My Experience w/Maria Vega in NYC

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#21

Hi everyone. I just wanted to give an update on my progress. I have to say, it is looking great. I have had about 8 hours and 45 minutes done on my face so far. I had been going every week for an hour, but yesterday I only went in for 45 minutes because there was less hair.

I am surprised to see results this fast because I really did have very dense hair.

Also, I added to the areas being treated. I am now treating the sides of my face (cheeks) all the way down to my neck, my chin, the corners of my upper lip and my forehead.

I have much less hair now. When the hairs grow, they are scattered. Also, they seem to be thinner.

I continue to get some ingrown hairs, but I decided not to apply anything to my skin since I am using stuff for my acne.

By the way, my acne has cleared since I stopped laser and started electrolysis. When I was doing laser I would have to stop my acne treatment for a week before and a week after laser. Now I just stop for like two days after electrolysis. So, maybe that’s why my acne has cleared.

I am very happy with my electrolysis treatments. I wish I had before and after pictures because the difference is so remarkable.

#22

See, we told you so.

Everybody complains and protests if you want to take a “Before” picture, but it is not only the only way one can track visual progress, but it is the one thing most people want once they get to a certain point in their treatment life.

I have a client, whose wife could not believe that his hair was so bad that he used to sandpaper away at his shirt collars to the point where they would wear away and fall off.

No one now believes that he was once a member of my “500 Club”

#23

James, you are so right. I really missed the boat on that one. I guess when you are that hairy and desperate to get rid of the hair, the last thing on your mind is to take a picture. But the difference now is like night and day. I really don’t get that many hairs between treatments, considering that I am doing almost the entire face (and my face was covered with dense hair after laser).

#24

Hi - I just wanted to update my progress since it has been very long since I last posted. When I started in March, I was going once a week for an hour, but in June I decided to cut it down to once every other week for an hour. I definitely see improvement, but I still have a while to go. It does get frustrating cause I wish I can finish already.

Anyway, I was treated once with a different electrologist recently who also uses thermolysis. She had a different machine though. It was a little bit more painful and I was a little bit redder than usual. A couple days later I got little scabs all over the area that was treated. Could that be the machine or maybe she used higher energy? I usually don’t get any scabs on my face.

Also, I am still getting ingrown hairs on my face. More on my left side than on my right side. I hope that goes away soon.

#25

That could be both the machine and the skill of the operator. Like we say, if you don’t check out a few people in town, how do you know how much appreciation you should be heaping on your own personal Hair Removal Jewel.

There is a big difference between the experience of being treated with a 3 megahertz machine, a 12 megahertz machine, and a 27 megahertz machine.

#26

Wow…interesting. I am curious to find out how many megaretz is the machine I am usually treated with.

#27

Isabel, what laser was used on you? What’s your skin and hair color?

#28

The sad thing is that most electrologists can’t even answer that question if you ask them. Just find out what machine they are using and tell us here. We will let you know what it is. You may even want to tell your electrologist when you see her again.

#29

The machine that Maria Vega uses is called Apilus. She just got a new one that has microflash, so that is what she used on me last time. When I returned to her last week she suggested that the other electrologist may have used a very high setting, which she said I don’t need since my hairs are not coarse. I am not sure what machine the other electrologist used.

By the way… most of the scabs have fallen off, but I still have a few (it has been almost 2 weeks).

LA Girl: The laser used on me was an alexandrite (GentleLase Plus). I have fair skin and dark hair and was told I was a perfect candidate for laser… obviously I was not.

#30

Any modern day Apilus is a 12 megahertz machine. If the machine has stereo knobs and no automatic treatment feature, and looks like a metal box, it could be a 3 or 12 megahertz machine, but is a little more difficult to make exact settings, and more importantly repeat the same setting on treatments that occur weeks apart…

It sounds to me like she not only had it up too high, but may also have missed a follicle and or punctured a side wall or two.

#31

Thank you James! You are always full of great information.

Maria Vega’s machine recently broke. I THINK she said it was like 15 y/o, but it was definitely not a metal box with knobs. She would enter in the amount of time and the setting, etc. Her new machine looks very similar. She said she can do microflash with the new machine.

Thanks for the info!

#32

Hello everyone,

It has been quite some time since I post a message and I have been meaning to update everyone on my progress.

November marked 9 months since I started electrolysis on my face (sideburns, cheeks, chin, upper lip, and forehead). My main areas of concern were my sideburns/cheeks/chin since that is what I messed up with laser. I have seen a HUGE improvement. I now have appointments every other week for half an hour (i started w/weekly 1 hr appointments). She doesn’t even spend the entire 30 mins on my face… she also takes care of random hairs I have, like on my stomach. The hairs that grow in are very scattered and thin. I no longer have the dense dark hair that I had after being treated with laser.

At one point, Maria (the electrologist) was often finding ingrown hairs, but that is no longer the case. She rarely finds them now. She was always very good about taking them out… she never left a mark on my face from an ingrown hair.

