Hey guys!
I have a question about the red marks after electrolysis. I went and had my first [45min] session done a little over a month ago on my bikini area.
I’m very fair skinned, with reddish brown hair. She stated that my hair looked weak, but that redheads usually have tough hair, and I know she then turned her machine up higher. I was forewarned that I would have bumps for a week and then still have redness after, so we decided to wait on continuing until after bikini season is over.
However, the marks are still pretty visible. I was just wondering if there was anything else that I could be doing to “fade” them faster!?
For reference, I did start with witch hazel (without alcohol) and Aloe Vera. Once the area healed, I switched to Cicalfate to keep the area moisturized.
Thanks for the suggestions/reassurance!
Looks like a normal post-treatment skin reaction. The best advice is to keep the area clean and dry and not worry about it. The spots are temporary and will fade without you doing anything.
Thank you!
Clothes can irritate an area and delay healing. Loose fitting clothes may lessen the irritation.
I agree with hairradicator
The scabs are completely normal. Below are 2 pictures.
First picture is made a few days after the treatment. I am using 1 sec fast blend.
Second picture is 1 week later. There is no marks left.
Oh wow, that is awesome that her skin bounced back so fast!
I guess I have to be more patient with mine 
Although I didn’t have much actual scabbing initially, the bumps resolved after a week, but the red marks are still very apparent after 5 weeks.
Light skinned Irish here as well! This looks exactly how my neck looks right now. It turns red/pink even after the scabs fall off.
Do not listen to these responses when they say don’t do anything about it. I refuse this type of answer. The reason for this is if you are like me it will sometimes takes 12 months- to years till your skin tone balances out. I’m livid dimitrov57’s scabs left no spotty pigmentation what so ever. NOT my skin at all!
What you need to do immediately once the scabs slough off is exfoliate as much as possible and invest in skin lightening products; these lighten spots not the untreated skin. hydroquinone OTC if you want to go the chemical route. Eminence organic skincare bright skin series if you want to go a natural ingredient route. I sometimes put some Clean & Clear benzoyl peroxide white dots on the stubborn areas to dryout/ lighten the big marks/ingrown sores.
You most probably speak for hyperpigmentation. What you suggest mayme help but I think it is better to avoid the hyperpigmentation as much as possible. This is the electrologist job to do.
First is to use an insulated or tapered probe with the size matching(or bigger) the size of the treated hair. That probe will protect the upper 1/3 of the skin.
Second is to choose the right energy and timing for smooth hair releise.
Third is to use ice immediately after the treatment and even better during the treatment.
To achieve all that the electrologist should use very good visual aid.
Every overtreatment can cause hyperpigmentation.
Hope that help.
To add only that I do not think that your skin is so different that others, just your electrologist should be more careful with the treatment to avoid the hyperpigmentation as much as possible.
Yes, it’s quite frustrating to trade hair for red marks and not know when it’s going to go away. I’m waiting to see how my skin continues to react before I decide to continue with electrolysis or not.
My electrologist actually recommended something with Kojic Acid, so I finally found a mask including that and will start to see if this helps. It would be nice to actually reap the benefits of smooth, hairless skin instead of being embarrassed by the marks. Thank you for your input… I really appreciate it!
Thank you for your recommendations!
I searched a while for an electrologist, but there aren’t very many in my area. She had the best (and most) reviews.
If I decide to continue with it, I can hopefully find a way to gently suggest being more careful.
There is no reason to believe your skin will react differently in the future. It is “frustrating” because you are allowing it to be. What you have experienced is NORMAL post-treatment skin reaction and hyper-pigmentation. All of it is temporary. The statement “your electrologist should be more careful …” only sows seeds of discontent over a situation that is completely normal. Clients more concerned with temporary side-effects than getting rid of the hair are not good candidates for electrolysis. If during the consult I detect even the slightest hesitation from the client over these issues, I will not work on them. If I cannot help them, I do not want to waste their time nor mine. I also do not want negative publicity from an over-reactive client when in fact I did nothing wrong and everything is normal. It’s not worth the aggravation for both parties. I am reminded of Daniel Eastman, the famous electrologist to the stars during the 1960s and 1970s. He performed electrolysis on Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Christine Jorgensen, and many other film and television personalities. When a client asked what their skin would look like after electrolysis, Mr Eastman replied, “Dahling you’re going to look terrible.” He was booked solid. As with many things in life, you have to put up with minor inconveniences to achieve the end result.
I find that this would be a good time to mention there is absolutely NOTHING that can be put onto the skin to assist in healing. The hair follicle is a closed unit within hours of the treatment, and nothing is getting in, nor out! The redness ( inflammation) is a part of the healing process of the skin itself. Products like benzoil peroxide, can be very harsh on the skin, and are generally NOT recommended. For more information on the healing process, I recommend viewing the 4 part series “The Healing Skin” authored and produced by electrologist Michael Bono an absolute treasure trove of information on skin healing.
It is located here:
The best thing to put on the skin to promote healing post electrolysis, is NOTHING AT ALL!!!
Seana
I apologize if there was confusion in the purpose of my post. I was forewarned that there would be redness “for weeks” and I understand that varying degrees of skin irritation is normal. My question was not necessarily if this was normal, but if there is a way to accelerate the healing process.
With that being said, I feel as though I have a right to weigh the pros and cons of the process as well as express my emotion/opinion. I tried it, and am watching how my skin is reacting. I’m sure that electrolysis is different for everyone since people heal differently. For me, there is a big difference with having red marks from each session for 1 month versus 8 months, especially when this is a continual and lengthy process. “Temporary" can be a broad spectrum.
I am not talking negatively about my electrologist at all. I suppose when I said I would suggest “being more careful,” I was really referring to having a conversation about my skin potentially being more sensitive and if there are ways to minimize severity.
I appreciate your input, as well as everyone else’s on this thread.
Thank you Seana.
Hi I’m having the same issue it’s been a little under 2 months for me & I was wondering how long yours took to heal?
I would guesstimate that I had significant improvement in appearance around the 3-4 month mark.
My outer bikini line areas were done late Feb/early March (and haven’t been worked on since, as I’m avoiding the more “visible” areas during bikini season), and I have no red dots left.
I typically ice the area after treatment and try to stay on top of moisturizing until at least the majority of the scabs fall off (which can be up to two weeks for me).
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I’m relieved to hear it got better for you. I’ve been googling everything and have been so scared that mine may be skin damage. In the beginning my Electrologist had said to apply witch hazel and bacitracin twice a day but it seemed to aggravate it. I’ve never had this reaction before in the past so I went to a Dermatologist. When I saw my Dermatologist she had said it looked like burns and prescribed Biafine. I’ve been applying that twice a day but it doesn’t seem to do much. I’m hoping I can do Excel V to help with the appearance of all the red bumps. I’m going to see what my Dermatologist recommends at my follow up appointment this Monday!