Hi, question for you all. Several years ago, I had electrolysis done to treat thick hairs on my neck and chin. It was pretty effective, and I think I went for about a year. Unfortunately I moved, and stopped going before 100% of the hairs were gone, though overall it was significantly better. Because I was living between cities and my schedule was very busy, I couldn’t commit to regular electrolysis appointments so I started tweezing the random ones that then appeared. (Bad idea!) I’m now finally back in one city and have started to see an electrolysist again to get all these removed for the last time. I’m really committed to getting this dealt with and have been going for 15 minutes once every two weeks when I’ll have about 10 to 15 thick hairs. I asked my electrolysist how many times she thinks it will take to treat each hair and she said 6 to 8 times per hair, particularly as we don’t know what stage the hair is in when i come in. This seems to be quite a few more times than what i’ve read on the forums here, and I believe you all are saying that it’s not true that a hair needs to be in a certain stage to treat them? I don’t mind treating a hair (particularly that i’ve tweezed) 2 or 3 times, but 6 to 8 times sounds like quite a lot. I’ve only been going to her for 2 months so it’s difficult for me to assess how effective she is, though doesn’t feel like she’s tweezing them. I just don’t want to be throwing money down the drain for a year with an ineffective electrolysist when i could make the change now. She’s very convenient to my house which is why i chose her, but perhaps I should look for someone else? Thanks for your thoughts!
Some electrologists dont have confidence in their own sills, also, many consumers dont want to take the time to understand hair growth cycles. It SHOULD be ONE AND DONE but you will have many cycles of hair growing over 12-18 months. They arent the same hairs generally. The explanation your electrologist used isnt accurate.but it’s how some people are able to understand the process. I wouldnt read TOO much into it. Be sure however the electrologist is getting a good release of the hair without traction. Having to tug a hair out, is unacceptable and will lead to multiple treatments of the same hair follicle.
OK, I’ve been an electrologist for over 50 years (still working six days a week). Here is MY approach: In the consultation I show them a diagram of the growth cycles of the hair follicle. I point out that the anagen phase of the follicle is seen when the hair first emerges from the surface of the skin and has a very wet root, the kind you see when you pluck a hair. As it goes through its life cycle the root begins to dry up, until it is a little white ball and the hair sheds. Since we use radiofrequency current in thermolysis, it cauterizes the hair follicle. And like with a microwave, wet hair follicles will be destroyed, just like with a wet substance put into a microwave, and as with a microwave, a hair follicle that is dry will be no more affected by the radiofrequency current we apply, than a paper plate or styrofoam in a microwave. Since your hairs are in all stages of growth, how can we tell which are in the anagen (wet) growth phase? I devised a method whereby I have the patient shave the area to the skin line two days before treatment. In 48 hours time (in warm weather 3 days in cold weather) the anagen follicle will produce a hair that is easily seen so we can zap it. Hairs in the other stages will have grown in slowly and are barely visible. So my work is confined to treating anagen follicles, which are totally destroyed in one treatment ( if they come out without tugging), saving ME time and YOU money because I’m not treating follicles that won’t likely be destroyed (you can’t cook a styrofoam cup in a microwave). In addition to this, I use a template with a square hole, 1 sq. cm. to measure how many hairs are visible in the densest square centimeter of the area to be treated. After six treatments I go back and repeat the hair count in that exact centimeter, I expect the growth rate to have diminished by 50%. If it has not, this indicates that there is some hormone imbalance or side effect of a medication involved, in which case, I refer the patient to an endocrinologist for evaluation. This method of tracking the hair density was developed when I was involved with a research project with the Mayo Clinic as we were evaluating the effectiveness of various approaches to permanent hair removal. The method as presented here is just an overview. The actual method of the hair density study involves calculation of the interval between treatments, what type of other temporary or permanent hair removal was employed prior to starting treatments with me, and degree of compliance with the treatment plan. There is also some math involved in calculating the percentage by which the hair growth in the area has diminished. So, to sum up, if treated with the optimum energy output an anagen phase follicle will be permanently destroyed with one treatment. The entire process is basically treating the area until every hair follicle (that is offensive) has been destroyed in the anagen stage, this taking 6 to 18 months unless hormone issues are in play.
I’m a “one and done” electrologist. A hair can be treated in ANY stage of growth or non-growth. We are treating the follicle, not just the hair stick that lives in the follicle. If there is not enough energy for the hair to release with NO TRACTION, there will be regrowth, thus we may hear the explanation that it takes 6-8 times to fully disable a hair.
It may be easier for her to say it take 6-8 times to destroy a hair, rather than talk about hair growth cycles. The average client just doesn’t get it.
I like to say that it takes 8-15, maybe 20? full clearances for an area, to see a wonderful change, no matter what area is being cleared OVER a time span of 12-18 months. SOMETIMES IT TAKES 24 MONTHS? Hair is a tough enemy. Don’t ever forget that. Stay strong hearted and stay true to a schedule and you will win this battle.
NO TWEEZING EVER.
Dee hit it on the head when she said we are treating the hair follicle, not the hair that lives there. The hair itself is the symptom, not the cause . By killing the stem cells resident in the bulge ( which requirres enough energy at anagen depth to loosen most hair bulbs) we ensure destruction of the stem cells and therefore eliminate the follicles ability to replicate another hair. The stage of growth is equally inconsequential and we treat all stages of growth ( and kill hair in all stages as well).
Seana,I left you a message in Facebook.
got it! AND REPLIED.
I wish I could get some help! I have been doing electrolysis for just under 2 years. I was trained on a different machine then the one I bought and the settings are so very confusing. I am using the Apilus JR and my insertion is fine but most of the hairs I’m treating are tugging a tiny bit! What am I doing wrong? It’s driving me crazy because I’m following the settings using flash thermo and galvanic. I am finding most of my clients can not handle the blend on the face. Is there anything you can suggest?
If you are tugging, you are not permanently disabling the hair follicle.
You need a bigger probe? You need a different energy level - more timing? more intensity?
Start low and ease it up to a level that causes the hair to release with no tugging. Watch the skin. Practice. Practice. Practice. Perfect insertions. Perfect insertions. Perfect insertions.