It’s been 4 months since I started having electrolysis on my face and neck- 1 hr to 2 hour treatments, weekly. All my hair is blonde . . . lots of peach fuzz made even worse by several laser treatments. Personally, I’m finding it frustrating. It is not the electrologist fault . . . there is just so much hair. She removes approximately 15 to 18 hairs a minute (I counted) and in a one hour treatment (allowing for preparation time etc), she is probably removing somewhere between 800 and 1000 hairs an hour. I was hoping to have at least first clearance by now but I am nowhere close to that point. There is just so much hair and they are so close together. At this rate I will be going for another 10 years minimum!! I wish she had more time available because I would book her for a solid week but she isn’t able to give me more than 1 to 2 hours a week. Neither is anyone else within a reasonable distance from home. I am committed and will continue my treatments but I just wish the process was faster.
ht2003, we thank you as always for the update. It looks like you started IPL (Epilight) treatments back in 2004, You then proceeded onto getting LightSheer diode treaments, then onward to Aurora treatments which is an IPL with RF scanning. Maybe I’m missing some other light-based treatments you had after the IPL’s and Laser??? Back in 2004, you swear that LASER had stimulated more hair on your face, but you were pleased with the bikini line and underarm results. Are those areas still stable today? Do you have to shave each week or are you totally hair-free?
We know about all the cases of LASER hair stimulation on women’s faces. If one had time, they could spend a day or two on hairtell alone and make a long list of women who have complained about their faces being worse than when they started LASER and we could make another list of men complaining about their backs, shoulders and upper arms having longer, darker coarse hair AFTER the LASER touched them. The cost to consumers is huge. First they pay for a light-based choice that promises freedom from hair. If it is used on an area that is “risky” and they end up with a bigger problem, then they have to rely on an electrologist for hours and hours and months and maybe years to clean up the mess. Alot of my electrolysis clients are with me for this exact problem. I feel so bad for them having to spend more time and money to get what they thought they were getting with LASER or IPL. If I could have every hair removal consumers ear for 5 minutes, I would say strongly that LASER can be risky for the women’s facial areas. Men watch out for the upper arms, upper backs and shoulder’s.
You are right. This is not your electrologists fault. She has the speed and that is good for the amount of hair you have. Does she have excellent vision equipment and lighting to actually make good insertions 95% of the time? We need to hit the target, so hopefully that is happening for you.
We talk about how electrolysis and LASER compliment each other here, and they really do, that’s true. I think people are just catching onto the facts now, slowly, that LASER is awesome for some body areas, but electrolysis can do it all even though there will be more sessions and time on the table.
Knowing what we have learned over the past several years, I would never let a laser/IPL touch my face personally. If I had any hair left on my underarms and lower legs, I would do LASER first and finish with electrolysis (I am hairless in those areas since I had it removed with eletrolysis before laser was available). If I were a man with a dark hairy chest, I would seek out LASER first and finish with electrolysis. If I were a woman with facial hair, it would only be electrolysis for me, so as not to take the chance of creating a new problem while trying to solve a problem.
You, and other laser consumers really don’t know how valuable you are when you share your experiences with others. I’m sorry that you have so much hair and that you feel your electrolysis process is slow, but at least you are not blaming electrolysis. Is your electrologist giving feedback on what she see’s is happening? I know she is doing the best she can to clean this up. Other posters here have been in the same situation and they finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s hard to be patient, but if you keep on ths schedule, I think you will find relief and it won’t be ten years from now. Stay close to her and talk to her about your feelings of concern.
Thanks for sharing.
Dee
Your story is what I am talking about (and railed against for repeating) when I say that for many people, electrolysis IS actually the fastest, least expensive way to full, permanent hair removal.
There is a LASERblazer in my city who charges $900 to $1200 for 12 treatments on the upper lip. My understanding is that one needs 6 to 12 treatments to get all that one is going to get out of LASER. If there are any hairs left to be treated when this course is done, one must find an electrologist and “Finish” the job at addtional expense.
