Starting my electrolysis journey! (pictures)

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Hey guys, I’ve been reading the electrolysis forums almost daily and finally decided to start my own topic.

I’m a 20 year old female of Indian decent and I’ll be starting my first electrolysis treatment on my chin today. I’ve always had a very stubborn hair growth and my mother likes to blame it on the fact that I used shampoo on my body when I was 6 or 7 because I liked the bubbles (She’s ridiculous). I doubt that’s the case but I definitely have a hair problem on my sides, chin, and upper lip.
Right now, I’m shaving my sides because I used to wax and it left too many ingrown hair but I’m starting to have the same problem with the shaving. The upper lip I pluck almost daily and seem to have a shadow because of the ingrown hair. The chin is the truly troublesome one. I used to pluck but the hair would come back very thick, like shaving and after constant embarrassment from my family I decided to get electrolysis.

I did have 3 treatments of ISOLAZ laser by my doctor a year ago and they did nothing to help and I thought it was a waste of money. She treated my sides, chin, and upperlip. I was very dissatisfied with my doctor as she didn’t say that this was only a temporary method to get rid of my hair. I also had burn marks on my chin that thankfully went away afterwards. Never doing laser on my face again.

If I had the money, I would do electrolysis on my sides, upperlip, and chin, however, my parents will be the ones paying for this and they’d flip out if I told them how much it would amount to. So we’re going to start off with my chin, which resembles a man’s with the stubble I have growing in preparation of my treatment today. I did a lot of research online and the best electrologist in NJ happens to be a nice lady who works in a small room, with no receptionist or anything. I went in for a consultation and she seemed extremely nice. She charges $10 more than however many minutes you want to get done. So for my 60 minute session today, I’ll be paying $70. The only problem I seem to have with this electrologist is that she is very busy. She has hours from 7AM-9PM but she is booked fully. It was tough getting the appointment today and I won’t be able to go next week as she is on vacation. Afterwards, I hope we can have a set schedule for me to come in every week and then less.

I’m super excited for my treatment today and can’t wait for it to be done so I can come back and share my experience with all of you.

BEFORE TREATMENT #1: (3 days growth after shaving the chin area)

**If the links don’t work, copy and paste these to your address bar.
1: http://img692.imageshack.us/i/beforetreatment1a.jpg/
2: http://img42.imageshack.us/i/beforetreatment1b.jpg/
3: http://img535.imageshack.us/i/beforetreatment1c.jpg/

Do you think she’ll be able to remove all those hairs in the 60 minute session?

#2

What method will she be using? I would feel confident that I could clear all the hair in 60 - 80 minutes with one of the thermolysis modes in my “toolbox”. Personally, I would use a mode called Synchro. Synchro is a mode that is particular to the epilator I use. These are the cases I love!

#3

Hi and welcome,

It’s really good that you’re keeping a diary, I hope you will be able to keep checking back to let us know how you get on.

Whether the area can be cleared in 60mins really depends on the electrologist, the method they are using and their personal technique. I think it’s more important to find an electrologist who is effectively treating the hairs. For example, an electrologist may be moving quickly but then plucking some hairs or undertreating.

Be prepared for the skin reaction though, especially if you clear all this at once. My guess would be that most electrologists will not clear this all in one go for you to keep the reaction down. They will perhaps have you come weekly until everything has cleared. Then return as and when for maintenance.

It really all depends on who you find.

#4

Hey guys, thanks for getting back to me so quickly.

