Question on current and plucking sensation

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hi guys I have been undergoing electrolysis for the past 4 weeks at 2 hours per week for my chest.

As we all know it’s an expensive treatment. So far it all seems to be going well and I’m happy with the hairs cleared per session however I have a few questions I would like to ask.

The therapist tries to use a current that is strong enough to allow the hairs to slide out after being zapped but at the current that enables this to happen with the least pain/skin damaged caused. In other words a happy medium to provide best of both worlds. If they get to an area where there hairs are stubborn, deeper or thicker they will adjust the current so to remove these hairs also.

The pain is very tollerable but after a hour or so can become rather irritating. Which is fine on my part, I’m just explaining the pain experienced and my tolerance.

My first question - if a current/power setting that is high enough to enable the hair to simply slide out after being zapped is used does this mean that using a higher current would be over treating the follicle and NOT be of any additional benefit to permanently disable said follicle? In other words enduring additional pain and burning for no extra benefit?

Second question - on occasions when they tweeze the zapped hair I will feel a slight tugging as if the hair has been plucked. However bear in mind this is not as painful as if you plucked a normal untreated hair. The practitioner said that this is NOT plucking and that it’s the Sessation of the thick bulbs being pulled through tight shaft? Either that or something about debree in or around the follicle however I don’t fully remember what they said about the latter so I could be giving false info.

Cheers!

#2

The proper release of the hair is the BEST measure of the effectiveness of the treatment. That is to say that your assumption is correct, that extra current added is NOT going to add anything to effectiveness of the treatment,but could lead to overtreatment.

Your electrologist is doing it EXACTLY right.
Some hairs can be in different cycles of growth, and older stage hairs or hairs in telogen can sometimes have less moisture, and a s a result do not release quite as well as they have less moisture to conduct the heat from thermolysis, and these hairs you might feel a slight plucking sensation, but they should be inthe minority of hairs treated…and the follicles STILL die as a result of treatment regardless of stage of hair growth.

As to your second question your electrollogist seems to be describing the difference between a pop and a pluck. And she has this information exactly right too.

As a side note, there is NOTHING experimental about electrolysis, which has proven effective as a means of permanent hair removal for over 130 years ( since 1876 when doctor Charles Michael removed an ingrown eyelash with galvanic electrolysis) . Electrolysis is effective on all types of hair, for all colors of hair, and in every stage of growth.

Seana

#3

Amazing thanks so much for the detailed response it’s appreciated.

One other question which appears to be heavily debated.

The practitioner said that only anagen hairs can effectively be treated and that telogen may be weakened but not killed as it’s not connected to the blood supply.

I have researched and it appears its widely debated.

If telogen hairs can be treated does this mean that when she zaps a hair in telogen phase it can be permanently disabled like those in anagen regardless of what she says or does it mean she would need to ensure she is deep enough in the follicle sprouting the telogen hair to effectively treat?

Its thermolysis treatment I’m having by the way

#4

yes that’s correct.Although a “hot topic” at one tme, its widely understood that telogen hairs do in fact get destroyed during the process of electrlysis. Unfortunately the anogen only theory is one of those theoriesthat itself refuses to die, and in some cases is still being taught in schools.
There are several electrologists here who practise something known as the “3 clearance method” . The treat all hairs in a given area, not just anogen or telogen . The do ths 3 times, and effect ppermanency. This is a statistical impossibility, unless telogen hairs are also being destroyed during the process.

Seana

#5

As for your first question, raising the intensity will require lowering the current application time, so yes, this will translate into a greater number of hairs removed in each session.
If you are able to endure a little more pain, the total cost of treatment may be lower.

Regarding your second question, I know that there is no consensus in the profession, but for me any sensation of traction is incompatible with a successful treatment of the follicle. A telogen follicle is as susceptible to being treated as an anagen follicle, as you can see in this video https://youtu.be/keKflIUSjfk
Any other explanation to justify a “pluck” or "pop’ sounds like an excuse for me.

#6

Thanks both for your reply.

So to confirm when they say that telogen hairs will not be treated, they actually are regardless?

Or does a telogen hair follicle need to be treated differently once identified?

In other words, when I have an area treated and they say only anagen hairs will be disabled, can I disregard this and also assume the telogen hairs have been treated also?

#7

no not really, there is a caveate. If you never try to kill telogen hairs, you will succeed in your goal. In other words some electrologists dont even try to treat anything other than anogen hairs , so they ever kill anything but anogen hairs.

#8

That’s a shame so you are saying that in my instance any telogen hairs treated will come back and won’t be killed as the electrologist is only treating anagen hairs?

Or am I mistaken?

#9

If electrologists will research the history of hair transplantation (that early-on assumed the blood supply had to be intact), they would open their eyes that only stem cells … no blood supply … is needed to re-grow a hair. Today, bloodless hair follicles (stem cells) are removed from the patient and planted in the skin … and a new hair will grow: no papilla, no blood supply … just stem cells.

The evidence of dispatching follicles in telogen is overwhelming, and discussed in electrology literature (books) as early as 1968. Stem cells are intact in telogen and if they are treated (as they are with all techniques, all needle types and all modalities), the hair will not grow back.

The funny “thing” is that even people who believe the “anagen only” idea are almost certainly killing off telogen hairs … the whole controversy is silly; almost not worthy of a discussion. As a client, don’t worry about this non-issue!

Why do electrologists insist on the “anagen-only idea?” Once out of school, and having success, what they learned is seldom questioned. Only a very few, e.g., Seana, et.al., continue to question and challenge everything; including their own suppositions. In many way, the “self-taught” are more open-minded than those who learned from some “authority.”

#10

first off, what mike said!

No, what I said was not implying any telogen hairs treated wouldnt die, its to say that many electrologists choose to leave telogen hairs untreated. If they are untreated, they dont get killed. Simple as that.

#11

Mike, thanks for that, some very interesting and comprehensive literature there!

Seana, my electrologist is clearing all hairs in a given area regardless of growth stage that it may be in.

So if I’m understanding correctly all follicles in both anagen and telogen stages are being treated regardless on my electrologists belief on whether telogen can be treated?