Stoppit - I have tea-tree oil! And I think you are absolutely right - its a matter me being impatient - wanting rid asap. That is good advice about the treatment duration as the hair will get fine (god willing) and come out more easily so less trauma - makes sense. It is really encouraging getting posts like these as it feels like I will always be…ugly. Harsh maybe.
Can I ask - was the chin area difficult for you? When did you feel comfortable about the appearance of the hair.
LAgirl - I feel informed, thank you.
I spent an hour with a new electrolysis. I checked her on the BAIE website and she has been working since 1989.
She washed her hands and swabbed my face but did not use gloves. I remember reading a thread regarding this so was not freaked out.
She uses short-wave diathermy and was quick. I was happy with the clearance. She has suggested that I have one hour sessions weekly to allow my skin to heal. Just as you guys suggested.
Feeling happy and my skin is just grand.
One question - I’ve read that blend is more reliable at preventing regrowth. Just wondered if anyone would expond on that for me.
Thanks all.
issywissy
Hi issywissy,
Glad to hear it went well with the new electrologist.
Is it possible if you can give her info, if not here then by pm?
I know lots of users have been looking for alternatives in London, so it would be great. And I’m always up for trying someone new just for comparison.
Diathermy/thermolysis requires more skill, especially with insertions. Blend is a bit more forgiving (as the lye will get to work even if the insertion isn’t at the right depth etc), so for a lot of electrologists (especially here in the UK giving the training etc and the fact that the BIAE like to promote Sterex and their SX-B) they prefer Blend as they know it will do the job.
Hope I’m not saying anything incorrect though, so waiting for one of HairTell’s electrologists to expand on this as well!
Ok - so it is really dependent onher skill. I have no idea how to judge that. Should I ask to look at the hairs? What should I be seeing. I did not feel the insertions, just heat. It was pleasant in comparison to blend, and I found that very tolerable. I want to zap those peskies though so hope she is doing it correctly.
She works in East London. Her salon is beautyonthegrove. Her name is Maragret Winniak. I found her friendly and professional. But it was my first session. If others are interested I’m sure they will do their research. Prices are very reasonable but maybe because she isn’t using blend or have overheads as she practices in her house.
That was MY experience.
Sorry I missed your question!
Well, I may be misleading because I did not have a huge number of coarse chin hairs. Let me elaborate so you can know what I have had done and where I’m at.
Basically, I have a full beard from mid-cheek down my neck. The hair is/was relatively fine but really quite dense and black and in some areas, long. Pre-bleaching it was horrible. One guy in my first year uni class was like “Why don’t you shave?”
Anywaysssss… I started bleaching, whole face and neck, except sideburns where the hair was like head hair. At the top of the ear, it was fairly long (2") and gradually got shorter down to the jawline but still thick so I couldn’t bleach.
For the chin, in my early twenties, I gradually started developing coarse chin hairs that wouldn’t bleach. I don’t know how many I may have had as I used to pluck them but I imagine only between 10-20.
When I started electrolysis, from April - November 2008, I only use 6hours. Generally in 15 or 30min long sessions. I only really worked on the sideburns to remove hairs up towards my tragus and those coarse chin hairs. By the end of the year, it was more or less “done”. I’m not saying the hairs were gone for good (there was no way to quantify) but they were thin enough that I could bleach them. The lower sideburn appeared the same as the rest of my cheek. The coarse chin hairs stopped appearing.
2009, I started my upper lip (April), tided up the area surrounding the eyebrows (around the end, between eyebrow and hairline) and shaped them a bit, and generally worked more on my peach fuzz, especially on my chin and the jawline.
The work I have now is again the eyebrows but for further shaping and am having the sideburns moved up further and still, the endless bleached fuzz for a gradual reduction.
2010, I started some body work like finishing my underarms. I stopped because I can’t afford to use my package time there right now, but the of the hairs left after Laser, I’d say I removed about 70%-80% of them with electrolysis so far… I shave about every week or two to keep what’s left short.
I had some work done in the middle of my chest as I kept getting spots there. I still need to do proper work here to make it look much less hairier but what I did have done stopped the spots, so that was great. I had one clearance of my toes and top of feet (the big toe only had 2 passes with laser when I had my legs done) and that worked well. I still need to clear again but that one clearance did make a whole lot of difference. Pre laser and electro, I used to wax them every 2 weeks. Now I just shave once a month when they get long, but they are otherwise fine.
