My Electrolysis Journey On The Upper Lip.

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hello everyone! I am new here. I used to belong to a different forum but I havent been able to pull that one up so I was looking for a new one and I am very happy I found this one.
I am 24 years old and I have very light skin and black coarse (from shaving) hair on my uppper lip. I was getting IPL treatments and after 14 of them I realized that its not working. I was thinking about going with a laser but I want permanent removal and not reduction. I am going to a lady in Elk Grove Village, Illinois so after a few more treatments and I know shes good then if anyone would like her information I will post it.

        Yesterday was the free consultaion. I went in and we talked a bit. I know alot now about hair removal so I pretty much asked the questions that I wanted to know. When she looked at me she told me there was hardly anything there which there really isnt but I dont want ANYTHING there. She said that all I needed was 15 minute sessions 3 weeks apart. I thought you always needed them a week apart? It will be $25.00 for the 15minutes. Now for the good part ... the teatment. 

        She did a five minute session on my upper lip. She uses thermosis(I hope thats the right name). I felt the needle go into the "pocket" but that wasnt painful. Then I felt burning. Thats the only way I can describe it. It felt like a quick sting. The middle of the lip and the corners were the worst. Some spots were nothing. She said the hair was fine because I never plucked there or waxed. She said some hairs she didnt even have to tweeze because they basically just blew out. I only felt her tug on one hair and when it didnt slide out she treated it again. She never yanked any out. I had this stray treated that grows out the side of my face and  she had to use a longer pulse because I have tweezed that hair for years. After the treatment she did this roll thing thats supossed to help with the swelling and then she put a cream on it. I made an appointment for a full 15 minute treatment on oct. 17 . I did purchase a bottle of the numbing cream for $18.00 to try it on my next time. The place I went to was a dermotologist office but she has been doing only electrolysis for 30yrs. They do sell a line of mineral makeup so she put some of the powder over the lip because she said that it was made to have a cooling effect and it wont settle into where she did the tretment and aggrivate it. I did have some swelling and it was red. She told me to apply ice when I got home and after I wash my face at night to use aquaphor (she gave it to me) for those who dont know what it is petroleum based and its for dry cracked skin. I thought I read not to use stuff like this because it could clog the pores.  This morning there are a few red dots and inside they are a little white and in two spots they are a little puffy still. I have very sensitive skin. If anyone thinks I shouldnt have anything there please comment on that and I would like to know if anyone uses the nubbing cream. When the neddle is in and she starts the process I do hear it. Is that normal? I read here somewhere that you should not hear anything, is that correct?

      If anyone has any comments, suggestions or questions please feel free to post!!
#2

I have to update that I do not have any white puss bumps just two little red dots. Once I showered and really looked I dont have nothing but the dots. Does anyone think I should have her turn it down? My upper lip is kind of itchy.

#3

Hi sexione. I remember you from that other forum and I, too, haven’t been able to get into it for several weeks now.
Welcome to hairtell.

Glad to hear that you are having electrolysis and that you made it a priority to inform yourself before starting.

If you hear a crackling sound, yes, perhaps the electrologist should work to refine the settings to a lower point. Also, for aftercare, don’t use a petroleum based product. Just clean the area with witch hazel and use 100% Aloe vera gel (the clear stuff). For the itching you would be happy with an aloe cortisone CREAM which is an over the counter product. Get the generic brand. Tea tree oil at night will help for three days, or more, if you get pustules. Aftercare for electrolysis doesn’t have to involve fancy products. Keep it simple and pure and DO NOT TOUCH A NEWLY TREATED AREA WITH YOUR HANDS.

To take the edge off working on that sensitive upper middle lip, some clients purchase and use Colgate’s Ora Gel paste, which is the same stuff one would put on a canker sore. It starts to work in 60-90 seconds and may last for about 15 minutes. Just use a little bit on a Q-tip and apply it on the inside of your upper lip.

Good luck to you, sexi.

Dee

#4

Welcome, and thanks for the detailed post! Your treatment sounds pretty typical. EMLA or LMX-5 are the best ways to numb the upper lip, which can really hurt near the nostrils and along the lip line.

dfahey’s aftercare recommendations are mine as well. It’s important to use an astringent like witch hazel to clear the area right after and for the next couple of days. This will go a long way toward reducing the chances of white bumps. 100% aloe gel (not cream) works great for keeping the skin soothed and hydrated.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

#5

It looks like the red dots are where the insertion was. Is that normal?

