Quite nervous so I have some questions

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I am finally looking to get my facial hair removed after years of being so embarrassed by it that I couldn’t even go and see anyone about getting rid of it. I am really nervous about wasting my time and money on someone who doesn’t do a good job though.

I had a consultation + taster followed by a 15 minute session with someone. I got scabs the first time so the second time she used a bigger needle and I didn’t get any scabs, just blotchiness which I would expect. I like her (no indication of her skill I know, but this is so personal that I need to feel comfortable with her) and she seems to have done everything “right” from what I have read. Except she did say that the hairs will grow back weaker over time before dying, why do they tell people this?

Anyway so a few questions.

  1. I can’t feel her tweezing the hair out at all - does this mean she has definitely killed it first time?
  2. Why does a bigger needle make it less likely to scab? Must admit I was a bit alarmed when she said she would go bigger as I would have thought the opposite.
  3. I was thinking that I could book a long appointment and clear the lot, then go in about once a month to kill the new hairs. I’m not sure if she will like that idea as she recommended going in weekly but a longer monthly session will be just as effective won’t it?
  4. If it takes 60 minutes to clear my face (my estimate based on what she did in 15 mins) how long should the monthly appointments be? I have no idea how long it takes for new hairs to come through.
  5. If electrolysis does kill the hair first time, why do the new hairs tend to be finer? Are finer hairs dormant for longer thus only showing towards the end?
  6. There used to be a chart on here with the length of time that hairs are in each stage but I can’t seem to find it now. Does anyone know how long it takes for all the hairs on the face to show?
  7. I do find it really rather painful. How do I know if she is over treating me?

For information I am female, pale caucasian and in preparation for this I have only been shaving for ages, no plucking or waxing like I used to. The electrologist is using thermolysis on a Sterex machine.

Thanks very much for any advice.

#2

  1. I can’t feel her tweezing the hair out at all - does this mean she has definitely killed it first time?
    This is a good thing. It will be your best indication that the hair has been treated.

  2. Why does a bigger needle make it less likely to scab? Must admit I was a bit alarmed when she said she would go bigger as I would have thought the opposite.

  • This is a qn for an electrologist, which I am not :slight_smile:

  1. I was thinking that I could book a long appointment and clear the lot, then go in about once a month to kill the new hairs. I’m not sure if she will like that idea as she recommended going in weekly but a longer monthly session will be just as effective won’t it?
    This feeds in to your 7th question. You find it painful - will you be able to tolerate a series of very long sessions?
    Also, the longer the appointment, the more redness you will get. You need to decide if you will be ok with a longer healing time. I had more, shorter sessions when I first started electrolysis on my face. Now I have 45 minute sessions fortnightly (soon moving to every three weeks). There are many effective ways to do it - it depends on what suits you and your electrologist. Talk to your electrologist. If you want to have longer appointments but they only do a maximum of one hour on the face, you will not be able to go in for longer anyway.

  2. If it takes 60 minutes to clear my face (my estimate based on what she did in 15 mins) how long should the monthly appointments be? I have no idea how long it takes for new hairs to come through.
    At the beginning you may need to go in more often than monthly. Your hairs are all in different cycles at different points in time. The first sessions you’re trying to go often to get hairs in all these different stages, as soon as they come in. You might have a clearance and find that you get hairs from different cycles coming in as soon as a few days after. You wont want to hang around with them there for the next three and a half weeks. Even shaving can have an effect on the hairs - it means that some hairs in a more dormant phase will not be visible at the moment, but they will grow in at this point in the cycle in another few months.

  3. If electrolysis does kill the hair first time, why do the new hairs tend to be finer? Are finer hairs dormant for longer thus only showing towards the end?
    It’s seeing the trees for the forest. At the beginning, your treatments will be focusing on the thick, dark hairs because that is what you notice. In the future, the hairs that are left will be the lighter ones. Plenty of them will be treated along the way, but they tend to be the last ones standing as your electrologist deals with the truly bothersome hairs!

  4. There used to be a chart on here with the length of time that hairs are in each stage but I can’t seem to find it now. Does anyone know how long it takes for all the hairs on the face to show?
    Facial hair is a strange beast. Dee says a typical female face can be treated to finish from 9 - 18 months. I’m in my 9th or 10th month now and I’m on track for being finished within that time.

