What are your views on this....interesting.

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

Ok, i am new to this site, so if im in the wrong place please let me know, ta.x

Ok, ive suffered loads with unwanted hair and its got to the point where i am researching like mad.

I have actually been looking at a lot of HAIR TRANSPLANTATION sites. Purely for this reason. The first stage of transplantation is removing hair from an area. This is called FOLLICULAR UNIT EXTRACTION. The entire hair and hair follicle is removed by a small punch (just bigger than your hair strand) Each hair is removed this way, and then transplanted…

So i was thinking. we are obviously not bothered about the transplant bit, but the removal of the entire hair follicle is quite possibly a guaranteed cure. They state that where the punch hole is, there will be a small dot scar. So for areas say, around the nipple, or under the chin (where the hair is not very dense), can this not be an option.

Id rather a dot scar (which can be treated with vit e oil anyway so it fades) than the constant battle with unwanted bl***dy hair. EG, if one has 12 dark hairs on their chin, im sure they wouldnt mind swapping the hairs for 12 dot scars, where theyre unlikely to be seen anyway!

Please, if anyone knows if this actual surgical procedure exists, let me know… Otherwise, what are your views. I find this a very interesting find, and maybe with feedback, it will become an option, if it already isnt…

All opinions welcome. Im so glad i found this site!

#2

no ethical person would treat you. Find an electrologist.

#3

Why are you not considering electrolysis for these areas? Electrolysis will deliver permanent hair removal results minus the polka-dotted look.

Vitamin E to heal the skin? It won’t work.

Be smart about this and don’t give this idea another thought. To protect you from yourself, I agree that no one would ever do this for you.

Dee

#4

sorry, havent been online for a bit…

I have actually tried electrolysis, i am a qualified beautician, and i promise, ive had electrolysis all over. However, i can say that electrolysis works for some people, and not for others.

For example, if one has plucked or waxed an area, they actually distort the root of the hair, so it can be at an ‘angle’, as such. So, depending on how much waxing or tweezing one has done, effects the results of electrolysis. Same as with lazer hair removal. Lazer lights travel in straight lines, so if the hair root has been zapped with electrolysis, or distorted through tweezing, its quite possible that the lazer light doesnt get straight to the root.

So with me, electrolysis does not have very good results, at all.

This is why i was talking about a surgical procedure. I dont think its unethical at all. If it makes one happy then so be it. People have surgery all the time. i dont agree with surgery, but in some cases, yes, its required.

Obviously i wouldnt do it without having tried every possible alternative, which i have. But if it works so be it.

I dont believe im the only person on this forum whod prefer a few dot scars, in place of unwanted hair. I suppose it depends on how big of an issue it is to someone.

#5

Electrolysis does work and if I knew more details about your electolysis experience I bet I could say, why you say, it didn’t work for you. Crooked follicles caused by waxing or tweezing are more challenging, but electrolysis will work,regardless, when the right strategies are used. Even with the most difficult hair, it is possible to get results. It may take a different modality and a couple more passes with an disciplined schedule of appointments so timing can be such that we catch new anagen hairs when the follicles are straighter, but it will work for you. I could add more variables that will increase a positive outcome, but it has all been said here many times.

There really needs not to be a reason for one to resort to a surgical proceedure that will scar you when we already have a very good surgical proceedure that won’t scar you (when preformed properly) called electrolysis. There are many electrologists out there that can rise to the occasion and help you. Searching for “the one” is the hardest part.

Dee

#6

Hi Sandy:

 I think that method of hair removal would cause far more damage than good. You would never be able to find someone who does that method.

Electrolysis works, but you need a good electrolygist and you have to go at the prescribed intervals.

I had a lot of facial hair and it worked for me. I now have a small fraction of what I had.

I also had a hair transplant done with the strip method.
That was brutal to say the least.

Alicia

#7

how many practitioners have you tried? what method did they use? did you go on schedule and how many treatments did you have? for how long? there is most likely an explanation for why you didn’t get the results you wanted. if you can expand more on your experience, we can try to help you understand how to get results with electrolysis. unless you have an underlying medical condition causing the growth (which needs to be treated first), electrolysis should work on you.

and laser works by being attracted to the dark pigment. it doesn’t matter if the hair is “crooked” or whatever, it will target the root if the hair is dark and the skin is light.

#8

Hello girls… and guys… i apologise again for taking soooooooo long to get back online…

Heres the score.

I am a qualified electrolysist myself. I studied body and beauty therapy back in 1999. And i took electrolysis as a subject, and passed.
If i had to take it up now, id definately have to re-do a few things as things change with time.

I was lucky enough to have bought an electrolysis machine from my school too. which is half way accross the world at the moment. Its old though, uses galvanic current… (is that still the case today?

