I had electrolysis done on my upper lip 3 months ago.
I didnt research the process much - my only research was that the operator had been doing it for ten years and that as long as the operator was experienced you wouldnt get side-effects.
anyway, i only had one 20 minute session - i didnt go back because after 3 weeks i started getting ingrowns, small reddish bumps and then after a month i started getting really dry skin and now i have small purple marks. the combination of black ingrowns and purple marks make me look like i have a permanent moustache - i am really pale in complexion.
I have just read that some people get hyperpigmentation that does not show up UNTIL six months after electrolysis - is this true? I am so scared - i cant sleep i keep thinking that in a year or 6 months time i might have some further scarring?
I had the type of electrolyis where you have to hold a metal rod.
please please help, for those of you who have had scarring - did you get it much later than your last electrolysis session?
What temporary method did you rely on BEFORE you started electrolysis? What was your aftercare action after you had a treatment? Did you scab? How quickly did you heal? If insertions are too shallow and a small probe is used on thick hairs, this is not ideal. If hairs break off below the skin, ingrown hair is a possibility. So much can go wrong if the electrologist isn’t clicking on all cylinders. Maybe you had Blend? Thermolysis without the electrologist using a foot switch, requires that you hold a metal rod.
These are probably temporary skin side effects. For you to scar, the treatment(s) have to be really bad. Can you submit qhality pictures that are not blurry?
Do you remember the name of the epilator? Vision equipment used? This really does not have to happen. Removing hair should not cause this much distress. The more detailed information you can give, the better.
Products with Kojic acid and or licorice root extract may help with the discoloration. DO not expose the area to the sun. Wear sunblock or sunscreen 30SPF. Aloe vera gel can soothe and moisturize. ahhh. sigh.
i dont own a camera - but the camera on my phone blanches out the scarring.
i have no idea about the machine used - i can find out.
well, straight after the procedure my skin was red. no immediate scabbing or bleeding, just redness. the redness subsided within one hour.
with regards to aftercare, the only thing i was told was not to wear makeup for a day after. i remember it snowed in london that week and i didnt leave my home and did not apply any make up for at least a week. other than that, i didnt do anything.
three weeks after, i started getting ingrowns and small red pimples - i still get these. read up on the internet that i should exfoliate. i do - twice weekly.
now the skin is very dry and i have small purplish marks (witnessed 2 months post electrolysis) - a whole collection which together form a nice tattoo on my upperlip - but at the moment they are still faint - i can cover them with makeup (looks a crumbly mess because of dryness).
my previous hair removal method was tweezing - this was very effective - i never got ingrowns or scars but it was inconvenient - i had to do it every 4 days. only did the electrolysis beacuse i am going trekking for three weeks in october, so i thought i wanted a hassle free holiday.
at the moment i can just about accept this level of scarring - my main fear is that they could get progressively darker? have you witnessed this in your experience?
i am currently tweezing now, the electrolysis (i know it was only one session)was ineffective. i dont bother the ingrowns.
If you get Tend Skin, or mix up some Aspirin and Alcohol, you can release the ingrown hairs faster.
Get some Tea Tree Oil to apply at bedtime, to speed healing. It sounds like you may have some hairs breaking off under the skin, but it is hard to perform armchair electrolysis from across the pond.
Tweezing is the worst way to remove hair and distorts the hair roots (makes them curve and can even make them tougher and more resilient). This could maybe account for the trouble your electrologist had killing the hairs. That doesn’t excuse it though, she should have adjusted her technique for curved/distorted follicles. A better electrologist with good equipment can handle hairs that have been previously tweezed without trauma to the skin. Don’t give up just yet.
The only reason (that I know of) that your pigmentation would worsen at this point, is if you get more ingrowns and they irritate the area. So take James’ advice and be sure to minimize any future ingrowns. The pigmentation you have now shouldn’t be permanent. It will fade (slowly) as the traumatized skin gets replaced by new cells. You can speed this up with a retinol (though that will dry you out even more for a few weeks). or use kojic acid or another skin lightener as Dee suggested.