I am very happy with how my face is doing. I feel like I am almost done.

Since my face is doing so well, I decided to move to my arms. I don’t want to get rid of everything… just have them thinned out. So far she has worked on them twice and they have maintained really well. I barely get scabs on my arms (i don’t get any on my face).

I have to say, I have come a loooong way since I started in late February of last year.

I will post an update after my next treatment.

#33

Hi Isabel,

Glad to hear your treatments are going well! Do you mind telling us how much Maria Vega charges and where she is located?

Thanks,
Paly

#34

Hi - Last time I saw her she mentioned she was going to be adjusting her rates, so I am not sure what the new ones will be. Her first consultation is free though.

She is located at

119 W 57th St (btw 6th & 7th)
14th floor - Suite 1408

#35

Hello. just wanted to give an update since it has now been a year since I started treatment.

I had my last treatment yesterday. I was out of town for a couple of weeks, so I actually went a little over two weeks without treatment and I did much better than I thought I would. I probably have about an 85% to 90% reduction from when I started a year ago… at least from what I can tell since I have not gone much more than two weeks without treatment.

My biggest problem seems to be the chin. That is where the hair just loves to grow back. The sad thing is that my chin was not even a problem for me when I started laser. Now I have to deal with a problem I never had. The sides of my face are doing really well and that is where I see the most progress.

I still get ingrowns from time to time, but not as much as I used to.

My arms are doing great. I am very excited about my arms because I had no idea they responded so well. the areas treated barely need maintenance. I guess the hair on the face grows a lot faster than those on the arms. Also, the scabs are so tiny, they are barely noticeable. When I get electrolysis done on some hairs I have on my stomach, I get noticeable scabs. But the ones on my arms are really small in comparison.

Well, that’s all for now.

#36

“My biggest problem seems to be the chin. That is where the hair just loves to grow back. The sad thing is that my chin was not even a problem for me when I started laser. Now I have to deal with a problem I never had. The sides of my face are doing really well and that is where I see the most progress.” [color:“purple”] [/color]

Are you sure these are re-growing hairs on your chin or are they new hair just surfacing? Chin hairs are tenacious hormonal bad animals, for sure. Thermolysis will kill them off, but if they are really big and curvey in the follicle, the blend method would be a great choice for these types of hairs.

All else sounds very good. Don’t worry about the scabs on your body work, unless they connect. You will heal and any marks left behind will fade in their own time.

Dee

#37

Thanks Dee!

I have no idea if the chin hairs are regrowing hairs or new ones. How can you tell?

It is supposed to take 9 months for hairs to go through a full cycle… right? And I have been doing electro regularly for one year now. I guess the chin hairs are also more visible then the sides of my face. Since I can see the chin better, I notice the hairs more. But I definitely need to continue work there for a while.

What makes me really mad is that these hairs surfaced after laser. Originally, I only had about three hairs on my chin that I wanted to get rid of. After laser I have MANY.

Do you think it’s more difficult to get rid of hairs that have been stimulated by laser? Is it like treating hairs that have been waxed for years?

#38

You sounded very pleased with your progress in your January 7th post and 85% - 90% reduction sounds very successful to me when your talking a 12 month time frame.

As for your chin, how many hairs are you taliking about? Are they scattered and thinner and lighter in color or are they same size as when you began treatment a year ago?

I have heard other electrologists say that root structures are different after laser, but I personally have not observed that in my practice. Some hairs have clear bulbs after laser, but it is still a healthy, hearty hair all the same. When doing electrolysis, the principles are the same : X amount of energy for X amount of time will destroy the follicle’s ability to harbor and grow a hair.

Have you asked Maria if she thinks these are previously treated hairs that keep regrowing? She is in a position to see the structure and size of the hair and compare it to the hair you started with. Some huge, huge hairs need to be broken down anywhere from one to three hair growth cycles in order to protect your top skin layer. If the hairs are less coarse than when you started, then that is what is happening most likely.

I wouldn’t give up because there is really nothing that will get you hair free, permanently, other than properly performed electrolysis, which it appears you are getting. Your other areas of treatment sound perfectly on target.

Dee

#39

Hello. It has been a long time since I post a message. I just wanted to update my progress since I think it is important to post towards the end of your treatment so ppl know the final outcome.

Basically, I am doing very well. I have done electrolysis for about a year and a half and I am almost done. At this point I just go in every once in a while for 15 minutes… maybe every two or three weeks. Sometimes, I don’t need the entire 15 minutes on my face… I just take care of some scattered hairs on my body after we’re done with my face.

I am especially pleased with my results because I was afraid it was going to take much longer to see these kinds results. Plus I never had any problems with scabs or scars.

Electrolysis is definitely better than laser… just have to be patient.

Anyway, that’s all… I’ll try to post again soon.

#40

Thank you for keeping in touch.

Too many people drop off when they are sure and secure. We at least need them to come back in and say what you did.

Thanks Again.

PS, don’t for get to pop back in 2 years from now to tell us that it didn’t all growing back <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />