So if I’m understanding correctly, the hair cycle is still 8-16 weeks, but instead of having to wait the full 16 or so weeks for all the hair to come back, going every week or three weeks just eliminates them gradually? I guess the benefit is that you’re pretty much hair free all the time vs laser letting it grow in?
In terms of treatment time, is it faster for a session to do this? She told me it would be an hour for my full chest as there’s not a lot of hair there. If I go every 3 weeks, would it be an hour still or would it be a lot shorter then?
Electrolysis can kill weak new hair at a better rate, so it is beneficial to get the hair while it’s in early anagen.
Hair cycle length varies by body area.
I would get clearances once every 4 weeks or so in your case.
How long it will take depends on number of hairs to treat at each treatment. That’s hard to predict. Count on them treating aroudn 5-6 hairs per minute.
Yup, that’s pretty much the advantage. And also the fact that you know any treated hair will be eventually permanently destroyed, whereas with Laser it’s not a given.
I know Josefa is quite happy to do big clearances every few months because she strongly believes that hairs regardless of their growth phase are/can be permanently killed.
After the first clearance subsequent treatments should require less time if you’re going every 4 weeks. Maybe the first time you go after a 4 week period, it will take close to an hour but it basically gradually decreases. You’ll probably be able to estimate how long you need by looking at how many hairs have come up.
Well, not necessarily a given – all depends on good insertions etc too. There are always variables. But it’s best to set things up in a way that gives you the best chances at the best results
Hey everyone quick question. So she told me I could wax before vacation then call to do a treatment when I got back. It’s been I guess 2 to 2.5 weeks since I waxed now but I still look smooth. I know electrolysis works on hairs that the consumer can’t see, but is it too soon to go for treatment or should I wait another week or? She said call when I get back but just want to make sure I have an effective treatment.
If you still look smooth, she will probably only be able to work on the hairs that aren’t really that bothersome. I would book an appointment when you can see the sort of hairs you want treated start to make an appearance. And enough of them to make the session worth it.
Edokid, It is very probable that you see an unexpected outbreak of hair in some follicles that you believed eliminated.
This owes to the alteration in the hair cycle produced by the laser. I have seen this phenomenon often in some of my clients who had laser before.
Probably this warning does not sound very soothing for you, but it is better you are anticipated instead than suffering a disappointment and making to your electrologist responsible for something that she cannot avoid.
Josefa I’m not really sure what you mean? I don’t have any new hair or new growth on me at all. The area I’m treating with electrolysis yes I have done laser on but the reason I’m switching is because from day one I never had much hair. We’re talking like 10-15 hairs around each nipple with maybe 15-20 on my chest and the odd random one here and there. They’re dark and coarse but not worth it to do a full laser treatment. I was going on vacation so wanted to be smooth for it so the electrologist told me I can wax before going then call her when I get back, that she can treat the hairs before I can see them. I was just wondering how long to wait.
Ironically I just called her today to book and she told me she’s not accepting new patients anymore! What a waste of time lol.
We’ll see, I’m in Toronto so there’s lots of options. I spoke with desperate18 she said this place was so so. Even in my consultation she told me she’d use thermolysis the first treatment then switch to galvanic for some weird reason after. So wasn’t really planning on going for more than 1 session anyway. There’s plenty other options so her loss!
The Laser alters completely the duration of the hair cycle. The time that you need in order that all the existing hair in the area is present at least once to be able to be treated, is much longer now. If before you needed 18 months, now you will need 24.
I only had 2 or 3 laser sessions on the area so hopefully will be okay. I actually just went for treatment today. She used “blend” on me said it’s better for the dark coarse hairs which she wants to get rid of first. Is that the fastest way? It seemed to take 10 seconds or so per hair. I did a 30 minute treatment, looks like quite a lot of hairs were removed. I found it more painful than I thought it would be though, you definitely can feel the pulse when the needle is inserted. I didn’t feel that plucking sensation people have mentioned, the hairs all slid right out with the odd one having a little resistance but none being difficult or anything. Was glad when it was over though, give me laser any day!
I don’t think I need emla it’s not that bad. Just saying it hurt more than I thought. I have that one touch device that I bought a year ago and used a few times. It was a bit uncomfortable but I thought it was due to it being a home device but found this felt the same!
Is blend the slow method? She had mentioned doing thermolysis in my consultation and then galvanic current later. Then this time she said she’s doing blend because it works best on coarse hairs. She sermed fast though maybe 5 hairs a minute or less. Seemed to take maybe 10 seconds a hair with the needle inserted for maybe 5-6 seconds. It would beep every second or two about 3 times then beep rapidly and she would remove the hair. Reaction is good today I woke up you can’t even tell what hairs were treated my skin looks normal and fine.
The Blend would not necessarily be slower if the electrologist program a second or a second and a half. (I love how sweet it is with the skin).
The problem with this speed is pain. Your electrologist must act according to your tolerance and why it uses more time for each hair. Your pain threshold rises as time passes the session.
Numb the area allow you to treat more hair in less time. In the end, the money you invest in the EMLA cream is offset by the time you save on Electrolysis.
You can also suggest that your electrologist to an area with thermolysis(Flash) and another with blend, so you can compare and decide what is best for you.
Thanks Josefa that’s good to know. It definitely didn’t seem too slow, like it beeped every second or two and then after about 4 or 5 beeps would go rapid. At first I thought each beep was a hair being removed so I thought wow this is super fast, then I realized the quick beep must mean one hair. Even so I never felt the hair sliding out so I guess that’s good. I wanted to count today how many hairs were done but you’d never know I had electrolysis done, my skin looks completely normal.
It’s weird I found it got more painful as the treatment went on. She did my left pec first and it was okay but when she moved to the area over my heart I found it hurt a lot more and I’d feel the pulses. I noticed she made a change to settings on the machine though before she moved over so not sure if she upped it or something. I can ask her about the various methods used. Idon’t think I need Emla though it’s not that painful more uncomfortable.
