I had electrolysis on Tuesday (30 min appointment at ( clinic name redacted by Seana) in Mississauga) and it has left me with burns/blisters/craters(pocks?). I knew something was wrong right when I got home. The blisters (not pustules) where huge and clustered/merged together. I put witch hazel(some of them popped even though I gently applied it) and then aloe vera. I have gone in to see another electrologist today to get a second opinion. The electrologist was concerned and shocked at how it looks. It looks horrible. She basically (I saw a doctor to) said it has to heal. Electrologist recommended to treat it with witch hazel + aloe vera and dr gave me a prescription cream. They both (dr + electrologist) said it will scar and it is likely there will be pock marks. I will see my derm as soon as I can, but what do I do? I contacted the medical spa to complain and the owner wants to see me this Friday. She seems to be saying that this is normal, but I have never had this happen ever and both the dr+electrologist are concerned. Idk if there’s some place to file a complaint against them in Ontario? Secondly, should I continue with witch hazel and aloe vera then, what about scarring?
Hi Kitkatz!
First, I want to say that I think both the electrologist and the doctor got some things wrong. I think it’s far too early to determine if there will be any permanent pock marks or other scarring. Time will tell the tale, but I think that expectation is unlikely. Experience has told me that many of these types of results can have still excellent outcomes, so I wouldnt go into panic mode just yet. That doesnt mean I would continue treatment with that electrologist.It’s just too early however to make such a determination. The results of a single electrolysis treatment can take 9 months or more to show any scarring and in the majority of cases i’s undertreatment, not overtreatmwnt thay causes poor results.Although it looks bad to the untrained eye, I honestly cant determine if there will be long lasting negative results
There’s at least one spot that looks like you’ve picked off a scab. Dont do that if you are. It’s best to leave them and let them fall off on their own in a week or two.
The pustules, dont actually look like overtreatment. They appear more as if there has been some kind of contamination of the area.
Tea tree oil can help disolve scabs and necrotic tissues. Some people react badly to pure tea tree oil however so it’s good to discontinue use if this happens, it can also dry the skin over longer periods.
That the pustules pop easily when you use witch hazel, is a sign that they are contamination pustules. If the skin was not wiped down with witch hazel beforehand, or there was implement contamination ( dirty tweezers for example) this might cause this.
The sole route to filing a complaint that I can think of in ontario, is if there is some type of contamination. It could indicate the electrologist wasnt following proper sterilization protocol of implements . In such a case, your sole route of redress is to file a complaint with the local dept of health. The health department perform inspections of stelization procedures and equippment for every electrolysis establishment in the greater toronto area under a program called body-safe. Electrolysis is an unlicensed and uncontrolled medium here in Ontario however, so I’m unaware of any method of redress for over or under treatment/poor treatment unless it is through civil litigation in small claims court. I dont think there’s enough evidence that I see here, to support such a finding.
Honestly, the best approach is to keep the area clean and contaminant free, and let it heal. I dont think there is any cause for concern of permanent damage.
If you’d like, I’d be more than willing to have a personal look at the area and give an evaluation. I’m in ottawa though so a bit of a drive from Mississauga/scarborough though I do have a couple clients from up your way that come on a regular basis. One of them is a doctor practicing in the toronto area, and she could be able to give you an unbiased opinion based on her own electrolysis experience. If you shoot me a PM I’ll give you a name.
Seana
Edit: I’ve removed the clinic name from your post. Especially if there are overtreatment and legal concerns, it’s not appropriate to publish as part of your post.
Edit 2: here is the link for the body-safe profram in the GTA:
Welcome to the forum, and thank you for posting. I’m sorry that your treatment has left you concerned.
That does look like overtreatment. The most important thing to do right now is to keep the area clean and do not pop any blisters or pick any scabs. Continue to use a mild cleanser and 100% aloe vera gel with no menthol. Avoid sunlight in that area and consider using a triple antibiotic ointment to keep the skin as bacteria-free as possible.
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After the inflammation has gone down, I recommend getting some silicone sheeting to help mitigate long-term effects.
Out of curiosity, were you using a topical anesthetic during treatment? Sometimes those anesthetics can reduce pain to the point that it’s hard to feel if you’re getting overtreated.
Thank you so much for the recommendations! No I wasn’t, I thought that the level of pain was pretty bad. But I didn’t know if that was because it was a different method of electrolysis than I was used to? I had blend before, and this one was flash or something like that. My doctor told me that I had burns and prescribed Flamazine (once a day for a week). She said that silicone bandages+ gel will also help with scarring and the like. She booked me an appointment with my derm as well as the deeper burns/pits are something she said might need further intervention.
I’m just not sure if I need to wait to use the silicone tape until after I’m done the medication/cream or if I can use it with the cream. I was going to use the silicone gel I have during the day when I don’t have the medication on (as it is only to be applied before bed), but idk. Otherwise I was going to use polysporin during the day and then the medication at night. And once I finish the cream (or atleast until I am 5 or so days into using it) to start using the silicone gel and tape? Idk just really upset because my chin is just covered in these deep dents and discouraged.
Listen to your dermatologist. That is all excellent advice. I had a deep gash on my cheek that required stitches, and it’s very difficult to see because I used silicone products as directed. I also used vitamin E oil just in case.
Thank you so much for all your advice 
The flamazine is working great so far, I do have dents/pock marks. But I’m gonna use the silicone gel+bandages and get some vitamin E!.
Dear kitkatzz,
I didn’t see your photos, but recently finished a case of which you remind me. So, I thought maybe I can help put your mind at peace for the time being. A lady came to me to ask second opinion after her first electrolysis session with a nearby colleague in May 2017 and she looked scary. It was a very interesting case for me to follow her skin recovery so i took pictures every time she came. I ended up treating her hair after the initial meeting. The first pic is the day after her overtreatment. The second pic is 3 days later. The thirs pic is 10 months later. You can’t really see any scarring on her skin at present. She used her own homemade application of coconut oil mixed with rosehip oil and lavender oil after the initial healing period. I, myself, have used silicon products for scar reduction and think they are great. Just to be clear, I am not saying to not follow your doctor’s advice, but simply adding more info hoping it may be helpful.
fantastic work geri!