Questions about electrolysis

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Well, thanks to the information on this forum I’m starting electrolysis on my face. I have my first appointment in about a month. I still have some questions though, and I was hoping you could guys help me answer them.

[Note: I’m female, late 20s. I’m getting my lip, chin and eyebrows done. I used to wax my face until it became too sensitive, then I switched to tweezing - I didn’t realise it was a bad thing until now.]

  1. The electrologist I’m seeing does thermolysis and blend. I’ve read the info on hairfacts, but what exactly is the difference between them in terms of treatment? Which is best for the face?

  2. I have really sensitive skin, and I’m highly prone to breakouts. Should I get a test-patch done on some other place on my body first, or is a trial 15 minute treatment on my face safe? I’m a little concerned about scarring or long-term hyperpigmentation.

  3. I have clogged pores and some hyper-pigmentation from acne on some of the places I’m getting the electrolysis done. Will electrolysis make these worse?

  4. I use salicylic acid on my face (2%). Do I need to stop this before my electrolysis sessions? How long should I stop using it for beforehand?

  5. I’ve seen some people say you have to stick religiously to the treatment schedule, and others say you don’t. Even though I’ll endeavour to always be there for appointments, I might sometimes have to reschedule or take a break for a month or three during treatment for personal reasons. Is that ok? I’m fine with it being a slow process, as long as eventually all the hair is removed.

  6. I plan on shaving in between sessions, but I’ve never shaved my face before, and I don’t have much experience with razors. What kind of shaver should I use? How many days should I let the hair grow out before an appointment?

  7. Are there any medicines you shouldn’t use when getting electrolysis?

Thanks for the help! I haven’t seen answers to any of these during my forum searches, but I might have missed them. Sorry if I’m repeating anything!

#2

  1. Thermolysis is faster as it removes more hairs per minute. If this electrologist can do both well, then go with that option. You may need blend for a few deep curly hairs if you have any as it works better on those.

  2. 15-mins trial will be fine. Scarring is something that happens after persistent damage to the skin, not a one-time sample treatment.

  3. Not really related, so no.

  4. Best to stop at least a week or two beforehand.

  5. If you want to spend as little money as possible, you need to catch hairs in the the right phase of growth. You shouldn’t be going less often than once a month to do this. But you really don’t need to go more often that this either as long as you’re removing ALL hairs at each of these monthly treatments. Longer treatments are also cheaper, so you save money there. If you skip treatments for 3 months, you’ll basically stretch out the total treatment time by at least that many months but possibly more because hair grows in cycles and you’ll throw off the synchronization that happens a few months after you start getting clearances.

  6. Shaving is fine. You can use whatever you use on your legs. The hair only needs to be long enough to be grasped with tweezers at the appt.

  7. Anything that makes your skin sensitive should be avoided.

Also, make sure you buy some witch hazel for aftercare.

#3

i honestly would not shave your face. that is the reason why i am in the position i’m in. i took a razor to my face and now i regret that terribly. since you’ve never shaved your face before, leave it that way! trim with scissors if the hair bothers you, that’s what i do now. i will never take a razor to my face again. that’s just my opinion anyways.

#4

There was a scientific study done in 1928 on Hair growth and shaving by Mildred Trotter, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.1090370405/abstract

It showed that shaving does not increase hair growth, the study is still relevant today.

#5

i didn’t say in my post it increases hair growth. it grows back differently after you shave it. someone that has peach fuzz on their face and takes a razor to it, the hair isn’t going to grow back soft and fine. it happened to me and i never had a hair problem before.

#6

Hello wander, my intention in posting that information was to share what I have learned, I don’t want you to take it as an affront. When things are written we don’t always know how to take them and I realize it is easy to misinterpret what is said, please just take it as information and nothing more.

#7

Shaving has NO permanent effect on hair growth. Shaved hair will initally feel sharper when touched but if you leave the area alone for a couple of months, the hair returns to normal - hence NO long-term/permanent effect.

#8

Amen. Shaving does nothing to the structure of the hair. All you’re doing is giving a haircut, i.e. cutting above the skin’s surface. The reason it feels more prickly is because the hair shelf is thicker in the middle compared to the end of the hair. So once you cut it at that point, it feels thicker. If you let it go through a cycle of growth, it’ll be back to what you started with. It’s not magic. It’s scientifically proven.

Many people associated increased hair growth with shaving because they usually start shaving when they first start developing more hair, i.e. puberty etc. In reality, that hair would have grown in regardless of whether you had shaved it.

#9

Never once did I state it increased hair growth. Never once did I say it has a permanent effect on the way the hair grows. All I said was that it grows back prickly and feels thicker. You all are quick to jump the gun. I was sharing my opinion based on my experience and said I wouldn’t recommend shaving facial hair.