I will make my offer public (with more specificity) as to what I said to LDLD when I answered his private message. I suggested that we do some experimenting by doing several test areas, on different areas. I can use different modalities, too, and we will see if there is any difference from the manual thermolysis he was getting or trying another strategy. We can do an area that has never been touched by electrolysis, too.
If I’m not mistaken, stoppitandtidyup, reported hyperpigmentation on her sideburn area (or was it her sister’s?) that resolved well, with time and she is a woman of color and is Josefa’s client. None of us (electrologists) ever claim that temporary skin manifestations DON’T occur, but we do claim to do our very best to minimize temporary side effects and we are pretty sure that all resolves in time if something happens out of the ordinary.
What I have seen over the years is that some people do react and do develop hyper pig and some don’t.
LDLD, you are a different case for me because I have NEVER had a South Asian male request that hair be removed from his upper arms. For most of my women of color, I am exclusively working on their faces, but I have worked on their upper arms and back. They usually present with hyperpigmentation, due to their temporary efforts to disguise the hair problem. Those marks disappeared after I permanently disabled their hair follicles, but it was facial work, not body work. Body work fades, too, but as I said, requests for male upper arm electrolysis is not on the request list.
Putting something cold on the treated area immediately after removing the hair could account for why my clients do not usually complain of hyperpigmentation problems? I use cold Aloe Vera Gel straight from the refrigerator. It sends chills up and down my back just using the stuff on my clients. I can only imagine what they feel, but they like it.
I will be glad to work with you LDLD, even though I am taking a chance that you will present with pictures here on Hairtell that shows my work effort to be the same as your other electrologist. I know that she is very careful with her work and she is very skilled, just like you said above.
I am curious about your situation and would like to try and ease your concerns about electrolysis. You can help me to devise our little experiment. I value your opinion because I know that you have a scientific mind and ask very good questions. I never act like I know all the answers, but I DONT BS people either to look good. I will do my best to serve you and that is all I can offer. Lets go slower and test areas and see what happens.
I am not stronger or slicker than Mother Nature. If this is how your skin is going to react on your upper arms and the antecubital area, so be it. I can’t do anything about your immune system response.
I suggested seeing the person that lives closer to you because making three hour drives here would wear you down over time. I do that for others as well because traveling can be expensive and tiring for a process that takes several months.
The last thing I want to say will not go over well with the consumer audience, but here goes. I think the following can be said in most industries. If a client shows too much angst and anxiety about a service or product, that sends red flags up big time in the business person’s mind. They do not want headaches and would rather take a pass if they get the feeling that a troublesome encounter might not be worth the $$$$ and sleepless nights. If there is a problem, a good business person’s instinct is to try and resolve the problem, but if they can’t, the next instinct is to recoil and not serve that person. It is done out of fear. Fear that you will never be able to please them. Fear that they will be sued. Fear that they will go all over social media defaming the business. As we grow to learn different personality types, we also learn not to answer calls, emails or texts from certain people wanting an appointment. We also problem solve amongst others in our profession about how to handle certain clients. This is one of the biggest discussion points on our closed electrologist forum sites as we try to offer support for each other. It’s no different than other professions, I’m sure.
Years ago, I had a South Asian Indian woman who presented with horrible ingrowns and bumps all over her neck and chin, to the point where some were actually bleeding. She pointed her finger three inches from my face and said I’m giving you my money and you better not give me scabs and scars and you better kill these hairs. I didn’t react angrily but, I did tell her how to approach me next time or I would refuse to work on her. She was always polite after that and our relationship flourished as the hair disappeared.
So, I will work on you, doing testing first, with your ideas and input, and we will see where it goes from there and of course, I hope all goes well for you.
