Will shaving make it easier to complete electrolysis? I’ve read that it is a good way to attack the growing hairs? But what about the non-growing? aren’t these still good to get?
I’m just wondering if I should start shaving the areas I want, or will this take longer to be complete in the end?
Yes, in my experience and that of Michael Bono. This only delays the final. I have a case that proves my point, you might want to see it.
Wow! Really? So would you suggest just getting clearances then? I’m looking to travel outside Ontario, but have yet to find someone. I’m basing my decision on referrals. I live 40 minutes North of Toronto, so any help would be great!
Is it possible to clear multiple areas, or is focusing on one area at a time more ideal?
Generally, in an underarm that has not been touched in months, you need only 3 clearances to end the 99% of total hairs that are in the area. If you have been shaved a couple of weeks before the start, you need 1 more clearance.
Michael made the same statement a few months ago. He was right, here’s the proof.
May 2011. Before start electrolysis. 15 Days after shaving:
July 2011. Before second clearance:
December 2011. Before third clearance:
February 2012. Before fourth clearance.
That’s incredible! I thought shaving doesn’t hinder the progress? I’ve read so many posts from electrologists that have said to shave the area as it does not cause harm to the hair itself?
Hmm…what to do!
I have always heard (and have been told) that shaving is fine. Now I’m confused too… I don’t want to slow down the process (I just wish there was a way to speed it up!)
What we say is shaving does not make the hair problem worse. It does not induce new growth.
Yes, if you shave it slows down the treatment therefore will delay results. You will get results.
Why does it slow down the process though?
Hi, I can’t find the original post and thread but hopefully this will help.
When you shave close to treatment, the telogen hairs won’t have emerged so that they can’t be treated. So all these are hairs that are missed in the first clearance, thus reducing the effectiveness of the first clearance.
But you do need to realise that this is only a benefit if the electrologist can treat telogen hairs effectively. Some electrologists prefer to work on anagen hairs, in which case prior shaving is beneficial as they are not wasting time treating hairs that they will not kill.
I was under the impression that the active hairs are what you want for electrolysis? I just want to be clear of how to approach treatments.
Should I shave the area, or keep it nice a hairy so that they attack it all! lol sigh one can only dream!
I am curious to know something that may have been studied, but has slipped though my grip on this subject. What kind of delay in progress are we talking about here? Fifteen months as opposed to 16 months? Or is it a longer gap, like fifteen months as opposed to 24 months? The variables in conducting any such study could throw the end results? No?
Many of my clients shave areas in between treatments for their own sanity and comfort. Honestly, with this strategy, they are 90 - 95% finished by month 12, as long as they get a first, full clearance ASAP, up front.
I think clients should respect and follow the preference of their electologist. For me, I am very relaxed on the matter of shaving verses no shaving because I am not seeing delays in permanent outcome. It is often very comforting for the client to know that she can still have control over the hair until the electrologist conquers the unwanted hair in total.
If shaving occurs only before the Electrolysis, the delay in areas like underarms or pubic may be 2/3 months. In areas such as arms, legs, back, and buttocks, the delay may be 3/5 months.
If shaving is also produced between the intervals of the sessions, the delay can be a matter of years. Each electrologist decides how it wants to or should work, but sometimes 3 months is sufficient for a client to lose hope, and the electrologist lose the client (unfairly because he/she was doing the job well). When a client does almost 4000 Kms to come up to you, a clearance more is something that we must not overlook.
Luckily the owner of this underarm was evidence of the effectiveness of the electrolysis before deciding to add this area. Otherwise probably she would never have traveled 2300 Kms to the second clearing. The advantages of working with a maximum of present hairs I have mentioned many times, but I will repeat once again, the advantage that I believe it is essential to recover the credibility of the customers of electrolysis: the look of immediate success. An area that shaved continuously between sessions, will need months to have a smooth skin. On the other hand if most of the hairs are removed in a first clearance, you have softness from the zero moment.
Boy1989, Miro, Tealight, Smurf, Nicefeeling, Stoppit, all of them are witnesses that I am saying is true.
Yes, I believe you and thank you Josefa for your information. I am thinking deeply about this because I am presented with shaving cases with back hair, leg hair and underarm cases and facial hair. First clearance is obtained ASAP. Maintenance at defined intervals is achieved and these cases are finished within 9-18 months easily. I am not seeing a delay. If anything, I am getting fantastic results earlier than I could ever believe and I think it has to do with the Apilus Platinum and great probes, with Laurier being the tops. Four years of heavy use with all three thermolysis modalities has been an eye opener. Synchro modality has me in total disbelief about speedy results. I am taking more before pictures now and documenting carefully to see if my wow observations match up with different variables.
