Male, 26 - Getting Electrolysis over Laser

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hello,

I posted in the Laser section however after reading into Electrolysis i am looking at doing it instead of Laser.

Background
I am a male, 25, with light olive skin with dark hairs (Type 3/Type 4).

I have thick-ish hair on my shoulders and top of my back and two patches on each side at the bottom of my back, now i can afford it I decided to get Laser Hair Removal a few months ago, the first clinic i went to had 3 Gentlelase treatments. (two shoulders, one back)

It has been 3 months since my last treatment, the hair is obviously back, and possibly a few stray induced hairs where there was less hair.

Questions

AS I would rather not waste anymore unnecessary time/money on this -

Is there any reason not to just restart my hair removal treatment with Electrolysis ?

Why doesn’t everyone use it if it is definitely permanent and more successful ?

thanks in advance!

#2

Hi Maximillian.

First of all, for a little inspiration, check out this electrolysis diary of a guy who has had similar areas treated. (First the chest, then the back)

Now comes the tough part. Finding the electrologist who can make the dream come true.

There are few electrologists in the world and even fewer are actually good at it.

#3

Thanks, i am from Australia, have a about two Electrologists in my area to call for an appointment. Hopefully one works out.

#4

Then definitely go for it if you have some good choices in your locale. I will tell you straight up that this is a real project. Permanent hair removal can be a achieved, but you need to put in a lot of time up front, no less than two hours a week for several months. I wish that laser had knocked out a good portion of this. Some people need a lot of laser treatments to get a decent reduction, so you may still consider that option for now.

The last back case I did that was similar to yours logged in 80 hours over 15 months time. That included the upper arms and shoulders as well. This will not be easy , but electrolysis will work. Finding someone that can can do MicroFlash or PicoFlash thermolysis in auto sensor mode, using the largest probe possible, would be a good strategy to get the hair off ASAP .

The newer more technology upgraded epilators are purely awesome for both clients and practitioners alike. Are you near Christine or Sahar? They have Apilus Platinums. This would be a good place to start, but do look around and get consultations so you can distinguish what is best for personally.

#5

80 hours seems long - i didn’t think i had that much to take off, i was thinking of doing more laser sessions though i am a little worried about inducing more hair.

Perhaps a couple of Laser sessions at high power may cut down the work at the Electrologist…

#6

I’m wondering if they went a bit low with the gentlelase since you say you’re type III/IV.

If you’re type IV, then a YAG might be best, at high settings.

Right now, I’ve found somewhere close to me with the Apogee Elite MPX and I will be taking my cousin and sister for consultations. I’m quite excited because although they are both type IV, they are very different skin colours. The clinic has told me they mix the Alex and YAG wavelengths for most Asian clients. I’m excited to see how it goes - I really think this is the way forward for inbetweeny skin types.

#7

It was very low, (12J - first two app.) hence why i have decided not to return to the Gentlelase Clinic.

There is a clinic with Lightsheer but as the areas i am treating are not that thick (apart from the shoulders and back of neck) i am unsure whether to try that or just go straight to Electrolysis

#8

If you look here, you will see that 80 hours is a wonderful time to complete this big area: http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/82374/15.html

  • he needed the 80 to complete just the shoulders including the front part of the shoulder area - just look at the including photos.

If you dont find some superb electrologist, you need to calculate much more - could be 160 hours, allso more, depending on the skill and the experience…

#9

Yes it is, looks like he did have a fair bit more hair though.

I have an appointment this Saturday, anyone advise what would be the most important things to ask ?

#10

The most important think is to ask her to estimate the hours needed to make your choosen areas permanently hairfree. If the electrologist is good, she/he should be able to give you an estimate.

The second think how long would you need to go there to be hairfree - 9 months, 1 year, 2 years, 5? …

Ask her for a testpatch - hair has to be taken out WITHOUT RESISTANCE, you SHOULDN feel any PLUCKING. If everything is good, you can maybe count how many hairs she can do per minute - if she does 5 or less, you better try to go somewhere else. If she does more than 10, its good. The best electrologists including Josefa do approx.15-20 hairs per minute during your treatments.

But of yourse, the technique is more important, not just hairs/minute…

#11

Male forty’s. Dark skin back that looked like yours, Type 3 1/2. I am not a professionnal, just at war with hair.

I had laser from beard to genitals, both side.

Now continuing with electrolysis from beard to genitals also (actually added ears and eyebrows with electrolysis).

Electrolysis on the back is not that bad. After one hour on the beard, it looks like a picnic (i even kind of slept once she was working my back). BUT it is still a long ride from where you start.

Knowing what I know I would use the same road i used, which was having laser (I had 7 visits in a package) and finishing (still a lot of work) with electrolysis.

I would probably not get 7 if i had a choice, i think 4 or 5 should do a good job before switching to electrolysis.

As for inducing, my personnal experience, is that I probably induced in the upper arm (should probably never had laser there, the hair were not coarse enough). As for the back, i never felt like I induced anything in the lower part. On the upper part, i felt like I might have induced some at my 9th visit (after my basic package i did 2 more about 6 months apart). BUT if I did induced anything, it was like laser took out 90%, then at some point it might have (or not) induced a couple %, laser still did a great job.

Unless your hair are really not coarse enough, I would definitively give laser a couple of shots for the back, and look for an electrolyst to start the shoulder (laser wasn’t as effective there for me, not as much hair, not that coarse)

#12

Most of Max’s hair is not suitable for laser. I recommended he go with electrolysis from the start.

Max, you can estimate # of hours to clear the area once depending on how many hairs your electrologist removes per minute. An average one should remove 5-10 hairs per minute with thermolysis method.

When you go for consultations, you should make sure hair slides out without resistance after being zapped.

Don’t forget to use good aftercare - witch hazel and tea tree oil.

#13

As soon as i showed the area the technician said it’s too much area for Electrolysis “because did you know it’s one hair at a time?” yes - i know.

“you would be better off with laser, our male clients have had great results with IPL”

…

#14

Just curious what Laser/setting you used QC ?

#15

The technician is lazy and at the same time she cannot do electrology properly.

For her is easyer to make a few shots at you with IPL than do every hair by hair - and I would bet that her kill rate is low (less than 30%) and she cannot do more than 300hairs per minute…

Just go elsewhere - dont just search electrologists near you - search for the best one - no matter how is the distance - you will be rewarded by fast, effective and bagrain treatments.

#16

Yeah she seemed that way -

I’m only aware of one other Electrologist in my local area, otherwise I would have to travel to Sydney - (1 hour away)

For a further distance would i organize or do they offer longer sessions therefore minimizing the trips ? as the cost/energy of traveling would get pedantic.

#17

I personally go for 4 hour treatments once a month…

You can maybe do 4 hours on friday, sleep there and do another 4 hours.

#18

The place i am looking at does saturdays so that may work well,
Regarding price - is $110 (aud) per hour for what seems a good Electrologist expensive ?

#19

What are they offering as far as speed, skin reaction, sensation, cleanliness, knowledge? Overhead drives prices, but not always.

#20

Not sure about modality etc but she says she clears 15-20 hairs per minute.

She treats many interstate clients so she must have a good rep.