I just got back from my first treatment. I was scheduled for 60 minutes, but she did 10 minutes extra. So a total of 70 minutes but she didn’t clear the entire area!
During the consultation, she said she was using the blend method and today I asked again to make sure. I felt a bit hurried. As soon as I came in, she had me lay down while she washed her hands and then she rubbed something on my chin, which smelled like alcohol. There was no clock in the room! I had my phone with me but I wasn’t able to check what time she started since it was all in a rush. I guess I trust her enough?
As for the actual electrolysis process, I found it to be painless. Not completely, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as some people made it out to be. Maybe it’s because I was getting my chin done? Anyhow, I never felt the probe going into the skin, only when she did the charge. I did keep track of the hairs she was taking out but lost count after 54. I also took note of the time she spend on each hair. It varies from 8-11 seconds. The only thing I didn’t like was that she picked up the phone twice during our session. They weren’t long calls but still! That’s a minute that’s costing me $2!
After the procedure was done, she told me about this roll-on oil she sells. It was $20. I didn’t buy it. I haven’t put anything on the area yet and it’s been about 90 minutes. I already see some white heads forming.
By the time my time was up, she was rushing me out just as she had rushed me in since she had another client waiting outside. She seems like a nice lady but I really hate this rushing business.
Here are some questions I have:
1-Is she truly using the blend method? I have to hold onto a metal rod wrapped in wet paper towels. I thought this was only for the galvanic method?
2-Should she have finished the entire area? She is going on vacation next week so I won’t be able to see her but I have another appointment this week in 3 days. Hopefully she can clear the area.
3-Is my skin reacting properly? Should I put anything on it? She said not to use tea tree oil because the oil will seep into the pores and I’ll have a breakout. My skin is pretty dry from the beginning.
4-How long should I schedule the next treatment to be to take out the hairs she couldn’t get to today? I have 60 minutes booked but I don’t want to spend $70 if it’s only going to take her 30 or 40 minutes.

2 hours after Treatment 1:

1: http://img695.imageshack.us/i/20110518163001.jpg/
2: http://img96.imageshack.us/i/20110518163125.jpg/
3: http://img684.imageshack.us/i/20110518163252.jpg/

*Those hairs that look white aren’t hairs at all! I think that’s what came out when she pulled the hair out. Do I tweeze it out or let ot be?

#5

  • Buy some witch hazel to put on during the day and tea tree oil at night. That’s the best thing you can do. I don’t know what she’s talking about. Just use a small amount. It’s potent.

  • That seems a long time for blend, per hair. Maybe it’s galvanic. Did you have to hold something during the treatment? A metal rod?

  • Clearing the area is really up to you in terms of how long the treatment you schedule is. If it takes 120 minutes to clear, schedule that. It sounds like she did whatever she could in an hour.

  • Blend removes about 2-3 hairs per minute with an average electrologist. It sounds like this may have been in line?

#6

It is also required with blend, since blend = galvanic + thermolysis.

Speed depends on many factors: method used, electrologist skill, and how compliant your hairs are (i.e., how easily they release). Your treatment sounds slow, however. I would rather go for flash thermolysis to clear the entire area (haven’t read your whole story, so not sure if you considered that).

Right now, you need to go in as often as you can in order to get an entire clearance. I would go back as soon as you can. Once you get a full clearance then start getting treated at intervals, etc.

#7

I’m also a 20 year old female of Indian descent & I’m seeing the same electrologist as you. I’m surprised she’s taking that long per hair because usually she goes pretty quickly for me. I think I’ve done around 10-12 hours with her so far and I’ve had 2 clearances of my chin. My chin was 10x worse than yours (couldn’t even get myself to take a picture) & it took her a while to clear it because she would also work on my sides.

I’m seeing results from her work, for sure. A lot of the hair has been growing back finer. I’ve been plucking/waxing/threading/shaving since I was 11. I was extremely surprised to see results that quickly!

Also, the roll on oil she sells is called Bump & Blemish. I use that as my aftercare because I have extremely acne prone skin & this keeps the reaction down.

Also, I see her every week for 2 hours. I didn’t get to see her for 3 weeks at one point because of scheduling conflicts & that set me back a little. Try to get treated regularly. [[Oh and don’t worry about a set schedule. The only reason why I had a scheduling conflict was because she went on vacation & I can only go on Saturdays. Other than that, I haven’t had any problems seeing her every Saturday…]]

She is extremely busy. I like how she’s flexible with her scheduling though. Not many (good) electrologists around here work on Saturdays.

Bottom line: I’m so grateful that I found her.

If you have any questions, PM me. :slight_smile: Good luck!

#8

Hey guys, it’s been around 24 hours since my first treatment and my chin is covered in whiteheads. My electrologist actually warned me about this but I didn’t know it was going to be this bad. As gross as it may sound, I am really tempted to pop all of them. I haven’t put anything in the treated area since the 70 minute session. I will be buying witch hazel and tree tea oil and applying it tonight.

