Hi! I am new to electrolysis but have had laser hair removal and now I am looking to get electrolysis to take care of what is left! I made a few consultation appointments with electrologists in my area and one of them stated that they use an insulated probe, which I buy for ten dollars, and they will reuse this probe each visit. Is this normal? She said that most electrologist use insulated probes these days because they are more comfortable for the patient. But my concern is that they reuse the same probe. any thoughts?
I thought that probes were always disposed after each client, but I have read of ones that can be sterilized and reused again. I have never used of the one yours is recommending, but I am curious to learn about this. Also, my concern is, do they sterilize it? How do they store it after each visit?
There are reusable probes, but in order to have an insulated probe be reusable, one would have to both remove the insulation material, and resterilize it before re-applying the insulation. Since we can be sure that none of this is going on, I feel confident in saying that if you like this person’s work, call Texas Electrolysis Supply, and purchase yourself a package of probes. They cost between $30 and $50 a package, delivered, and bring your own brand new probes to each appointment. Since she doesn’t want to pay for your probe, you may as well insure the sterility and the usefulness of the probe yourself.
Not only is a used probe most likely not sterile, but it is also probably bent, and jagged pointed from use. This leads to less comfortable treatments.
An easy way to explain your purchasing your own probes would be to upgrade to the gold probes. They are also usually more comfortable, as the treatment energy needed with one is less than that used with an insulated.
Just buy your own… or go to someone else.
Where are you located, jilly? General idea?
You should not be buying a probe to be reused. Probes are about one dollar a piece. It is silly to re-use. The insulation may wear off within hours. It would be better for you to buy your own box and use a new probe everytime you went to a session. Insulated probes are good, but insertions have got be dead on. Gold probes are good, too, especially for blend treatments. I’m not liking what I hear. Any other electrologists you can get a consults with.
Thank you for the replies! I am located in central florida and I wrote to the American Electrology Association about this concern and they replied within minutes telling me that needles should never be reused. The lady from the AEA that i spoke with told me she will be investigating this practice and their sterilization methods.
I haven’t been to the consultation and I don’t think I’ll be going. When I had called them they told me that each person gets their own probe for ten dollars and that it is stored with my folder. Their website looked legitimate and the person I spoke with sounded very friendly and informative…but that just didn’t sit well with me.
Those answers are good to know. I never heard of purchasing your probes either.
Probes should be a part of the cost of the session charge. I’m glad the AEA is getting involved. This is an unfair charge and it is not the standard to re-use probes in this day and age.
Is this normal? Absolutely NOT!
Consumers should be aware that storing used needles for reuse indicates a huge red flag, and that electrologists who do this as practice should be avoided.
Just to clarify, there ARE what are known as Permanent Probes, as opposed to disposable probes, that have become the industry standard. In some states, and Florida may be one of them, the rules of the license organization regulate that disposable probes be the only type used, but it must be noted that permanent probes do have their place. One needs to know that one can trust the practitioner to resterilize the probe in between uses, but they are not a bad thing.
What IS bad is someone using disposable probes again no matter if they resterilize them or not because disposable probes are not designed to be reused. The mear act of using them destroys them, and over time, the points become jagged and scratchy and can change the way the treatment energy acts. A deteriorated probe can arc or increase the point effect.
We knew off the bat that his person was talking about reusing disposable probes, because there is no such thing as a permanent probe that is preinsulated. If you happen to be working with one of the few practitioners who actually uses permanent probes responsibly, then you don’t need to worry. The rational for mandating disposable probes is that you can’t watch the practitioner sterilize them, as the process takes 90 minutes to over 3 hours depending on how they do it. Of course, that same rational works for the forceps/tweezers but since those would cost $20 per person, per appointment, no one has forced anyone to buy and discard those new every time.