This evening, I just started a dense, very coarse bikini line that extends down the anterior thigh about five inches. I did remember to take a before photo! Getting better on that part! It will be a while before I can post follow up pictures. The client needs to shave in between appointments for reasons I won’t expand on here. I suspect she will be finished in the usual 12 to 15 month time frame, just like my other clients. So, if she didn’t shave, she would be completed in 9-12 months? She would never do electrolysis if she couldn’t shave in between treatments. Growing the hair there is not an option for her, so if it takes three months longer, I get the feeling she wouldn’t mind. I can’t say I have any case (area) going beyond two years unless they were head strong on removing all levels of peach fuzz.
Thanks for your input dear Jossie!
One other thing, many of my clients like these personal shavers that look like little sticks. They are not too rough on the skin.
Maybe I missed something. What areas are you talking about, and what kind of hair do you have? Is this the axilla or groin? Is this your face? The answer depends on where and how much hair.
I think this is interesting and now I am wondering if shaving may have delayed my results. My electrologist told me that shaving was fine and it wouldn’t cause anymore hair or delay the process. Here is my situation: 7 years ago I was in a car accident. I was given steroids to help with pain… I had no idea until I seen my family doctor and he informed me that steroids could cause facial hair. Well, at that point nothing really showed up so I wasn’t concerned. As time went by I would notice a hair here and there and I would pluck it. I had no idea that plucking will lead to more hairs. I would say it was maybe a year or longer after the accident that I had more than a few hairs at a time. So in all, it was maybe about 4 & a half years worth of plucking before I started electrolysis. I know that is an awful long time to pluck and I know that is a major contributor to the length of time it’s taking until I can go in “maintenance” I have been doing electrolysis for 15 months it’s getting really frustrating. In my opinion, the hairs seemed to grow “slower” when I only bleached and trimmed the hairs…but I know it could all be an illusion.
I have had all my hormone levels checked and everything is perfectly normal. I don’t have any medical conditions or anything that is contributing to this. I know my electrologist is really good at her job and I have noticed a huge difference. At this time I absolutely hate the way I look. My skin used to be perfect, I never even wore makeup (I think that is why I am so clueless as to how to cover this stuff up)… but now my skin is disgusting and I am ashamed to even be seen in public. I just want this stuff to be over with.
So you took steroids, you tweezed for four years, you bleached. You’ve shaved. You are distressed with lack of progress on your facial hair over the last 15 months? It is hard to comment more without specific details. There have been several well conducted studies throughout the 20th century, all concluding that shaving does not affect hair growth. It does not induce hair growth?, but at the last symposium I attended, highly respected electrologists were firm in their statements that shaving can induce hair growth. I remain amused and bewildered. I wish there was more beef to such statements. I think like your electrologist concerning the shaving. I’m okay with it until I am convinced otherwise. 
Until such time, I remain highly flexible in thought and action.
I was wondering regarding body areas if this will be a negative effect. I think I’ll leave it be until I can get clearances. By the way, does anyone know how long it might take to clear breasts (full) I have little black hairs all over the breast going onto my back. I just want an overall clearance, even if it is not every single hair.
An estimation would be great
Have your electrologist work on the area for 30 or 60 minutes to see how much can be accomplished. If it is a 6 X 6 area, then you have a template so you can do an estimate for the whole area.
I am going to say what is actually very obvious for anyone who has followed Josefa’s numerous progression photos.
No one has explicitly stated it for whatever reason. Perhaps we don’t HairTell readers to feel their electrologist is doing anything wrong or dragging treatment with a completion time of 9-18 months. Certainly, I don’t think there is anything wrong with this. There are numerous techniques and the important thing is that the hair is permanently removed. As Dee has pointed out, many clients can’t not shave; the electrologist still has to get the job done and it may take a bit longer but it is done.
But this technique/protocol of allowing maximum hairs to be present at the first clearance (T=0) and then effectively treating ALL these present hairs for total clearance, actually means the client is complete in 6 months.
First clearance at T=0, second clearance at T=3months, third clearance at T=6 months. As Josefa has shown time and again, in this case a fourth clearance is not necessary (another 3 months are just waited to ensure there really is no hair).
In fact, given that the first two clearances remove more than 90% of the total hairs in an area… some people may not even bother with the third clearance - making them ‘done’ in two treatments (3 months).
Some clients don’t wish to stop shaving. Others are okay with not shaving (they can trim) for 9 months if it means the hair is off quicker. It’s great if all requirements can be tailored to.
(p.s. I hope my deduction is right otherwise I’m gonna be in trouble 
)