I can usually clear up a woman’s upper lip to first clearance in the first hour give or take, and then keep her clear with visits once every 3 to 6 weeks, followed by visits every 6 to 8 weeks as we wind it up towards the finish. Each appointment takes less and less time along the way, and most are done for a total of $350 to $600 total. In the worst case situation, the person spends the same amount as she would with LASER, and she has no hypopigmentation, and no risk of increased hair growth.
Thanks for replying. The laser worked extremely well on my bikini and underarms. I think it’s been almost two years since my last treatment and I haven’t shaved/waxed the area and probably have 5 hairs left in total. That said, I am fair skinned and had dark hair in those areas. My face is another story . . . very blonde hair. If I could turn back the clock and had never had my face done, I would be a lot happier (& richer too!!). I obviously had enough hair on my face to even ask to have it removed but I would say it is 75% worse after the laser and it also spread down onto my neck . . . I had no hair there before. As for the scope . . . no one has a scope in my area . … other than someone who is no longer around and was very slow regardless. The woman I go to uses a bit of mascara on the hair in the areas she is not able to see properly.
I know loupes/a scope are the best for magnification equipment, and the only thing that bums me out about my electrologist is the fact that she just uses a magnifying lamp (other than that - she is AWESOME ), but what constitutes good LIGHTING?
The circular lamp may be fine for her. If she is awesome, then don’t worry about that part.
I personally need a halogen light, some people use LED light. I personally need custom surgical loupes that cost $1,800, but someone else may be fine with a $40 pair of plastic mag glasses. If one is not getting results or feels every insertion of the probe and then tugging, then it is probably fair to at least question whether her/his vision needs are up to par.
Dee
Halogen lighting gives the best range of lighting, and when coupled with a fiber optic directional device can make it more comfortable for the client, as it takes the heat and the non-directed light away from the client’s environment. If you don’t have good lighting, you can’t get good depth perception, and some lighter hairs are invisible.
It’s those lighter hairs that stick out that I worry maybe she doesn’t see so well because while all the dark hairs get cleared there are many long blonde ones untouched in areas I’ve stated bother me. It’s probably too early to assume so, though, since I’ve only had 2 treatments. I know she is good b/c I don’t feel much tugging.
It is too early to assume. Intitally, when we sum up a clients hair situation, we go after the thicker, darker hairs first. That makes a huge difference to the client. Then we go after the medium and finer noticable hairs. When those hairs are eliminated, this will then be the time we call full, first clearance.
It is very simple for both sides to communicate. You say to her what is important to you and she tells you that she see’s all the hair that needs treatment, but, “I’m only going after the worst hairs first and I will revisit the area to pick up the remaining hair that I am purposely leaving behind today”. It’s called “feedback” and feedback should never stop between client and electrologist. Imaginations run wild when people are not educated about the process. Sometimes, much repeating has to take place and the electrologist may retract, unfortunately.
This is why we make alot of noise here on hairtell about the importance of quality light and magnification. Our clients expect us to see what they see in their 10X magnification mirror by the bathrom window or in the their car mirrors in daylight hours. Those facial hairs can be seen by them and so they must be seen by us because that is what they are paying us for!
Talk to your practitioner and leave no doubts about what your hair removal goals are. You are just in the throws of developing a new relationship. Give her a chance to do her thing.
Dee
I used to have one of those 5x mag lighted mirrors and I have since thrown it out…I also have duct taped the 2x mag side of my two handheld/tabletop mirrors so I can’t even be tempted for a quick look! I looked for a handheld/tabletop mirror that was only one-sided and couldn’t find one anywhere. I have learned that it is pointless to look in those magnifying mirrors since the world does not look at me through a magnifying glass. The car mirror, however, still stops me up.
Well, maybe it would be a good idea to drive only at night for a couple months. hehe. Yes, magnifying mirrors are very cruel. Thankfully, we humans do not have magnified eyesight powers.