In searching for an electrologist, I just found a website in which a testimonial stated that the practitioner did not use gloves because they can’t feel the small hairs as well with gloves on. In my experience, I have had both gloved and ungloved. Though I thoroughly understand the difficulty with not using the sense of touch, my concern is the transfer of herpes or other skin diseases or bacteria from the practitioner to the patient. (I remember decades ago when a friend told me that his girlfriend had herpes on her thumb, and she was a massage therapist! So, I take this concern seriously.) Also, it seems that if magnification and shadowing are used properly, the electrologist would not absolutely need to use touch when the potential for risk is high. I am wondering what the professionals here think…
Electrologists use their eyes along with good magnification and lighting to see hair. Wearing gloves during treatment is mandatory.
OMG! Gloves are a must. We see fine hair. We don’t feel fine hair.
A professional electrologist must have professional vision aid and professional lighting. That is how we do it. Disgusted to hear this.
I didnt feel I even had to reply to this one. And of course, I was absolutely correct. Thanks Dee and David!
As they have so eloquently stated, there are some things we must have to work.Gloves which protect the client and the electrologist both from transmission of disease is one VERY important one
Thanks all. I assumed gloves were critical, as I stated. I just wanted to confirm, and hopefully make other potential clients aware of this requirement. I am shocked that an electrologist in this day and age would risk disease for themselves, let alone their client, by not wearing gloves. Even my physical therapist uses gloves.
I think the thing that disturbs me after all my experiences the last couple years is the severe lack of understanding for the need for and poor use of superior magnification and lighting and shadowing techniques.
yikes my current electrologist doesn’t use gloves as well for the sake of feeling the skin. There is not much I can do though.
While I understand the concern about losing sensitivity with gloves, prioritizing client safety should be paramount. The risk of transferring herpes or other skin diseases outweighs the slight loss of touch. Proper magnification and technique can compensate for the lack of direct contact.
I totally agree, audaparizeau. The electrologist is literally creating a wound. Wounds are susceptible to infection by anything on the practitioner’s hands, or if they sneeze. Even with strict protocols, hospitals manage to transfer skin infections. My relative got flesh-eating bacteria in his groin. Talk about dangerous! I can’t imagine what is transferred from the electrologist’s hand when they have been touching their phone, door knobs, and more.
I was just thinking about that because the electrologists that I go to have a habit of picking up their phones and their appointment books with their gloved hands, and then they start to work on me again. I’m thinking that is also risky.
It does but clients in a very bad position if they don’t have options to go to another electrologist.
If I’m not sure I’ve gotten all the hairs, I’ll give the client a little dab of hand sanitizer and ask them to feel for themselves if I’ve missed any. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS gloves.
I had a situation where an electrologist did not use gloves, but always washed her hands and used sanitizer before starting work. In that situation I was desperate to receive treatments because it was nearly impossible to find anyone who was willing to do genital work on men. She was in business for over 20 years at that point and never used gloves as I understood.
You know what? Whether sanitized hands or not, it’s still not ok. I think 20 years ago I remember smoking in restaurants and businesses. Today such is unthinkable. It’s a good change. I also remember not so many years ago buying out an electrologists machines and getting a tray of rusty vials containing electrolysis probes. That was quickly and permanently disposed of in a safe manner. I think if an electrologist is not worried about potentially being a vector of disease transmission, I wonder what else dont they care about?
Very good points to consider. Given that gloves are considered standard practice with any procedure involving the skin, it does make one wonder what else the electrologist is not doing to protect the client.
Easy fix. Wear the gloves.
Give client wipes for them to clean their hands and fingers (especially fingers)
Another wet wipe to clean the area to be treated. With the clients clean fingers and cleaned area to treat they can touch the area. Find and point out the hairs to be treated with the pads of their fingers. Look from different angles, with the clients help you will find these hairs.
Work together finding and treating the hairs that bother them. Get them involved. They will love you for it.
K Dunbar