I first decided to get electrolysis when I noticed the toll the 3+ years of plucking was taking on my skin (especially under chin area). I didn’t realize until looking into the issue that the hairs get stronger and deeper (and perhaps even multiply) each time you do so, so I finally took the plunge and I’ve been getting electrolysis for about 7 months (every week for the first 3 weeks or so, then every 2 weeks thereafter). Recently, I finally decided to go to another place because I’m not sure the place I’ve been going to has been effectively treating me. I stumbled upon information on this site saying how if you can feel resistance when the hairs are being removed, it likely means you’re not being treated effectively. I realized that I can feel my electrologist plucking them out every time. So I found another place and have gone to them twice so far.
At this new place, I’ve noticed that they take longer to get the job done. My main area of concern is my chin (especially the fleshy part under the chin), jawline, upper lip, just a few on the lower cheek area, and some stray eyebrow hair. For what I’ve got going on, my former place usually took 20 minutes, sometimes 25. Once or twice, I actually counted the number of hairs I felt removed (from just my chin and cheek area, not including upper lip–I try to just not think and go to my “happy place” during that since it’s quite painful)–and it was about 100. I didn’t count at this new place, but the amount of hair felt like about the same, maybe ever so slightly less, than usual, and I ended up going for 30 minutes the first time and 35 minutes the second. So even though the rate there is slightly less, I ended up paying more since it was more time.
That obviously meant that the new lady was working slower, which I noticed during treatment. She remarked about one hair in particular that it was especially deep and tough, but she did manage to get it out. Whereas my former electrologist just went zap-yank, zap-yank, etc. and a hair about every 10 seconds or so, this new one was more like 3 or 4 a minute. But–I didn’t notice the resistance as I had with the first. With the former one, I could definitely feel it pulling against my skin as the hair was coming out–I wish I had known earlier that this was not a good sign and that the hairs should slide out well on their own without requiring forceful tweezing after each hair is zapped. With the new lady, I DO feel them coming out easily. So even though I’m instinctively displeased about it going slower and having to pay more, it does seem like she’s doing a better job.
Of course, after only 2 treatments from her, it’s too early to assess overall effectiveness. About the other one, though, I can say I haven’t seen much if any, after the 6 months she treated me. I know it’s impossible to account for every last hair, but there are a few I have that I know to be unique, not surrounded by others–one lower on each side of my neck, and a darker one growing out of a mole on my arm. OK, one of the neck hairs I haven’t seen in a while, but the other, which I know has been treated about four times already, just came back and I just had it treated again with the new lady. Same for the single arm hair–been zapped at least 3 times, just reappeared and I had it done with the new lady. If I can look at this as a benchmark of my progress, then it’s not looking so good. How many times does a single hair have to be treated before it’s one for good?
A couple other minor differences in service of the two places are that the first one always gave me numbing gel on the upper lip gel as part of the service; the new one does not. The old one performs it in a darkened room with a lamp (kind of like a dentist’s lamp) above and I believe a magnifying device, to concentrate on the area. The new one does it all in a bright room and gives you goggles to wear to shield eyes from the light. The old one uses antibacterial wipes of some kind afterward, the new one antibiotic ointment. The new one WAS more careful, though, about holding my skin taut (under chin especially) during treatment.
It’s so frustrating to have been going this long, spent this much time and money (my former place was much farther away from the other place I just discovered) and not to seem to have great results yet. I keep hoping I can start to go every 3 weeks instead of every 2, but I don’t seem to be there yet. I feel like I must be having some progress, because the last couple of months, I notice that I’ll go the first week after treatment hardly sprouting hardly any offending hair at all, maybe one or two. So I start thinking, ‘Maybe I can cancel next week’s and reschedule for later,’ but then without fail, a few days before I’m due for the next 2-week, it all starts to grow in like crazy. And of course, the worst part is the few days beforehand when I have to grow it out, then the day or two afterward when my skin looks swollen and bumpy. Then I get to enjoy a week or so where my skin is reasonably smooth and hair-free.
This is all especially stressful because I used to have such great skin, but all this treatment seems to be taking its toll. There is one mark on I caused myself when I had to pick out an ingrown hair–I use scar sheets every night now. But I feel like the electrolysis itself is causing me some additional skin woes–some light scarring on the corners of my mouth, in particular, AND some signs of possible collagen loss. There is one dimple line that has deepened–not sure if I have turning the big 3-0 to thank for this, or electrolysis. There’s also a bit of a line extending diagonally downward from one side of my mouth–nothing major, but enough to get me looking into Botox, Restylane, etc. (I’d like to emphasize that I’ve never smoked, don’t suntan, eat healthy, and religiously wear sunscreen). The scarring on the sides of my mouth are also somewhat causing the appearance of lines.
So I’m wondering, does it sound like my new electrologist is doing a good job? She seems to be treating me more carefully, although it does hurt more than the other place. The old place was a swanky clinic in the suburbs and the new one is a tiny office downtown. Also, is there any point in seeking out such skin treatments as Restylane while you’re still going through electrolysis–is it better to wait until you’re reasonably satisfied with your progress to deal with the skin issues? I got some 0.25% Retin-A in hopes it will improve the slight wrinkling issues.
I’ve considered laser hair removal as well, but as far as I can tell, most people only see results for a relatively short time after (I often see the phrase “comes back with a vengeance”). Plus I am trying to save money for something else, so I’m not up for such a big sudden financial commitment. I’m a regular girly-girl AND my testosterone/DHEA levels came back normal at the doctor’s, so I guess this is just one of those unfortunate things. I wish I’d gotten a spironolactone prescription while I still had ensured, but maybe they just don’t do that if your levels are normal. I’ve also been drinking lots of spearmint tea, but not to much avail hair-wise.
Sorry for the wordiness, but any advice on the skin issues would be appreciated, as well as which provider sounded better. The former one seemed somewhat more professional in many ways, save the crucial point about getting the hair to release on the power of the electrolysis itself, not the tweezers. If I were to go back to the former place, I’d ask to see another electrologist. The new one seems to be doing well, but is the only electrologist who works at my new location (everyone else only does laser). My new place is also SO much more convenient for me distance-wise.
P.S. I don’t want to sound paranoid, but a part of me suspects that the first place was treating me ineffectively on purpose. They were really touting the new Lightsheer laser system they just invested in. Maybe they are hoping that people notice the electrolysis isn’t working, and spring for laser instead?