No mention, as usual: our invisible profession.

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

In so many articles about hair removal, electrolysis is not even mentioned as an option. This article (link below) talks about shaving and laser; no mention of electrolysis.

Yep, an esthetician that shaves her face gets noticed by the NY Times (article below) … but “we” get ZIP! Yes, indeed, Liz Taylor shaved her face, until she had electrolysis that removed it permanently (by Danny Eastman in Bev Hills).

I’m often puzzled by the reality that electrolysis, more than 100-years-old, gets no “play” and yet laser, relatively new, gets all the publicity.

And yet millions of people have been rid of hair permanently over the decades … by electrolysis. I wonder why ours is the “invisible profession?”

AEA has planned and executed many publicity “roll outs” over the decades. NONE of these efforts seem to have worked. It’s strange and puzzling. Why?

#2

I believe a lot of it is because people “of a certain age” who got electrolysis never talked about the results. Laser came along at a time when people freely discuss all kinds of medical procedures they wouldn’t dream of discussing last century. One of the big parts of this forum’s early success was that people could talk about electrolysis and other procedures anonymously.

#3

Through this website, over a period of 15 years or so, it was my hope that the good news of properly performed electrolysis would spread. We have posted pictures and clients have documented their results, but electrolysis still remains invisible (good piece above, Michael). EVEN THOUGH we have the Internet as a vehicle to spread the good news, the good news is ignored. So be it. When you are old and not very sexy, you go unnoticed. Smart people don’t believe the blather of lazy “journalists” anyway. The ones who do always end up discovering the truth eventually.

#4

Most of us in the profession are terrible ‘sales people’. We don’t have a huge amount of disposable income to spend on advertising- thinking of the full page laser adverts in the glossies, on bill boards etc. Extremely frustrating not seeing electrolysis mentioned as a solution for unwanted hair on TV shows and magazines. Even many GPs, endocrinologists, gynaecologists don’t realise electrolysis is a solution when the other methods don’t work.
Maybe there is still a slight social stigma regarding getting electrolysis whereas getting laser/Ipl seems the norm

#5

Laser marketing seems to really push the high tech, high end spa/medical type aspect and I hear people brag about getting laser done, as though it’s sort of a way of declaring that they have finally “made it.”

A lot of people don’t know electrolysis even exists, and talking to my clients, a lot of older clients had bad experiences with electrolysis 20-40 years ago and, though many of them saw significant positive results, they look back and think about how painful it was and/or how unprofessional the “offices” looked (often just a spare room in someone’s house that did electrolysis part time for extra money, competing against a laser today sitting in a spa, doctor’s office or even just a fancy store front). The last thing they’d want to do is tell people that they 1) had excess hair they wanted gone and 2) they went to some dingy old place to do it even though it worked.

And that leads us to where we are today… the laser stuff targets an upscale image while electrolysis is fighting the stigma of old. People don’t talk about electrolysis because of the stigma and while people brag about getting laser done, in many cases where laser didn’t have a great outcome, they aren’t quite so quick to brag about how laser didn’t work out quite as well as promised, only to quietly switch to electrolysis to finish things up.

Most doctors don’t have any special knowledge of hair removal unless they work in a skin/aesthetics related field… like non-doctors, they’ve heard about laser, so they’re familiar enough to recommend it, but like most non-doctors, they also know nothing about electrolysis.

Short of an organization getting out there and promoting electrolysis, in the big picture, things probably won’t change much and we, as individuals, don’t have the money to market the way the laser industry does. I spend a lot of time carefully planning and targeting the marketing that I do use to make sure it is as effective as possible because I don’t have the money to just drop on endless radio/tv/whatever ads.

#6

Mike, I think it starts with the word electrolysis itself. Laser hair removal as a term just sounds 21st century high tech hope to aesthetics. Then look around how laser clinics advertise themselves and look at electrologist practitioners. Many electrologists are existing in 19th century mindset. Many are choosing to be very obscure and not even try set up nice websites to promote themselves. I heard electrologist tell me that she relies on word of mouth and doesn’t care about a webpage.

Has AEA tried marketing firms to advertise on talk shows or popular beauty magazines? Has AEA tried creating professional contacts with medical schools to promote education in dermatology departments? You want to tell me that electrology equipment manufacturers can’t spend a dime to promote their industry?

A single episode on Doctors will create a major impact about electrolysis. But I don’t think there is a collective effort.

#7

Fenix, I could “write a book!” Oh, I guess I did!