  5. I do find it really rather painful. How do I know if she is over treating me?
    It just is painful. There are different levels of pain, but it’s painful. I find it’s worst just before my period begins, and most tolerable either during or just past my period ending.
    Settings can also play a part, as can the skill of the operator. Just tell your electrologist it hurts, but don’t expect a painless treatment. That can’t happen. There are topical creams which you can use. I don’t bother but plenty of people do. It’s up to you.

BTW, it’s probably obvious but I’m receiving electrolysis treatments. I’m not a practitioner. These are just my observations from having electrolysis treatments for the past 9 months.

Goodluck!

#3

Hi emilily, thanks for replying.

Good points, perhaps it’s not a good idea to have one big clearing session and then go to work the next day, which is what I was planning! I will reconsider.

I’m hoping my months of shaving will pay off in that my hairs will have synchronised themselves, if that’s possible. It’s now been 8 days since my appointment and I don’t think any new ones have grown through, although looking closely there may be a couple just under the surface. Or maybe I won’t have any new ones for a while then suddenly lots will come through at once, eek.

Oh I don’t expect it to be painless, I just don’t know what is normal and what is overtreatment. I may be a bit more sensitive to hair removal pain than average, eg lots of women get their legs waxed but I tried that once and it was like torture, I was twitching by the end. Never again. I may try taking some paracetomol before my next electrolysis session, see if it takes the edge off.

Good luck to you too :slight_smile:

#4

Many electrologists dont like or wont do long sessions. It’s quite taxing physically. If this is what you want i’d suggest frequent shorter sessions of maximum of 2 hours. You can do this maybe twice a week until you establish clearance.

Here’s some tips on pain management:
Avoid electrolysis when you are physically taxed or overtired. Fatigue can escalate pain.I once had someone stop, because they had worked all night and couldnt take the pain.
Dont use caffeine the day of your electrolysis.Caffeine also heightens pain reactions.
Keep yourself hydrated and drink 2-3 liters of water in the 24 hours beforehand.
Provide yourself distractions. Often electrologists will put on soft /vocal free music designed to help you relax during your treatment.Having a bit of soft fur or something tactile in your hand can distract you from pain.I have my dog around but that’s not possible for most folks! A bit of fur or soft material in your hand though can give you a distraction your mind needs
Finally, there are topical anaesthetics you can use that are over the counter. I have only one person who uses them, but they do seem to diminish her pain sensitivity.

I would not be concerned about overtreatment unless you see obvious signs of it. Usually it’s more frequent that undertreatment is the issue. Overtreaters seem to be a little more rare.

Seana

#5
  1. Why does a bigger needle make it less likely to scab? Must admit I was a bit alarmed when she said she would go bigger as I would have thought the opposite.

[color:#006600]The energy dispersed from a large diameter probe will be less intense and cause less of a heating pattern than that coming from a small diameter probe.[/color]

  1. I was thinking that I could book a long appointment and clear the lot, then go in about once a month to kill the new hairs. I’m not sure if she will like that idea as she recommended going in weekly but a longer monthly session will be just as effective won’t it?

[color:#006600]This depends on what you’ve done prior to starting treatments. Lots of tweezing? Then you need to have weekly treatments.[/color]

  1. If electrolysis does kill the hair first time, why do the new hairs tend to be finer?

[color:#006600]A newly emerging hair is smaller in diameter at its tip. As it gains length the diameter increases. [/color]

  1. There used to be a chart on here with the length of time that hairs are in each stage but I can’t seem to find it now. Does anyone know how long it takes for all the hairs on the face to show?

[color:#006600]While those charts are based on someone’s observations, they do not reflect the amount of hair you might grow in your lifetime. A woman starting out with a few hairs on her chin at age 20 might very likely have more coverage by the time they are 40. I’ve had clients who completed treatments in their 30s begin new growth 10 years after menopause.[/color]

  1. I do find it really rather painful. How do I know if she is over treating me?

[color:#006600]Overtreatment might show up as excess scabbing. “Pain” is relative to many things. Be relaxed, be hydrated. What part is painful? The insertion: answer should be no. The current application: answer can be yes. The extraction of the hair: answer should be no.[/color]