Just had consultation... need advice.

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I just had a consultation, and ended up getting a quick 30 minute treatment because the consultation went well and she didn’t have another patient for 30 minutes. Anyways, she basically told me what I expected to hear, EXCEPT she said that with blend (her preferred type) it usually takes several treatments per hair follicle to permanently kill it. She said it would grow back thinner and thinner, but that it would take at least a few times before it was actually gone for good. This is contrary to what I have read on here – what should I think?

As far as the treatment, I only felt one or two “plucks” the entire 30 minute treatment. It was blend with a Hinkel UC-3. And this is where I have another concern. The electrologist would step on the foot pedal, and it would beep, but only for half-a-second or so. I was under the impression that blend needs 6+ seconds per hair. For most hairs it would beep about 2-3 times (and i would feel 2-3 short stings), and then she would remove the hair. But it was definitely not anywhere near several seconds, like I think it should have been. Oh, and treatment was on my back, in case anybody is interested.

Overall, she seemed like a decent electrologist, but I am a little concerned–particularly with the short “beeps”. If any of you electrologists could let me know what you think I would greatly appreciate it!

P.S. this was in the Raleigh area. If anybody wants a specific name just private message me!

[ April 02, 2004, 07:32 PM: Message edited by: metzen ]

#2

Hi metzen.

Glad your consultation went well.

Okay, here’s what I think about a few of your concerns.

‘several treatments per hair…thinner and thinner’

What I believe she was trying to explain was the breaking down process of very coarse hair like hair on a man’s back. It might take a few passes before all hair germ cells are totally destroyed,just because the hair is so big. Some damage to this coarse, deep, firmly rooted hair will be inflicted, thus, next hair growth cycle the hair MAY return, but if it does it will return thinner. It gets easier to destroy hair permanently as the hair gets thinner. Sure, enough energy could be used to blast the hair first time, but you would also, blast the skin,too,leaving lasting marks. So it’s better to go easy on these big hairs.

Two plucks ‘ain’t’ so bad. There are some insertions that aren’t going to be perfect, because we’re only human or sometimes a hair follicle can be distored, shaped like a “J”, for instance, so it is difficult to reach the targeted dermal papilla.

There is no such thing as flash blend. What it sounds like she was doing is flash thermolysis (high intensity for less than a second). Zapping the follicle 2-3 times would be necessary for these coarse hairs. This can be a good strategy in order to clear a large area first, because you will have many follicles that are destroyed quickly, but no doubt there will be a certain amount of regrowth. Some clients tolerate the quick zaps better than the several seconds of manual thermolysis and blend. Maybe she intends to introduce blend later on after the area looks like progress is being made. Just remember, all kinds of electrolysis will work. If she’s using flash, then she has to have very accurate insertions into each follicle to decrease regrowth. Blend is a little more forgiving of those ‘almost accurate’ insertions. Electrolysis literature points out that the regrowth rate for flash is higher than for blend, but you’re probably still going to do some damage to that hair follicle when using flash.

I would encourage you to bring up any concerns you have to your electrologist because she is in the unique position to see you. Just ask and keep us posted, Metzen.

Dee

#3

Thanks for the reply. To clarify, she is definitely doing blend. She even told me, “in the future, you can know if you are getting blend because you have to hold a piece of metal attached to the machine.” (which I was doing). So it was definitely blend. Which leads me back to my original concern – was she moving to quickly? Is it possible that I only feel the initial zap, and then she left it in for 5 or 6 seconds? Or would I be feeling the same intensity for all 5 or 6 seconds during a blend treatment?

Thanks.

#4

If she left the probe in for 5 or 6 seconds, then IT IS possible that she is doing blend. You CANNOT do blend in less than a second per hair. Holding a metal probe (indifferent electrode) is definitely needed for blend, however, some epilators encourage and require the client to hold the metal bar if thermolysis is being done because of the way the epilator is engineered.

Since she was working on your back, you couldn’t see if the probe remained in the follicle for 5 or 6 seconds, without interruption. If that’s the case, perhaps she is trying to “deaden” the sensation right off with a quick tap of flash thermolysis, followed by galvanic, followed by a couple taps of flash to loosen the hair??? Just ask her and your doubts will be cleared up. Start your working relationship off right.

There are many, many combinations that we electrologists can use to remove a hair. We all have our favorite strategies. I don’t mind any questions at any time and I just bet your lady would be happy to clarify what she is doing.

To answer your last question, the sensation of electrolysis doesn’t always feel the same for the whole time a probe is in the follicle. Peaks and valleys is how one of my clients describe it.

Got to go!

Dee

#5

Dual foot pedal machines like the one you mention here often have tones that sound for both the galvanic and the thermolysis portion of the treatment. In a manual blend treatment, one would have an insertion that the client would most likely not feel, followed by the beginning of the galvanic current, which the client may not feel either, or may feel like a tingling, or warming sensation, followed by the separate taps of the thermolysis pedal introducing the thermolysis to the blend process. The client would experience the thermolysis taps as either extra warming sensations, or quick stings if they feel anything at all.

I believe that your practitioner has a machine that beeps for the completion of any portion of the treatment, and for a complete treatment of one hair in your case there would be at least 2 beeps, maybe as many as 6 beeps on really thick, deep coarse hairs.

Just ask your practitioner. We, as electrologists, just never know just how much our clients want to know about what we are doing. We don’t want your eyes to glaze over while we prattle on about how interesting what we are doing is on a biological, or chemical level unless you let us know that you give a care. Otherwise, we will just talk to you about the latest episode of American Idol :grin:

#6

There’s a fast blend method (“body-technic”), described by Bono, which involves constant DC and one-second pulses of RF. Maybe that’s what she’s doing.

I certainly hope she’s being conservative on the regrowth expectations. My experience has been that blend, even very fast, has a pretty low regrowth rate. After a complete clearing of an underarm, I’m seeing maybe fifty hairs (5%?) “back” after a month.