I do not disagree with anything you have stated. (I do know the AEA efforts and they were well-meaning.) Furthermore, AEA has set up a web page “master” to create websites for members.

My big (only) “beef” is that true innovators are not listened to in our profession. Instead, they are ridiculed, shouted down and denigrated. There is no forum for the “brave.” Those that could alter the course of this profession … hide!

Moreover, I think we have very quickly moved away from even websites (as far as industry-wide promotion) … “aps” and Youtube offer a monumental potential. Oh my GOD, what POSSIBILITIES! I wish I were 10 years younger! Why do I have to be so damned OLD!

“My Jossie,” the First Lady of European Electrolysis (I have to say that so as not to annoy the Americans) … has pointed the way and now we all need to follow her inspirational example.

#8

Someone with your good humor, your incessant projects, and your willingness to work and create can never grow old. You will be YOUNG until the day your heart stops beating.

Our blood is invisible too, but we all know that it exists and moves through a well structured internal network of blood vessels. We are only aware of its importance when we lose too much. That’s when the generosity of anonymous donors keeps us alive. The good and free information represents for our profession as well as a transfusion in a case of massive bleeding. And you, Michael, have been, are, and probably will be one of the largest donors of O-.

People need real information, brief and clearly displayed. If someone is able to create fun and educational short films about Electrology, no doubt, that person is YOU!

As for the AEA, they lost any hint of interest and respect from me the day I discovered that your texts are not included in the list of recommended books for aspiring to CPE.

You can forgive them because your generosity knows no bounds … I can not!

#9

An organization in search of a purpose …

Jossie, I have ONE fan and that’s YOU. AND, that’s enough for me!

Actually, the AEA requested an article from me for the new CPE Study Guide. I wanted to clarify a few false issues that have been continually perpetrated. Problem is, these specific issues appear throughout the entire book … and ostensibly show up in the CPE exam as well.

The choice was to take-on my puny article and correct the entire text and (perhaps) the exam; or just leave things as they are. AEA (correctly) decided to “go” with the latter. And, the beat goes on?

AEA is interesting and still an important body, in that it’s the only “thing” we have of this nature. The central issue is that, like all aging organizations, the AEA is an “organization in search of a purpose.” Does that make AEA obsolete?

Years ago, when the war sizzled against the “Electronic Tweezers” there was a clear purpose for the association. Nearly everybody joined and engaged in the battle, which was eventually won (thanks largely to Fino Gior: my hero!).

Today, there is no clear directive or purpose for the AEA. The organization is top-heavy with too many “ruling committees.” Individual personality plays WAY too big a role, and folks always seem to form little secret alliances in the group. Issues are “talked to death,” everybody voices an opinion and, consequently, not much gets done.

They continually “piss off” people by deciding who has the “right to speak.” They engage in skirmishes and nonsensical infighting … that turns everybody off. The idea of real OPENNESS is abhorrent to the AEA Zeitgeist.

The AEA should dominate (not control) ALL public access to electrolysis information. They should be everywhere and be the ultimate RESOURCE. Instead, they see the group as a private club with privileges for “members only.”

Art Hinkel had a “one-liner” definition for the AEA that I can’t forget; however civility will not allow me to repeat his quote! Yeah, it’s a loo-loo!

I’m still an AEA supporter, but I’m reluctant to “put my shoulder to it” as I have in the past. I have been beaten up too many times, by well-intentioned people.

Besides, I’m too damned old!

#10

“The AEA should dominate (not control) ALL public access to electrolysis information. They should be everywhere and be the ultimate RESOURCE. Instead, they see the group as a private club with privileges for "members only.”

Amazing! It can be said louder but not any clearer.

When I am very damn old and I retire, I want to be like you. Oh hell! I forgot that you keep working harder than most electrologists below 40 years old. :stuck_out_tongue:

(I’m not your only fan (you have a ton of followers), but probably your worst nightmare.)

#11

I want to pick up on one of the statements made by Fenix: the word “electrolysis.”

Yes, I know what the word “electrolysis” means but it should be put in the scrap pile and never used again.

It’s silly that we have TWO names for the profession: electrology and electrolysis. It’s like this: dermatology and dermatologist, period. Electrology and electrologist, and that should be the end of it.

Instead we parse our classification. We say, I study electrology but I perform electrolysis and I’m an electrologist or electrolysist. That’s just too much. (About once a year I have some guy from the harbor call me to do electrolysis on his keel or rudder.)

Just use ONE word and who cares about the “hair-splitting” definitions. (I have to change the name of my own stupid website.)

“Electrology” and be done with it.