But you are all right, i never electrolosised myself religeously enough. I was lazy in the fact that i reckon i let the hairs grow too long before zapping them again, ie past anogen stage…too busy partying to take it all seriously. my fault. easier said than done ey.

So i will get the machine posted over (from southern africa) and start religeously doing it myself! Instead of taking the easy way out. And i will keep u all updated on my progress.

Where can i get electrolysis needles from? Im in the UK at the moment and cannot find any suppliers online? Back in my day (golly i am getting older haha) we had probes/needles, size 1,2,3 etc, depending on thickness of the hair…is that still the case… (i dont take note at the salons)

Thanks guys
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#9

Here are my views on this…

The hair extraction that you mention in the first post here would probably result in pitted skin. Not just a dot scar…many, many, many “dot scars”.

So, were all your treatments done by self? While is it great that we can work on our own arms or legs, I would never, never, never recommend self treatment on the face.

I’m sure that your education qualified you to be an electrologist, but as someone who has practiced this profession for more than half of my life, I would encourage you to consider the professionalism involved in practicing electrology.

Please, do not try to self treat your face. Go to someone who has some real experience.

#10

Any electrologist located in NY, who would like to exchange services: you work on me and I will work on you…
contact me! You are so right Barbara, I have been administering electrolysis for almost 2 decades and would never work on my own face.

#11

Allow me to add my tenor to this chorus.

I have genetic ingrown hairs and can’t shave at all, and I would rather walk around with irritated skin than work on myself. Knowing what I know now, I would never try it.

There are lots of people charging money to do this who I would not trust my face to. Why would I treat it to poorly done self work, done with poor magnification, and lousy backwards insertions? Even if I could do good work, the progress would be so slow that it would drive me mad!

If New York were the size of Delaware, Arlene and I might be trading work on each other <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

#12

And because your words sing it so beautifully, why not copy and paste on every related post?

#13

Anyone who reads this board long enough knows that is how I feel.
I have been saying that since the first day, when no other electrologists were willing or interested in participation here.
I even argued against the DIY section because of that fact. I only gave in on two points: Andrea was going put up the DIY section anyway, and as long as people think they want to try this, may as well tell them both how much trouble they are in for, and how to minimize the damage they do before giving up and seeing a pro.

Well, that is my solo, now its back to the bridge, and into the funky chorus.

Get as many consultations and sample treatments as you can. Go with the best practitioner based on the results you get on your skin. And if you insist on doing this at home, get all the books, a pro machine, and a partner, because you can’t do this well in the mirror backwards!

Ehhh heee hee! Yea-ow!

#14

Well thank you Andrea. Not having the DIY section would have been a dreadful idea.

Not everyone can afford professional work and not everyone is incapable of doing work on themselves. I’ve been able to remove all my pubic and underarm hair on my own with no problems. I’d still be suffering with this hair if DIY were not available. I’ve never been to a pro electrolysis practitioner.

Having the DIY section helps those who need to follow this avenue in finding better success and lessening the possibilities of damaging themselves.

I’ve seen you negate DIY several times, but you know what? I think it’s actually faster (at least it was for me) than going to a pro. First off, you have to go to a bunch of pros to find a competent one (as pointed out in these forums). Then if you include the driving time back and forth, the time it takes to do DIY galvanic treatment could be less on a per hair basis. And from what I’ve seen, galvanic has a higher rate of permanency (saving more time) and lower possibility of scarring. Not to mention DIY is a lot cheaper since you can do it in a spare hour here and there for free.

So, IMO, slamming DIY just looks like pros trying to steer business their way. I’ve cautioned people about DIY on their own face (especially first timers), but DIY in general should not be demeaned.

#15

Well, the face is where most people want work done, now isn’t it?

I “slam” DIY in the same way car mechanics “slam” backyard mechanics.

A person who has been well trained comes to the table with skill that surpasses anything you will obtain working at home, and I don’t think you are including the time you spend reading books in your estimation of that cost in terms of time per hair.

Next up, a good thermolysis operator can run circles around a galvanic operator, and finish the job in record time IF given the time and frequency of visits.

Lastly, if you had seen all the self scarred people I have with pock marked genitals who have tried DIY genital electrolysis, you would not be so big on the idea either.

Even with all this, I say, you can do home hair removal just as you can home car repair. You just have to approach it seriously enough to get the education needed to not screw it up, get the right tools to do the job well, and when it says you need a partner, because it is a two person job, take it seriously. After all, if you pour the wrong fluid into the wrong hole in a car, trying to save $20 costs you $300 or more, when a pro has to try to fix that mistake.

