Hi everyone,
Thought this might be helpful to others:
Couple of the points conflict with advice/experiences posted on this forum.
thanks Pokka
Blend is not the most effective or comfortable method of electrolysis, but I guess she needs to promote what she does. All three methods work and offer different levels of sensation depending on many things, and skill at using which ever method one chooses to do is the most important thing to consider.
She wouldn’t be talking up blend so much if she could retrain and perform the more modern modes of thermolysis on the better epilators available today. These epilators have different blend modes which are lovely compared to what Grandma had decades ago.
Her promise of being finished in 6-9 months doesn’t fit well. TO be perfectly honest, most areas and situations call for 9-18 months of treatment. I do have many clients that have been finished in 12 months for areas like the upper and lower lip, chin and areola’s, but if it is a larger area, we are talking about 12-15 months, maybe even 18 months. We should never over promise or misinform clients on this time to completion thing. What one electrologist can do with her tools in a certain time frame, another may not be able to come close to. Tools, strategy and skill can speed this up or extend it to years as opposed to a maximum of 18 months.
There is no such thing as lunchtime electrolysis as the title implies. It is more complicated and varied than that and cannot be simplified. Electrolysis works, but there are many things that factor into all this that one should understand well so they do not get disappointed.
Dee
Thank you for your input, Dee. I was thinking the same thing whilst reading too. It just goes to show even though electrolysis has been around for so long there isn’t a overall one-stop-shop where one can educate themselves on Electrolysis. Highlighting the great work you and your colleagues do here. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the time you and everyone else has put/puts into this forum.
It’s nice to be recognized and appreciated, Pokka. Thank you for you sweet words.
Dee
In addition to all of the factual errors in the article, one line got my attention (and I couldn’t help read this and imagine James’ reaction.)
"COMPLAINTS If you are unhappy return to your practitioner, who will be covered by insurance. "
Is it me, or does it read/come off as: “If you are unhappy for whatever reason, consider suing them. If you sue them, they have insurance with deep pockets which will cover them.”
The funny thing is, it’s supposedly written by Rita Roberts who as some of you may know is “famous” here. Many electrologists have done her courses.
aa oh… May this be why there seem to be so many consumer complaints about electrolysis from the United Kingdom? I am half joking here… but half of me does wonder about this. We have our share of complaints here in the United States as well. If we learn from the best, we have a good chance of being the best. If we learn from those that have no idea of what they are talking about, then we fumble and stumble along the way and try to cover our butts with stupid excuses to the client.
The insurance thing is worded confusingly. I think that perhaps the National Health Insurance pays for electrolysis and maybe the comment relates to that?
[color:#FF0000]James comments will appear in red. Somewhere my high school teachers are laughing hysterically. I will begin by saying that other than a woman finishing up on her underarms or upper lips, which usually would be a 15 minute appointment, most people can’t get as much treatment as they need over their lunch time. [/color]
LunchTime - Electrolysis
WHAT IS IT? A permanent method of removing superfluous hair. A probe is inserted into the hair follicle and it delivers a small electrical charge into the root. As the treatment is repeated, the hair becomes finer and finer, until it finally goes into a permanent resting cycle. [color:#FF0000]Galvanic is a trickle charge of electricity, diathermy/thermolysis is actually a short wave radio frequency. Blend delivers both, at the same time. When the hairs are properly treated, they are gone and gone for good after only one treatment. The whole thing about the hairs getting finer and thinner until they don’t come back is something that is told to the consumer in place of explaining the growth cycles. If the electrolysis provider actually believes this, then, he, or she doesn’t know that it is possible to do better than that. [/color]
WHICH METHOD? There are three types: diathermy, which uses a shortwave frequency current; galvanism, the original form, which uses a current to cause a chemical reaction to take place in the follicle; and blend, a combination of the two. The latter is most effective and comfortable for the patient. [color:#FF0000]As Dee has already said, when performed well, all forms deliver permanent hair removal equally well. Sensation has a lot to do with the equipment and the person being worked on, and the person doing the work. One can not make a generalization about what is going to be most comfortable for everybody. [/color]
