Hi all,
I was just wondering how much scarring is normal/to be expected with electrolysis. I had been getting electrolysis in NZ for about 9 months (1 hour sessions, sideburns/chin/lip every 2 weeks) and was very happy with the results. Sadly, I moved over to Australia in February this year (I miss my old electrologist!), and so far have had 3 session with 2 different electrologists; the first one wasn’t very good - I felt she was plucking alot of the hairs, the one i’m currently seeing is supposed to be the “expert” in this city, but after my last session with her I scabbed up pretty badly and the scars are still present(particularly around my mouth area), it’s been 2 weeks. She says my skin is “thin and delicate” that’s why it reacts that way, but I never had this problem with my old electrologist in NZ - I had a bit of superficial scabbing, but it didn’t scar. Could it be a difference in method? My old electrologist used thermolysis and this one uses blend, I’ve also noticed the new one goes very quickly (she says she can do 200+ hairs in 10 mins), could it be that because she goes so quickly she is being less precise and therefore causing more damage? Also, so far I had been targeting the darker, thicker hairs, but now that they’ve reduced significantly I want to move on to the thinner more “vellus” hairs (which are blonde and thin but long - more than 1 cm), my new electrologist says that removing these hairs will cause even more skin damage as the follicles are superficial not deep like thicker hairs, is this true? Regardless of the skin damage, is it even possible to some sort of clearance with vellus-like hairs? I’m willing to have poorer skin quality but be less hairy! (My whole face is covered in thin long hairs - eewww).
hi there where in australia are you? i am also finding it hard to find a good electrologist. Sorry i dont have much experience so i cant give you any advice, but im sure the others here can 
I would say that the difference here is that the people you have worked with all use different techniques.
Vision equipment is very important in the ability to do prescise insertions. Unfortunately, the industry standard visual aid and lighting are just not the best one can get. I am so used to being able to see 20x’s life size and more that I can’t even work any place other than legs comfortably with a circle magnifier-lamp.
On the one hand, blend works differently from thermolysis/diathermy, but you should not be seeing anything that doesn’t heal up in about a week after treatment, unless it is a little pigmentation that fades in the space of a few weeks to a few months.
The problem is you may not have much choice in the area you now live.
Not only is vision and/or magnification important, but epilator settings are also very important. The electrologist should be evaluating their treatments - as they go along and after the treatment. Clients need to feel comfortable telling the electrologist about the side effects they experience - as some of those things don’t show up for a day or so. If the electrologist sees an unwanted reaction, the epilator settings, or some other aspect of their technique needs to be changed. If the client experiences scabbing after the treatment, the electrologist needs to be informed.
If any scarring occurs, this is not acceptable.
Removing blonde vellus hair safely requires good vision/magnification. If precise insertions cannot be guaranteed the risk of permanent skin damage is really high. With sufficient skills and vision equipment, however, it is possible without permanent damage.
Anyway, if the electrologist herself already tells You she won’t be able to work on this hair without permanent damage, i would not let her do that job on my skin.
BTW: 200 hairs in 10 minutes (20 hairs per minute!) is usually obtained using fast thermolysis. Achieving this with blend requires some special approach - there are only 3 seconds per hair to insert the probe, run the current and remove the treated hair. Do You know more about her method/machine?
The formation of scar tissue is not sufficient evidence that the skin is permanently marked. It is a temporary side effect in treating the body can not be avoided.
Here’s a sample:
The photo is conducted one week after treatment for a few hairs on the perimeter of an axilla. The picture quality is extraordinary, are even tissue fibers left the jersey in the skin of this woman.
In the axilla of this woman also had scabs:
Previous sessions show that the skin remains perfect (although there was always scabs.) In addition to the excellent results of Electrolysis.
Thanks for your comments and advice everyone.
So just to clarify…I shouldn’t expect any permanent scarring with good electrolysis?
The scars I have at the moment (after 2 weeks) don’t look like pigmentation, they are reddish-pinky. I have been back to her since then for a treatment and have told her & shown her my reaction to the last treatment, Barbara, but she says some scarring is to be expected - I don’t think he changed the settings on the epilator.
As for the magnification, I think she is just using a circle magnifier lamp, but having said that, that’s what my electrologist in NZ had as well.
Beat_r, I’m not sure what the name of the machine she’s using is, but it’s definitely blend, although instead of holding a metal probe there is an arm band for the contact. Also, she is in each follicle for less than 3 seconds, she “zaps” about 3-4 hairs at a time pretty quickly, then she tweezes them out.
depilacionelectr, i don’t mind scabbing (like in the first photo you posted), but it’s well after the scabs fall off that the scar is still there, in the second photo you posted there are no scars visible - I wish my results were like that!
So do you think I should try yet another electrologist? I’m in Adelaide which is the fifth largest city in Australia, you would have thought there would be more electrologists to choose from here! You guys in the US are lucky to have so many good electrologists available.
Yes, absolutely no scarring is acceptable, permanent or temporary.
We always recommend getting consultations and sample treatments from as many practitioners as one can find in your area, before giving someone the contract to be your electrolysis provider. Unfortunately, most people choose their worker by calling around and finding out who is available to see them for a first appointment TODAY, and never test anyone else out. That, or they choose based on who has an office closest to where they work or live.
When I was looking for someone to do my electrolysis, I searched high and low, and found 3 that I was willing to trust to attempt the large job I was embarking on. My first, best choice however, was 75 miles away.
Do a little leg work, and see what those in your area have to offer, and report back here. At the very least, HairTell will have better recommendation info about the practitioners in your area. We will be better able to help the next person along when they ask, “Who is good in Adelaide, Australia.”
