a month or two up to 3 and just see if anything changes in terms of new growth etc. I have a small patch of hair on my lower back probably 5x5" and is the only area I’ve never treated with laser but I think I could get rid of this in 30 minutes for sure so I may do a treatment as well on that area and then judge how effective everything else is.

I believe the other clinic told me she used the slower method because some hairs curl inside the follicle and that it’s the best way to get them and the best way to do the first few treatments and then could switch modes. She also mentioned about coming every 2 weeks to keep getting them as they grow. For me personally I have no problem with letting them grow fully before a treatment, I don’t need to be 100% hair free as there’s not that much there. I’m just excited because I was disappointed with electrolysis the last time since it was so slow and painful that after 30 minutes it seemed like literally 30-40 hairs if that had been removed maybe even less. My stomach right now is completely bare! It looks like I just waxed!

#6

Just so I am clear here Edokid, had you received what you knew were to be hundreds of hairs cleared, say 250 to 350 or more in 30 minutes, you would have been happy with electrolysis, assuming the treatment outcome was positive, and the post treatment irritation was acceptable?

#7

Nice question James.

As an aside, I think I’ll mention that my sister has decided she doesn’t want to try any more Laser on her legs. The place that did my Laser - the good techs have left and the test patch they did on her was low. The new place we found did a bad job with the one treatment she had there.

Given the fantastic results she’s had with just one electrolysi clearing of the back of the hands (very little hair left and it’s very fine) and the patches she had done on her arms, she’s decided she’d much rather have one electrolysis clearing.

The more electrolysis we have done and the fact that we have access to an great electrologist with new tech that allows her to work fast, the less point we see in Laser.

Not to say Laser itself isn’t good (putting aside limitations) but finding a place that actually wants to help you remove the hair asap isn’t easy.

#8

I’m not sure I understand your question James, it sounds like you’re asking if in 30 minutes they had treated more hair would I be happy? I was saying it seemed like she treated at least 150-200 hairs in the 30 minutes and I’m incredibly happy as I have a 6"x6" area completely bare, I just need one more session to clear the rest and my full stomach area will be smooth from this clearance. Of course if it was 250-350 then I’d be even more happy but I’m definitely not unhappy with the number of hairs removed. I was only unhappy with the first place I went to months ago where in 30 minutes it was more like 30-40 hairs.

#9

You got my point.
The Lovely Ms. Stoppit expanded on it to the logical conclusion.

The unfortunate state of affairs is that the handwriting is on the wall, LASER dominates, not because it is better, but because it is not “fall-off-a-log easy” to find practitioners who can provide electrolysis on the level that makes LASER look less attractive to the average person.

#10

Oh I definitely agree, I think to be honest they each have their place and it ultimately depends on what the consumer is looking to achieve. For me for example, I’m not overly hairy. I have hairy legs of course and forearms (I should say HAD), underarms obviously, then for my front my chest literally would have 5 hairs around each nipple with a few in the centre but my stomach had a lot of darker coarse ones down the centre thinning out to the sides and that’s it. The stomach is the only area that actually bothered me which is why I started laser years ago and did IPL as I wasn’t as educated then. In just those 4 IPL sessions plus one or two with the alexandrite, all the dark coarse hair was completely removed, like 100%. In fact those IPL treatments were pretty much my most effective treatment of any machine. The hair that remained was fine enough that standing 3 feet away from me you wouldn’t notice it.

Because it was so easy to do laser and inexpensive, I figured hmm why not do it on my forearms, then why not reduce my underarms, why not do my face so I don’t have to shave, why not reduce my legs etc. SImply because the cost is good, and treatments are super fast. All that is meaningless if you are going to someone that uses a bad laser or doesn’t know what they are doing of course.

I think laser is definitely a good starting point for anyone, whether the hair bothers them a lot or a little as if done properly it can remove a good chunk fairly quickly. However for others where hair is a huge issue, then electrolysis although slower is probably better since at least you’ll get results for sure, and it’s an actual clearance, not just the darkest coarsest hair first.

I guess I just need to wrap my head more around how the growth cycles work in terms of doing electrolysis. On my forearms the hair that’s left is much finer now for sure, but looking at the area treated in 30 minutes I’d say each of my forearms would be a good hour I think.

Just wanted to add as well that for about 2 hours after my treatment you’d see the odd red dot where the hairs were removed, but it’s been 2 days since my treatment and my skin looks 100% normal I have no scabbing or any indication that I did this.