Should this amount of hair take 2 hours for full clearance?

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

So far I’ve had 11 hours of blend electrolysis on my chin/neck since mid July (2 hours every other week-ish for almost 3 months). I’ve attached a picture of what it looked like before starting treatment. I plucked for probably 6-7 years but since starting electrolysis haven’t plucked at all (I shave in between appointments). It looks like basically the same amount of hair grows back in between sessions. I thought it was maybe a bit sparser until my most recent appointment (#6, hours 10-11) when it was definitely just as thick as before I started.

Sometimes my electrolysist is able to just about get full clearance of this area in 2 hours, sometimes not - it seems random. I didn’t think I had that much hair so I’m a little surprised it takes that long? I also feel tugging on pretty much every hair and maybe half being ripped out, which I know means she hasn’t treated it properly. I have a very minimal skin reaction so I wonder if she isn’t using high enough settings.

I live in Oxford, UK and only have this one practitioner in my area so my options are very limited. Is it worth sticking with her or is she basically not doing anything and I’m wasting my money? Is 2 hours an appropriate amount of time to treat this amount of hair?

image
image1334×750 113 KB

#2

It absolutely would take 2 hours or more to clear an areas with this much course growth in blend.
I think you should take more time to familiarize yourself with the process. I can’t possibly fathom complaining at the same time that they are both taking too long, and you feel tugging? I feel you are perhaps rushing this electrologist because you are finding out the true time frames…and cost. So absolutely try a few electrologists and do your treatment with the one you feel more comfortable with, but also stop trying to dictate the treatment of your electrologist.

Seana

2 Likes
#3

Thanks for your reply, and please don’t think I’m complaining! That’s really good to hear that it should be taking 2 hours every time - I just kept reading posts about people with seemingly more hair than me taking less time, but maybe my hair is thicker and coarser than I thought.

My impression from my research here and elsewhere was that you probably shouldn’t feel tugging or ripping, is that not right? It just really feels like she’s plucking almost all of my hairs, they’re not just effortlessly sliding out. But maybe that’s normal with course hair with a history of plucking, after only 11 hours of treatment?

She doesn’t wear gloves or use a magnifying glass so I’m a bit weary. But as I said, she’s my only option in my area unfortunately.

#4

No gloves? Absolutely do not do any more treatment with this electrologist. This is against health regulations, unsanitary and unsafe. See someone else.

Thermolysis might clear more hair in less time, but the kill rates will differ.

#5

I have been receiving electrolysis for about 9 months {about 20-25 hours) {about 20 hours of thermal & 5 hours of blend} and share the same experience. I feel tugging and pulling on the deeply rooted hair and know that its breaking. My electrologist zaps and zaps again and pulls and it breaks! there are some she gets and some she doesn’t…
She keeps telling me to “trust the process”… I dont feel its lessor or finer.
Unlike yours she does have mask/gloves/ and disinfecting processes down.

#6

Oh man, I’m sorry. Hopefully she’s right, but after 9 months that does sound discouraging! It’s difficult to get a clear sense of how much you’re meant to feel really coarse, previously plucked hair being tugged out! Not at all? Sometimes? I want to trust my lady because she’s been doing it 15 years and she’s literally my only option, but it’s so hard when I’ve read so much online about hairs gliding out so smoothly, lol.

1 Like
#7

My lady has about 5-6 years of experience, however she has indicated my chin is one of the most difficult ones! When I question the breakage or ask… is it coming out? Its like I’m questioning her skillset and things go sour…
I was the one who recommended doing blend rather than thermal only. As I have curly middle eastern hair that is deeply rooted and very stubborn… professionally I can’t really tell her how to do her job or set her machine. I do have other options around me… however don’t want to switch prematurely as I have to trust a new person’s process. I’m giving it till the end of the year.

#8

Thanks for the quality picture. Very nice!

So, I do thermolysis, PicoFlash, Synchro, MeloFlash. They are all about the energy it takes to get the hair to slide out - meaning no resistance, pull, traction, tugging should be felt. Many of us do some form of thermolysis and we disable the follicle on the first attempt. It might take one?two? or three? zaps per hair, but once the follicle is treated properly, it’s done for! Thermolysis is highly effective if performed with all the right principles and special techniques lined up. Blend is not better than thermolysis and thermolysis is not better than blend. Galvanic multi-needle is not better than thermolysis and blend. They are all very good, but the thinking human being doing whatever modality is what matters most.

For me, for your chin, it would take me 90 minutes to 2 hours to do a first, full clearance, using the tools I choose to use. I would use PicoFlash or Synchro thermolysis, surgical magnification (customized for my eyes) and an excellent Dazor LED light. The treatment table is perfect for me as is the chair I sit in to do longer periods of time, which have become three hours or less as I age because we all know that sitting is not good for ones health.

It takes 12-24 months to finish a case like yours. It goes something like this:
After the first, FULL clearance, I will see the client again in 6 weeks to get a second FULL clearance. Six weeks later we do a third FULL clearance. Six weeks later a fourth FULL clearance… When we reach the 7th or 8 th clearance, then I spread sessions out to every 8 weeks, after month 12 or 14, I spread it to every 3 months to get a FULL clearance, but there is not much hair to treat by that time, which tells us that you are coming to the end.

Not all electrologists do treatments the same way. This is what I do, with the equipment I choose to use and people with cases like you get finished in that 12-24 month time frame. There should be NO TUGGING and BREAKING of hair. Using a big probe for big follicles like yours is the best choice. I would use an insulated probe, but I could make gold probes work very well also. Expect more skin reaction for the first 4-6 clearances. I like my clients to use a quality cold aloe vera gel, especially for the first three days after those first 3- or 4 clearances. Stay on a schedule. Don’t do anything that pulls the hair out while having electrolysis and keep the faith!

If there are other electrologists that care to share their path to success, it would be most welcome here. There are many pathways to permanent hair removal using electrolysis. They all work well when performed well. The heart of it all boils down to perfect, accurate insertions into the follicle, for the right amount of time, with the right amount of energy, whether it be thermolysis, blend or multineedle galvanic and NO TUGGING.

2 Likes
#9

Hi

I notice you are based in oxford. May I recommend jess at skin care clinic based in newbury. I am guessing it will be a 30 min drive or so. I have been having electrolysis with Jess since may, I am very pleased with the outcome thus far. no tugging, no skin damage, wears gloves, on site parking, uses a magnifier. positive outcomes. I see her every third week - so 10 sessions in

1 Like