So far, so good. I’m right-handed, and, so far, I’ve only been working on my left forearm and my right lower leg. I was planning on working on the right forearm only when I felt fully comfortable with the insertions to really do it right.
I’ve played around with it for about 25-30 hours total, so I’m still learning and practicing. I overtreated my forearm a bit right at the beginning, but I’m now starting to get a sense of what levels are appropriate for different types of hairs. I’ve also noticed that the areas I’m practicing on (in particular the hands and forearms) tend to scab for much longer than, say, the face (so it’s a good thing it’s winter weather right now). To give you a sense of where I’m at, I’ve probably cleared several hundred hairs.
It’s way too soon to see any regrowth, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It’s also too soon for me to say whether I recommend purchasing a unit. I won’t know until I see how effective my work has been at killing the roots!
Paly, I am also following your updates with great interest. As a matter of fact, i wanted to ask you if you could post some before and after pictures. I don’t know if this site allows for pictures to be posted though.
I really want to buy an old unit for do-it-yoursdelf, but i keep reading here and other places that it’s really not a good idea. However, i am not convinced that that’s true and i really want you to prove all naysayers wrong by keeping us updated on your progress with commnets/recommnedations.
I wanted to ask you, what extra tools do you have or you think that you need to buy? I’m talking about thinkgs like different types needles, lamps, magnifying loups… do you have all that, and how vital to the process do you find it to be?
Eve, don’t misunderstand the “naysayers”. If anything, I’m - or rather my wife is - proof that you can successfully do large scale hair removal at home. The arguments from James and myself are not that home electrolysis doesn’t work but that it’s not the best solution in many cases.
Regarding your question about equipment, I’ve posted a couple of times about the extras I purchased. I spent about $600 on equipment and supplies besides the epilator.
Hello, I found this forum yesturday and am eager to help out where I can. I started my electrology practice last year in Syracuse, NY after I graduated from the only electrology school I could find that I could drive to. I became interested in this field via my wife, who had been going to an electrologist in this area for as long as we have been married (8 yrs). She had no sucess with her treatments at clearing the area(s) and I started to investigate the field myslef in hopes of helping her. Mike Bono,s book “The Blend Method” is the best I have read and is extremely simple to follow. I highly recommend any one interested in this field to buy the book, it is worth the money. I have had good luck finding my supplies and books at Prestige Electrolysis Supply. web page
I do not recommend “Modern Electrology” by Fino Glor. Not very helpful to someone wanting detailed instructions. I also invested ~$930.00 in buying the Uniprobe Autoblend machine, and returned it to the vender a couple of days later. (Did not think it is worth the money) Others I have talked to like the machine, but I feel that if you are serious about buying a machine, spend a couple of hundred more and buy a more versatile machine that has a better selection of modalities to choose from. (Aplius Cleo ~$1895, Sofblend T-80 ~$1295) Both TES and prestige sell them. I highly recommend buying the best pair of magnifying loupes you can afford. The key to permanent hair removal is proper insertions, and the better you can see, the better the insertions. I started out with a magnifying lamp and recently switched to a pair of Dental Loupes (3.5X mag) and I am happy that I did. I was able to find them fairly cheap (compared to the professional surgical loupes I came across on the net) on ebay buy typing “dental loupes” in their search box.
I think that anyone who is serious about performing electrolysis should spend the time to read the books and research machines, before spending the money on a cheap machine. I know from my own experience that it will be worth it in the long run. Sorry so long of an entry, but I hope it helps. -D-
DeMartisco, I’ve been trying for several day to find Michael Bono’s book. You can order it from Prestige, but then you get an e-mail saying it’s not available. Any other books you might recommend?
You can try “Electrolysis, Thermolysis and the Blend” by Hinkel & Lind it is not up to date as Mike’s book, but has the same material in it. This was what my school used as a text book for the electrology course. “Cosmetic & Medical Electrolysis and Tempory Hair Removal” by R.N. Richards M.D. is another one that comes to mind also. I am shocked that you are having a hard time finding the Blend book. I hope it is just a temporary shortage, it is a great book to learn from. -D-
Andrea, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Bono book, but through Amazon.com it’s $199 for a used book. The book lists new for $49.95. Unfortunately, I can’t find it anywhere.
I also invested ~$930.00 in buying the Uniprobe Autoblend machine, and returned it to the vender a couple of days later. (Did not think it is worth the money) Others I have talked to like the machine, but I feel that if you are serious about buying a machine, spend a couple of hundred more and buy a more versatile machine that has a better selection of modalities to choose from.
I can’t imagine a serious professional using a machine that doesn’t do flash, so your comment is understandable, but remember: This thread is about professional machines for do-it-yourself use. We’ve used that machine pretty successfully, and for more work than many do-it-yourselfers would attempt. Only after about a hundred hours of work did I get to the level of expertise where I started to wish for flash capability, and in fact started to use that machine in a near-flash mode with 2-3 second epilations. I think it’s a pretty good all-around machine, particularly if the user understands that they’ll likely outgrow it if they do a lot of work with it - but telling a do-it-yourselfer to gamble $1900 on the machine alone might be a bit much.