Phew… I could go on as I’m sure there are things I have missed. but I’m really happy with what I have achieved so far, given that it was only 27hrs spread over 3 years.
Yup, it is. There isn’t really any way other than to see how long it takes for the hairs to be eliminated. You could always do a test and have half your chin treated with blend and the other half with thermolysis 
It is interesting though, because generally people find thermolysis more painful. My sister has had both on her face and says blend is more comfortable. I choose not to have thermolysis because it generally leaves some pin point scabs, which I don’t want on my face.
I might try her out for body work, where I’m fine for thermolysis. I’m saving money right now, so her prices are appealing.
Hi Stoppit thank you for the detailed information about your experience. It was so helpful.
I have now had 2 one hour sessions. I had my upper lip done with thermolysis and did experience a few pinprick marks for 3 days. It was also quite painful.
I had some slight marks with the coarser hair last time (2) but they healed in a few days. They looked like pustules but small surface area and dark rather than white. I’m not sure if these were due to poor insertions. If they occur again I will take pictures.
I have noticed areas clear of hair but I still have a lot of hair appearing, days after treatment. I was plucking daily for about 40 minutes previously. Have stopped since this journey.
I’m being patient I promise guys.
issy
So, I had a hair removed from a small flat mole/freckle two plus weeks ago. This evening when I was cleansing my face the mole flaked off and I have a smaller, fainter mole.
Could this be the electrolysis? I know they use advanced electrolysis to treat milla, thread veins etc. Could it have “treated” my mole?
Hang in there Issy!! Sometimes it seems like it’s never-ending, especially when you’re just getting started. Once you get past the second (and possibly) third clearance of an area, it becomes a much simpler matter of maintenance on those few hairs growing on a different cycle from all the rest. When your electrologist treats those fresh new hairs early in their growth cycle, there is a VERY high kill rate, and it takes less energy and less time to treat them, meaning less skin reaction, too. 
Yes, it was the electrolysis, in the treatment room, with the golden probe (for all the clue fans)
I always ask my clients if they have any sentimental attachment to their moles, as electrolysis will tend to flatten them, lighten them, or fully eliminate them.
If they want to keep them, I treat them in thermolysis, if they want to get rid of them, I go blend, or galvanic on them.
Lol James. And I thought it was the butler! Thanks for that helpful piece of info. So nothing I should worry about? I was not attached at all. Quite pleased actually. I had therm modality though. Curious.
Caith I have been following your progress and very impressive too. I can’t wait to reach a point where it is three weeks between treatments. I am sticking with it doggedly. Thanks for the encouragement. This site is fab for that.
Were the dark marks on the chin from thermolysis? I feel blend would be better in this area, even though in the beginning the reaction was more severe. If this can be addressed, I think it will work better than SWDiathermy on these hairs.
And yes, electrolysis can be used for mole removal!
Hi Stoppit. No I always had that mole/ freckle. I shall not mourn it’s passing. Oh you mean the marks I noticed in previous post - yes it was. Have considered your points in the pm.
I’m going to try a new place on Saturday but feeling disloyal. But they have an apilus so want to try. I have been very curious about it since hearing the positives - fast with less skin trauma.
I am going to email that place to ask what kind of Apilus they have and what method of electrolysis they actually perform.
A remember some time ago, there was a user who found an electrologist with an Apilus but it was just a Cleo Blend and the electrologist practised Blend. So no different from the Blend with the SX-B really.
There is no harm going for a consultation. To be honest, you may find that the current thermolysis electrologist with her very basic analogue thermolysis machine may be better! Electrologist skill is really very important. The right tools can allow good electrologists to perform great work.
Stoppit,
I found so further info in a forum the electrolyist posted. She uses an apilus senior and spoke about the modalities it facilitates, flash and blend. Not sure if she uses these however.
Ah! Good detective work.
Defo worth a visit then. Looking forward to hearing your feedback too
Thermolysis is less likely to have this result, but as you have seen, it can still do the same thing. Moles have lots of blood vessels, bunched together and raising the skin. The electrolysis often destroys these pathways, and the body re-routes the blood supply around these, causing the mole to dry up, crust up, and drop off. In other cases, it shrinks do to a partial occurrence of what I have just described.
Would that also be the case with skin tags? I don’t have any in my beard area where I am having treatments, but do have some in hairy areas on the body where I will eventually have treatment.
There are clinics where advanced electrolysis is used for skin tags. However I do not know how it works. But it is possible and available.