I have another 1 hour session scheduled for Saturday. Hopefully she will be able to clear the area by then. I am really worried about my growth cycle and new hairs coming in next week while my electrologist is on vacation.

Here are some pictures, sorry if they gross you out.

24 Hours after Treatment 1:
1- http://img685.imageshack.us/i/20110519160518.jpg/
2- http://img233.imageshack.us/i/20110519160418.jpg/
3- http://img812.imageshack.us/i/20110519160725.jpg/

Some questions:

1- Is there anything I can do avoid scabbing?
2- Would popping the whiteheads leave scars?
3- Can I bleach or shave the hair that she wasn’t able to get to in the last 70 minute session?

Any feedback would be helpful. Thank you!

#9

You probably won’t get scabbing since it was most likely Blend treatment. But if you pop them it may well leave marks.

Apparently you can spot treat with 3% hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the pus?
You can also use tea tree oil, although I find it’s better in preventing whiteheads than actually treating them.
I would advise against using 100% tea tree oil. Dilute and spot treating is best. If you need something good quality and already dilute, I like the little bottles you can buy at The Body Shop.

Witch Hazel is great as well. I know this is a little bit of a ‘nono’ since it’s not ‘pure’ but Witch Doctor Witch Hazel gel, I find is very effective. Directly after treatment, if you gently swipe the area with the dilute tea tree oil and then cover with the gel, you should notice a big difference. The gel can be applied as many times as you feel necessary (I think twice a day is enough) but I wouldn’t use ttoil more than about two times.

You can definitely bleach or shave the hair. If shaving, just make sure it’s long enough for her to treat before the next treatment. If bleaching, make sure your skin is healed first and it’s not too close to your next treatment.

Looking at the photos, I think it’s okay. In terms of looking like it will heal up pretty quickly.

#10

Today I went in for my second session. I was scheduled for 90 minutes but she was only able to do 70 minutes. She got a huge portion of the hair she left from before out and also some new hair that grew in. I wanted to take pictures but I seem to be having some trouble focusing in with my phone camera. The pictures come out way too blurry. I’ll try again tomorrow with some daylight.

It’s been 3 hours since my treatment and there is no redness or burning sensation. I never had any trouble with redness after waxing or threading so it’s not a surprise. I haven’t put anything on it except some ice for a few minutes. I went to Walmart the other day looking for witch hazel and tea tree oil but wasn’t able to find any. Do I really need it? Last time I had a few whiteheads the next day but they went away in a couple days. I also have a few pinpoint scabs from my first treatment but they just look like stubble at this point.

As far as my treatment, I thought this session was more painful than the last. Maybe it had something to do with taking an ibuprofen too early? But it was most painful around the jawline. I tried counting the number of hairs she took out but gave up at 27. Also, this time she spent 3-10 seconds per hair. I wish she did the full 90 minutes instead of 70 minutes because there are a few hairs here and there that are bothering me. I can easily bleach them I guess. I hope they don’t grow back in two weeks because that’s when my next appointment is scheduled. (She is on vacation for one week and then booked the next)

Here are some questions:

1- What are the pros and cons of thinning the area compared to stripping it? Right now my electrologist seems to be thinning it out but I have these dark areas on my chin because of the spots she didn’t do. I’ll try putting a picture up tomorrow.

2- How long does it usually take to reach clearance?

3- Why does it hurt so much more by the jawline compared to the rest of the chin?

4- How many minutes prior to the treatment should I take ibuprofen?

5- Witch Hazel and tea tree oil. Where can I get it in the US, Central NJ area?

6- I took a hot shower an hour after the treatment. Doesn’t affect anything right?

**I’ll do my best to take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

#11

I don’t know if anyone can give you an exact time of when you’ll get a full clearance. During those 2 weeks, you’ll have hair growing in that was previously dormant (at least in my case).

She gradually thinned it out for me but I got clearance in other areas while she did that. It was worth it for me because the reaction wasn’t as bad afterwards. That’s my personal experience.