There is nothing that makes a pro (mechanic or electrologist) despair more than someone coming into their business AFTER they have messed something up, and is now asking for help fixing what they did not have the necessities to attempt.

My largest objection to the DIY section was encouraging those who would scar themselves. Of course, what the section has proven is that most people give it a try, realize that a trained chimp CAN’T do this, and they go to a pro where they belong, or actually get a partner and hit the books hard.

I am reminded of the Simpson’s Episode where Mr. Burns hires Major League Baseball players to be ringers at the company baseball championship against a rival power company. Homer bristles at being replaced by Darryl Strawberry and shouts: “So, you think you are better than me Strawberry!” Darryl softly says, “Homer, I don’t know you, and I have never seen you play, but… yes.”

I clear 600 to 1200 hairs per hour with 60% to 80% kill rate depending on how much hair is actually in anagen at the time of the work. I can strip the average man’s face and neck in anywhere from a weekend to a week if given the time. I can also become the only hair removal that person uses in 3 months or less.

Electrolysis with a good pro is the best value for the dollar you can get, based on the results you get for your dollar, especially when you do it right.

We are a compassionate people. We may sound like we are just drumming for business, but we really feel your pain, and want to help you rid yourselves of this problem. We know we are the equivelant of the shop mechanic who can diagnose the problem, and rid you of the problem in record time, while your attempts to do so risk messing up things that did not need to be disturbed, and would take twice as long anyway.

Peace go with you. I am happy things worked out for you.

#16

Interesting. Because with all your instruction I thought you were encouraging do it yourselfers.

In my state it is a violation to own the controlled/regulated epilator w/o a license. So the DIY is a violation.

Honestly, I am as guilty as any because people especially me, just skim through these and don’t read every detail. That is where this site on any topic gets dangerous.

I am a “backyard mechanic” my father raised me as such. I can diagnose a condition as well as any pro.

I am also a kitchen sink chemist. But in practice the strictest codes in my business practices.

#17

1200 hairs per hour! Wow. That’s a hair every 3 seconds. That would be something to see. I guess I’m overly cautious as I clean my probe with alcohol after each hair, which adds a lot of time to my per hair count, which is about 60 per hour, but I’m not going for any records.

So let’s have some fun with the numbers. Say I use an hour of my time, like after dinner, and clear 60 hairs and get my usual 90% success rate (being conservative as it’s probably better than that). I’ve achieved 54 hairs per hour.

Now let’s say I make a half hour appointment (which seems typical from the posts I’ve read here, but of course it can vary to anything) and get 300 hairs done by an excellent pro (not including the time it took to find that expertise). The closest practitioner is at least 30 minutes away, so there’s another hour (not including the time to get ready to go out). If it costs $30 for the half hour, I may need to work another couple hours to make that $30 after taxes (probably longer if one considers the extra transportation costs). So 300 hairs divided by 3.5 hours times 80% is 69 hairs per hour and that timeframe can’t be on a whim or at any time of the day.

So yes, 69 is faster than 54 and thus a better deal, unless you can’t take that time off when the practitioner is available. Also if one is excited to get clearance as quickly as possible, the pro can also do that better. When it comes to touch-ups down the road, when you’re just getting a few dozen hairs removed in a session, the 69 drops quickly, yet the 54 will remain the same, so over the long haul, DIY may be quicker on a hair per hour basis.

And I didn’t include the time reading books as I only read the instructions that came with a One Touch unit, which took all of 5 minutes. Galvanic electrolysis is not much rocket science. You insert the probe until you reach the bottom of the follicle, turn the power setting to one that is easily tolerated, and hit the switch for a time period adequate to destroy the hair. On to the next hair. Learning proper insertions, settings, and time periods seems easier learned on the job rather than from a book, as with DIY you can immediately tell from the pain if you’ve done something wrong and can stop before doing damage and make the proper adjustment. Although this is extremely simple to me, I can well imagine that there are those that can not obtain the skills for this procedure. For those people, a pro is the only reliable way to go. But there are some backyard mechanics whose skills I admire more than some of those monkeys with all the certification patches on their work clothes.

If I were desiring to rid the hair on my lower face or my back, a pro would be my only choice, as there’s some places I can’t reach on my own. For me, finding that competent pro is scarier than learning how to DIY. My wife went to a pro for several sessions, had a bad experience and gave it up. So for me, it’s a close call as to which way is best to go.

#18

Nohair, I love your math these really are rediculous claims. Just for the record your post refers to James not me. Pro is still better then do it your self.

Lets do math!

#19

Yes, I thought 1200 hairs per hour and not including extraneous time and costs was also a bit skewed. For me, DIY is better than pro, as I know I can have success with DIY. I would still have the unwanted hair that is now gone if I was trying to find a good pro that I could fit into my schedule.