I understand that the scars are always permanent. If temporary, should not be called scars, but skin lesions. Maybe I should consult my dictionary again, or perhaps I should throw my translator away in the garbage? 
I agree with you, Josefa. If a “scar” fades in a few months, it is not a “scar” but merely an unfortunate side effect.
The same classification works for acne. Red acne marks are not considered “scars” (which are actual permanent changes to the collagen causing permanent texture changes and pitting). The red marks are just that… Marks. They heal at whatever rate your skin heals at for similarly traumatic tissue injury and usually only last a few months but some can last years on people who heal slowly.
Yes dear Princess, in my opinion there is much confusion on the information we all receive (electrologist and consumers) about the side effects after Electrolysis.
For many years I believed that my work in the body was too aggressive, because I always read that the scabs should not appear ever … until I read the book of Hinkel and Mr Bono, I realized that my work was fine.
I’ve seen all kinds of side effects, but never, never, I have seen permanent scars caused by me or by someone on my team.
The worst I’ve seen has been transparency permanent follicular damage skins that are like cigarette paper, but it also have seen and photographed in some of the successes of the laser. This prove that the “selective damage” of the laser is exactly the same (just the hair needed to go away) that the damage done by the electrologist.
TRANSPARENCY OF TISSUE DAMAGE PRODUCED BY THE LASER IN BIKINI LINE OF A WOMAN WITH EXTREMELY THIN SKIN:
It might be appropriate to devote a thread only to this item (if not there already). This could be illustrated with photos in which everyone could see how to evolve the skin at different stages of healing.
It would be of general interest and would clarify some concepts, for example:
Crusting: size, thickness, color, approximate length prior to discard.
Hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.
White spots seborrhea
Etc
We all want that side effects do not exist, but we also want speed, high degree of results, perfect skin and all at the cheapest price possible.
And this is not achieved by giving kisses to the hair. I WISH!!
Hi Gobi, I’m from Adelaide as well. I’ve been thinking about getting electrolysis for ages but never found anywhere good… there are a few places you might want to try (I haven’t tried them though, so I don’t know how good they are!) Could you tell me the places you’ve already been? I really really want to get it done… but so few electrolysis centres here even have a web presence… and the ones that do, aren’t places that focus only on electrolysis, and hardly seem to mention it.
The Electrolysis Clinic:
327 The Parade St Beulah Park SA 5067 - (08) 8332 2966
Accent on Beauty:
http://accentonbeauty.net/?page_id=2
1 Wemyss Ave
Hawthorn SA 5062
(08) 8271 5644
Beauty Biz Electrolysis Clinic & Beauty Therapy
83 Kensington Rd, Norwood SA 5067
0411 022 621
Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been bogged down with Uni stuff this week.
Thank you for explaining marks vs scars, Depilacionelectr & magicalprincesskitty, I would say I have “marks” at the moment, but I don’t know if and when they will fade. They’re healing alot slower than a pimple/acne mark would. I’ve been using Retin A to help them fade faster and they’re a bit better maybe (compared to at first), hopefully they will eventually fade altogether.
Emilily, the second electrologist I went to see is on the list you posted, I don’t think it’s very nice if I point out which one so i’ll PM it to you. I’m not saying she’s bad (the hairs haven’t grown back yet for a start) and I think she specializes in just electrolysis - she certainly had alot of other clients that came in for electrolysis specifically. It’s just that now, I have to wear foundation all the time as I’m self-concious of my blotchy face (although the foundation doesn’t really even cover the marks that well anyhow). I suppose I might be a bit fussier and have higher expectations than most as I’m used to having really good electrolysis with no significant ill-effects(with treatments I was getting done in NZ). I might try another electrologist in 2 months or so and will let you know how it goes. By the way, where do you go for your laser treatment? I’m also looking for an alexandrite laser place for my arms and legs.
I go to Silk Laser clinics - I’m assuming since the places I posted are Eastern side of Adelaide that’s about where you are… Silk Laser Clinic is on King William Road, the website is http://www.silklaser.com.au/… one of their specials at the moment is lower legs and underarms for $220 combined per treatment, which seems pretty reasonable. They do the buy 6 treatments, get 25% off. The other Alexandrite place which looks ok is http://www.cosmeticlasersolutions.com.au/contact.html - in North Adelaide. That place looks more expensive.
The only thing about Silk is that it’s pretty much run by three girls and I don’t know how much training they’ve had. If you want an expert and don’t mind the Lightsheer (Diode) laser, http://www.lhratthebay.com/laserhairremoval.htm - The woman who runs this clinic actually goes to conferences in America and is certified by an American board. Since there are no places like that in SA, I’m thinking she is pretty committed to the hair removal business. She might also be more expensive, BUT she charges in time rather than area, which may or may not work out to be cheaper. I went for Silk because it had the Alexandrite (GentleLASE) but… the diode would be just as good, if not better, as the practitioner has so much experience. Maybe be wary if she doesn’t do the treatments herself though.
Electrolysis as a business seems to be pretty abysmal here in SA
Thanks for the info emilily
I have heard the Candela Gentlelase is the best. www.silklaser.com.au is just around the corner from my place, I am going to speak to them tomorrow.
“TRANSPARENCY OF TISSUE DAMAGE PRODUCED BY THE LASER IN BIKINI LINE OF A WOMAN WITH EXTREMELY THIN SKIN:”
What does this even mean Josefa? There is no damage in the photo you show and there is no research-supported evidence of any such damage being possible with laser.
And thin skin is just thin skin on the bikini line. It’s the same whether you shave, wax, do laser, or electrolysis. The skin remains the same when done properly.
Let’s stay on topic and not make up side effects that have no validity.