#6

This is a frequent occurrence, however, it is hard to say why you are having this reaction.

It could be the result of your post treatment care, and or sweating in the treatment area, thus putting salt in the wounds. It could have something to do with the equipment she is using, and it could also be an unavoidable consequence of the technique your electrologist is using.

Keep your skin clean and dry for 24 to 72 hours after treatment. Use your Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera Gel, Tea Tree Oil and if needed, Aloe Cortisone.

#7

I went to a health food store and bought the Clear,clear,clear real organic aloe and tea tree oil. The green aloe from drug stores had alchol and other unknow ingredients and it dried out my skin so thats stuff is bad. I am ready fo my appointment tonight. I have a question: The new hairs that grow are they black too? I never had black hairs my sister had a problem with her upperlip and she was getting electrolysis and we are 7 years apart so when I seen her shaving her upper lip I did it too. I have little blonde hairs all over my face that I dont care about but I thought that was what she was shaving so I did it too. I was just a kid so when I got into High School I noticed that the hair grew in darker. So thats why Iam here today.

#8

Yesterday was my 1st 15 minute treatment. This is my first concern, sometimes the needle going in was more painful. Is it possible that she is just poking the needle through my skin? Sometimes that is what it felt like. She seen the few scabs that I had and right away she said she better turn it down. I was probably bleeding too because she was wiping something away. Afterthe treatment she told me that I have really sensitive skin. My whole upper lip is red still. I just put some aloe on it because it kind of hurts so I dont known if thats making it red. Does anyone think I should see someone else??? In the recomendation part of this forum there is someone listed in bloomingdale that I could try. Shouldnt all the marks go away by the next day? Its very noticbly red. Im going to put some ice on it. The redness goes from the bottom of my nose out to my checks and down to my lip. its a big blotch of red and I have to go to work today. Whats going on?

#9

I went to the 15 minute session yesterday and today my lip is all red swollen and theres red bumps everywhere! I just talked to her and she said she couldnt believe my reaction and that this shouldnt be happening. She said that she will have to change the whole treatment and start using blend. I dont know what to do. Does this sound right? Yesterday when she had seen the scabs she said she needed to turn it down and she told me today that the current was very low. Either Its me or its her so if someone could tell me whats going on I would really appreciate it!!! She said she uses gold probes. This sucks because there were 4 scabs now if all these scab theres like 20 of them!

#10

So how does this practitioner’s work compare to the other people you consulted?

#11

I have not went to anyone else. I dont even know if I want to continue electrolysis. I would like to know if this really could just be because my skin is sensitive. I would hate to jump around to another person and the same thing happens. This lady now knows what happens to my face. Should I do blend like she mentioned? or is she doing something wrong? I have no problem going to someone else because this lady is not doing it right.

#12

Please try someone else. Even with the most sensitive client’s skin, the healing process doesn’t have to be the way you describe. Don’t give up on this. You may be very pleased to find that a different practitioner, with different equipment, skill and technique will leave you looking fine soon after. Remember,you are lucky to live in an area where there are many electrologists.

I don’t know what kind of magnification and light source your person uses, but maybe she is having trouble seeing those tiny upper lip hairs. That’s just a guess, but that is what I suspect from your posts.

Dee

#13

all refferal sites has liz stappletons name in it and that is who I am seeing now. I am trying to find someone in oakbrook or bloomingdale. I just looked and havent found a referal yet for someone who is close to me. Do you think changing methods wont help me? I just put some tea tree oil on it. Now the lumps settled down its starting to scab. Im actually happy its scabbing because its better than those bumps. Could the bumps be because she is not inserting it in the hair pocket and she is actually puncturing me? The hair are very fine but they are black and noticable when you are looking into a lighted magnifying mirror and thats what she uses. Once I have the scabs what should I use? Neosporin or continue with the aloe and tea tree oil? If someone is in buisness for 25 years one would think this wouldnt happen. She turned it down because she was concerened about the scabbing from before.

#14

If I may add my two cents to this thread, I would begin by telling you to wait. Exactly how long has it been since you first received treatment? How long have the marks persisted once treatment was over? Have they lessened by any degree since your treatment?

To date in my hair removal career, I have only had one consultation with one electrologist - a highly reputable one for my region I might add. Whenever I returned home, I noticed that I had several nasty marks from test spots. I was frightened to death by what I saw, and thought the spots would never go away. (You can read a few of these posts here on hairtell.com, one begins with the subject “what’s this?”) Even with only treating it the first two or three nights, in about a month the spots cleared away and my skin was normal again.

