Settings for Blend

[Cad]

Hi all!
Just bought a new ST-250 machine and I’ve been doing electrolysis on my legs. For reference, I am Middle-Eastern, age 25, with very deep, coarse hairs. I’ve been using the Ballet non-insulated stainless steel needles, size F4 on my legs. The depth of insertion is almost the entire needle. I’ve attached a photo of the settings for Blend I’ve been using on the machine. My concern is that it requires 2-3 insertions in the same hair with these settings for the hair to release. The UL don’t go any higher and the only other setting I can manipulate is the HF, but I’m worried about scarring myself if I go any higher. I’m also concerned that the UL is too high - Hinkel recommends 80 UL for men’s beards and ~60 for women’s legs - I’ve gone more than double that.
Any recommendations about what I can do and if these settings are safe? Is it safe to go higher on the HF? Should I try something else?

Thank you so much for any help you can offer to a newbie.

[Bono]

Just looking at your DC setting (1.5mA) says it all …

You’re making THE classic mistake that has been reverberating, and now mainstream, for decades (including manufacturers). The “Units of Lye chart” is not prescriptive; although that is how it’s presented to make it understandable. Instead, the UL is a measure of relative electrical resistance when combining HF and DC. The UL concept was developed from years of experience … but, that truly is another (long) story.

Here’s what you need to do. STOP looking at your machine for any sort of information. Now, ONLY work with the HF. Work within your pain tolerance and slowly advance the HF until you are getting a good release, no over-treatment and within your pain tolerance. BTW, I think you are making your insertions too deep.

DO NOT use ANY DC at all, until you are highly skilled in removing hairs with HF-THERMOLYSIS ONLY! Do not fiddle with the DC at all! The classic mistake that “everybody” makes is to turn up the DC and then wonder why the hair won’t come out. DO NOT USE THE DC FOR A GOOD LONG TIME!

Once you are extremely comfortable removing hairs with HF ONLY … THEN add your Galvanic (DC-direct current). Compute your epilation time and add-in the Galvanic based on the Units of Lye chart. Sorry to say, just about everybody gets this wrong … including, as I said, most manufacturers (including these older units).

Usually, I won’t help DIYers … but, your case is a classic that I couldn’t ignore.

[Bono]

Here’s a practical tip: put a tape over the digital read-out and just work with your HF manually.

Good treatment is not based on a machine’s read-out … it’s based on what you are doing with your hands and your eyes. Until a machine can see and analyze the skin … don’t rely on the machine read-out. Put a tape over the damned thing!

[Iluv2zap]

@Bono

DO NOT use ANY DC at all, until you are highly skilled in removing hairs with HF-THERMOLYSIS ONLY! Do not fiddle with the DC at all! The classic m

Heres the problem Michael,
This user has almost no control over the amounts of the treatment energy on this type of machine. They are provided with presents for fine, fery fine, medium Course and very course. Thats it! The interfacce doesnt give yoou the option to change the paramteres independent of those choices and in each case these settings are chosen for you. Yes they can switch to plain thermolysis but when they do switch to blend they have no way to replicate the thermolysis settings into the blend treatment.

[Bono]

That’s screwed up BIG TIME!

[Cad]

I can change the presets for the treatment energy! The presets for fine, medium, coarse, very coarse are pre-programmed, but I can change any of the energy levels (which is why I’m kind of paranoid about going too high). I think the preset for very coarse is UL = 60 and Thermolysis = 13, and I’ve gone up higher than that. This is in automatic mode; if you select manual, you have control over the energy levels completely.

[Cad]

Thank you for the advice, I’Il work with the HF only next.

What would the signs be for the insertions being too deep? I’m not seeing any dimpling or blood, and not feeling pain. I’m using a depth gauge like in the Hinkel book.

[Bono]

Okay … sounds fine.

[Maygan]

Not sure what you mean about having almost no control. Every setting can be changed in each mode except for # of thermolysis pulses.

The easy way around that is to switch to a different mode like soft blend with fewer pulses.

If you don’t want to hunt through modes, just go manual, where everything is adjustable.