reaction 5 weeks post treatment HELP!!!!!

I received electrolysis on my jaw line and neck FIVE weeks ago. For about 3 weeks I had these huge awful pimple-like scabs that would pop at the touch and had ingrowns coming in around them. Here it is 5 weeks later and I still have red/pink marks and hair. I take care of it and keep it clean. I don’t understand.
I’ve spent HOURS researching and reading these posts. What should I do?

I need a permanent solution to get rid of this hair without embarrassing, long lasting side effects.

[ May 30, 2004, 09:46 AM: Message edited by: Victim ]

Hi there Victim. What an appropriate screen name you have.

My reaction to your treatment side effects on your face is clearly one that says you are a victim of overtreatment. Do not repeat treatment to this area for several months and do continue taking care of your skin until it heals. If this happened only once, make it the last time anyone does this to you again.

Was this person a ‘for real’ electrologist that treated you? What was her/his educational background and how much experience did she/he have? Did your treatment hurt a lot? Has this person seen the damage? Do you have a lot of coarse hair close together? More description of your sistuation might be helpful for others who read this and the electrologists that post here may be able to give you more targeted advice.

What you have described is not a normal scenario post electrolysis treatment as to how one’s face should look after treatment. You say that you have spent hours researching and reading hairtell posts. Maybe you could re-read how to choose an electrologist and what a good treatment consists of so you can find an electrologist that will get the job done without damaging your skin. Professionals will not leave you with the embarrassment of damaged skin for five weeks! I’m unsure as to whether you will have long term effects on your jawline and neck, since I can’t see you. You might try a good cream for scars like Mederma to help lessen the effects, IF you think you may have scarring from this.

Don’t let yourself be a victim again. You CAN get permanent results with the right professional electrologist. If you are inclined to find someone else, do tell them what happened and ask for a test patch to see how you heal in that area. I suspect all will be well, if done properly and you follow strict aftercare instructions. Have heart.

Dee

Dee, Thanx for your reply. This was the first treatment, well, in over a year. If you read my post under the ads catagory you’ll see I am a victim of transdermal & microlysis method. I had no irritation to that, but it didn’t work, it made it worse. I might as well have just been tweezing all those months. I did get the feeling this elecrologist was experienced and sincere. She is certified and has spoken of her experience with others. it didn’t hurt very much, just a couple of pricks. When I got needle electrolysis over a year ago I had a piple reaction (not to this extent) and told her about it before we began. She emphasised how I should not have that reaction. She did some hairs on my face and I had no reaction to them. She saw my neck a week later and then just didn’t know what to tell me. All she could do was repeat, I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know. I’m going to see a dermatologist Tuesday (after waiting 3 months for the apt.) and another in July. I’m also going to see an endocrinologist in Sept. It is a lot of thick coarse hair, close together. If you read my post in emotional support you’ll understand how embarrassed and depressed I am over it. I think the hairs are from tweezing and that fake removal. It started spreading after I started the fake treatment and it’s around the area they where treating. I don’t want to knock on wood but I don’t have hair on my upper lip or chin. Just these areas that have become worse and worse and worse.

Any more advise you have is greatly appriciated and if you know of a GOOD, REPUTABLE electrologist in NJ please let me know.

The new information you gave leads me to believe that your electrolysis treatment may not be the sole problem. It is good that you will be seeing a dermatologist on Tuesday, as someone needs to see you.

Just some thoughts, victim. I’m pondering now about the tweezing and ingrown hair scenario. Ingrown hairs (hairs circling back into the skin) can result in a chronic bacterial infection that can spread, but only a doctor can diagnose this and prescribe a treatment appropriate for you.

General principles of treatment for ingrowns that are infected consist of the following:

Use Dial or other antibacterial soap for washing the face.

If you shave, change razor blade daily or soak head of electric razor in 70% alchohol for an hour daily.

Don’t shave too closly.

IFFFFF this is your problem, perhaps your doctor will prescibe a salve with an antibiotic and a hydrocortisone mixture to attack ingrown hair infection on the outside along with some antibiotic oral therapy for an attack on the inside.

Something is definitly going on with this part of you skin, whether it be from ingrowns or some other bacterial manifestation. You need to be diagnosed and treated before you proceed with electrolysis. Sounds to me like your are acting upon the problem very well. I understand your depression and embarrassment, but keep moving forward to figure this out. Your doc may want to prescribe low dose oral-antibiotics pre- electrolysis treatment if you are prone to this kind of reaction for some unknown reason.

Did you scan over the referral section for a NJ electrologist? I personally can’t recommend anyone.

Dee