SEE someone who is qualified and a member of a professional organisation, such as the British Association of Electrolysis, the Institute of Electrolysists or the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology. [color:#FF0000]Although Professional membership organization subscription does show a person’s possible desire to be informed within the field, it does NOT grant one an automatic position of superior know how in the business. It just means you are paying dues to the organization voluntarily, and have a pretty piece of paper on the wall to show for it, and are listed in a directory for other industry people to find you easily to refer others to you. [/color]
ASK How many treatments will I need? Hair grows in three cycles but can be zapped only in the active cycle, so it can take several treatments before it is permanently removed. Will I be able to go out immediately after treatment? And ask to have a consultation and patch test before having electrolysis. [color:#FF0000] This is the most hilarious part of this article. It directs you to ask a question that all experienced electrolysis providers know that they can not answer. The answer is We can usually remove all the hairs in 9 to 18 months, IF you come on schedule that allows that, and we remove all the hairs necessary each and every time after we achieve first clearance. [/color]
FREQUENCY Do not have treatments any closer than two weeks apart to allow the skin time to recover. From start to finish, the process normally takes six to nine months. [color:#FF0000]I have had clients who do work 5 days in a row when we are chasing a full first clearance. I have also worked the same area 5 to 7 days later.[/color]
PAIN FACTOR It doesn’t hurt but the area under the nose on the upper lip is the most sensitive. Electrolysis can’t be used on the lips, nipples or ears. [color:#FF0000]Now come on. Sensation is relative. Some peole will feel pain, others will feel annoyance, and others will feel little if anything at all. There are too many factors to say what anyone, let alone everyone will feel. [/color]
RECOVERY The skin may be slightly red and swollen for about 20 minutes afterwards. [color:#FF0000]Or, it could be red and swollen for a week. Everyone is different, and the first time is the worst time, and then we have to convince them to come back for more. [/color]
COMPLICATIONS On darker skins, there is the risk of pigmentation changes but this can be determined by doing a patch test first. [color:#FF0000]Any pigment change would be temporary. Don’t you think that fact should be stated here if this piece is trying to talk people into doing this? [/color]
AVOID If you are diabetic, having chemotherapy or taking drugs to treat cancer. If on steroids or suffering from cold sores or impetigo consult your doctor first.
COMPLAINTS If you are unhappy return to your practitioner, who will be covered by insurance. Alternatively, if he or she is a member of a professional organisation, you can complain. [color:#FF0000]Um, yeah. The reason electrolysis mal-practice insurance is so cheap is it pays more for slip and fall accidents in the office than it ever does on actual mal-practice. Most practitioners just give you free treatments, or pay for what ever dermatologist care one may need for the temporary problem the person complained about. It is cheaper than submitting it to the insurance company and getting an increase in your rates. [/color]
COST The charge is normally £1 a minute, starting at £15. Treatment for under an arm would take approximately 30 minutes and cost about £45.
Rita Roberts has a clinic in South London. Call 020-8407 1008 or visit www.ritaroberts.co.uk
Hi James, Thank you for your comprehensive input. It’s really great. I wish we could publish that in the UK Times instead.
Membership of the British Associatio of Electrolysis, is subject to passing their entry examination. You do have to earn your diploma. It is like LE or CPE. It is not like becoming a member of the AEA.
I don’t want to appear argumentative. I just want to point out that it is my stand that passing any of the world’s electrolysis exams doesn’t mean that you are guaranteed to be better at doing the job than someone who has not taken the test. I even know one company who had an employee study and pass the CPE, so that they could say that they had a CPE on staff, but this person never actually did any permanent hair removal. She may as well have an honorary credential.
In the end, one must sample the treatments of everyone you can find a way to see, and then, you will know what the best treatment available is in that area. Often the person who does the best work, is not the person one would expect.