I never had any pain either but I realized drinking a lot of water before the treatment does help. I have a very high pain tolerance & the last appointment I actually jumped because of the pain. I made sure I drank a lot of water this past week & my appointment today wasn’t bad at all. Drink water!!

#12

Why does it hurt so much more by the jawline compared to the rest of the chin?

Every client experiences pain differently, although certain areas of the face and body are more painful. Areas where it can be quiet painful are where the skin is thin, muscles connect to a bone or where their are major sensory nerves.

How many minutes prior to the treatment should I take ibuprofen?

It takes about 30 minutes for Ibuprofen to work.

#13

If you are okay with the skin reaction you are getting and don’t feel you need any products, then you don’t. The tea tree oil may help prevent the whiteheads if you feel they are bothersome.

Bony areas like the jawline, chest bone, etc are always painful. Take the ibuprofen about 20mins before your session starts.

Thinning the area will gradually reach first clearance anyway. There’s no pro or con, just if all the hair is cleared at once, the client can enjoy some hair free time. The end results are the same. Clearance depends on the amount of hairs you have and how quickly she moves. It’s not something that is easily estimated. Just keep going and after sometime you will find that the 70min app has been more than enough to clear everything there and that you can happily wait a few weeks before your next appointment. Because at the moment, I suspect new hairs are coming through everyday.

I would not use hot water on your face until the next day.

#14

Thanks for the info.

#15

On a completely separate note, just wanted to clarify that your “laser” treatments with that machine were a gimmick and not an indication of how GOOD laser treatments works. Your chin hair is actually coarse and dense and good laser treatments would have gotten rid of 90%+ of it.

Regardless, going for electrolysis from the start is fine in your case as well since you have all that other hair that is not coarse and dense enough for laser, and you wouldn’t want to stimulate any hairs in those other areas.

#16

They also have Tea Tree Oil at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. It’s in most health food stores.

Witch hazel is at any drugstore too. CVS, Walgreens, etc. It’s in the antiseptic isle.

#17

LA girl- My hair is more coarse and dense then hers & laser didn’t work for me. I went to a well known dermatologist and spent A LOT of money per treatment & it didn’t do anything for my chin hair, or any hair for that matter. It only made my neck worse & I had to resort to electrolysis. My electrologist commented how she gets many Indian girls who had induced hair growth due to laser. Laser just doesn’t work for everyone, I guess? I wish it did though.

#18

Hey guys, sorry I haven’t been updating lately, I’ve been packing for a trip to Canada! Either way, there hasn’t been much going on. I don’t have a treatment lined up this week since my electrologist is on vacation. This is turning out to be a problem since I have a bunch of new growth. I’m really tempted to tweeze it all out. That would have been a waste of money as far as electrolysis goes so I shaved it off instead. I have a shadow in the chin area. Pretty embarrassed to visit family members I haven’t seen in 10 years with chin hair! Ugh. Can’t wait for my next appointment in 7 days. The part I’m worried about though, is that my summer semester starts and I’m not sure how much hair I’ll be able to grow for my session.

Here are some pictures of the new growth, sorry I’m too lazy to flip the pictures to make it easier to see:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/195/20110527122750.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/98/20110527122816.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/20110527122854.jpg/

So what do you guys usually do between treatments? Let the hair grow or shave or bleach?

Is this much growth, 6 days after the treatment normal?

Also, thanks everybody for recommending locations to buy the aftercare stuff! I’ll go look for them before my next session!

#19

I shave my upper lip and use scissors on my brows between appts. My electrologist has a great lens system and can see the smallest of hairs. After my first few appts, I could see what appeared to be full growth within a week of being treated. Now, I can wait until 3 weeks between treatments. The hairs are thinner which makes it easier to tolerate between appts.

#20

Holidays are an issue I usually discuss on consultation, as up to the initial 3 months of treatment,a regular schedule is vital, to avoid the overwhelming urge to tweeze. This is so early on in your treatment, and I know that it will be really difficult,but I recommend resisting the urge to wax or tweeze, and shave daily if necessary. By the time you go on your next vacation, this will not be a problem. Looking forward to that freedom is what will sustain you now. Wear make up to disguise any shadowing, so you feel your most confident and beautiful. This is going to be for you, the most difficult part of this whole process.