I have sensitive skin, but only in the regions that are more pale than others. I am certainly not advocating you to tan while you are seeking electrolysis because it will not be helpful, but these areas on my body are by far the more sensitive ones.

Patience might be the key here. But you should also consider the suggestion of others on the board and try several other electrologists in your area - ones with whom you can find recommendations for - and compare the post-treatment results. Your skin might even adapt to the treatment over time, especially as the procedure progresses and you find yourself with less hair to actually be treated.

#15

Two days latter and I now have scabs. They are not little scabs some of them are a line. I am going to go to someone else and see if they are more accurate with needle because the other lady I felt it pierce my skin! I think that is why I have the scabs now. I dont not want marks on my lip for months! It took two days for the battle wounds to settle down and now I have over 20 scabs. If I go once a month I am going to have scabs on my lip for over a year?? Has anyone never had SCABS on their LIP???

#16

Hi Sexione,
Just to maybe calm you down, I think if the needle actually pierced your skin, you would bleed. But that said, scabs shaped like a line don’t sound good. A lot of things cause little electrology scabs: higher treatment levels, unsanitized work area (does she wipe down your face before beginning treatment?), or aftercare. But the thing with them is that they are tiny scabs, like little caps on top of the pore. So line-shaped ones sound really wrong.

Whatever you do, do NOT pick at them or take them off!!! Doing that will give you scars! Let them fall off on their own.

To answer your questions

If I go once a month I am going to have scabs on my lip for over a year??

No, you shouldn’t. I found that I got scabs mostly at the beginning of my treatment. As the treatments tapered off, the scabbing stopped. But YMMV.

Has anyone never had SCABS on their LIP?

Yes. When I got them, they showed up about 2 days after treatment. I hid them with medicated coverup. They fell off about 2-3 days later. They left no scars.

Try out some other electrologists and report back how it goes. You should be able to find someone good!
–susie

#17

She kept wiping something away maybe I was bleeding. The needle going in sometimes hurt worse than the zap! I thought the bumps went away but they didnt. Theres 5 line scabs. My lip is traumatized. When you got the scabs did you get them in every insertion as well? My scabs are not little. What kind of medicated cover up did you use? I never heard of it. I tried to mix some foundation with some tea tree oil and it worked at first but within about 5 hours my lip had bumps all over it again. Could it have something to do with the tea tree oil. I put some aloe on it today when I got home and the whole bottom of my face was red! I know I have sensitive skin but…DAMN! Which is easier on the skin blend or thermolysis??? She wipes my upper lip with something I dont know and after the treatment she does that rolly thing and then she puts on aquphor which is an advanced healing ointment (you can buy it anywhere) and she tells me to continue to use it. What could be causing the line scabs? Putting the neddle in worong? Taking ot out wrong? Scratching me with it? I dont know. She sounded concerned and apologized she said she turned down the machine because she had seen the scabs from the previous treatment. Now she wants to bo blend. Is blend lesser on the skin?

#18

You should be using straight tea tree oil overnight. I would not recommend mixing it with foundation and applying to the treated area inside of 24 to 48 hours post treatment.

Without seeing what you are experiencing it would be difficult to say what is going on here, but I do know that on the healing side, you need to give yourself a minimum of 24 hours where you don’t put anything but soap, water, aloe vera, tea tree oil, or what ever healing treatments you use on the treated area. No Make-up, no dirt, no sweat.

If you can email me a picture, it may help for figuring out what is going on with your skin.

#19

when I put makeup on it was over 48 hours. Okay so as soon as I get home wash the area and apply tea tree oil. Any suggestions about using the blend method next time? Right not its all scabs. She didnt do a full clearing last time so theres about 20 scabs. I took a picture with my cell phone just in case I went to another electrolysis then I could show her. Im sure how to post one. When I find my digital camera I will have my dad help me. Im sure I get all the possible side affects. If theres hope that eventually I dont get the scabs then I can deal with that. I told my co workers that I had an allergic reaction to some new lotion and it was realy bad above my lip because that part is so sensitive and they believed it. Next time I dont know what to say.

#20

Its thursday and my last treatment was monday. It looks alot better now. Some scabs but now I only have a few red bumps. I never waxed there or anything so I never realized how aggrivated the upper lip could get. Im hoping after another treatment or two it doesnt do that anymore.