How many grow hair post-puberty?
The reason I ask this is because I’m worried that when I get electrolysis (I’m going next Sunday), later in life I’ll grow a large amount of hairs that weren’t present before and it’ll look like I haven’t had any treatment in the area.
I think it depends on the area you want to have electrolysis. Some hairs are active , some at rest other aren’t present and will be present in the next hair cycle.
I’m sure one of the electrologists can give you a rough estimate of how many follicles are actually active.
However, whether or not they become active is dependent on a variety of factors.
It may help to know - are you male or female? how old are you? what area will you being having electrolysis on?
For example, I am female. My facial electrolysis has been from about 26-29. It seemed like I was not developing new hairs (dormant follicles were not being stimulated) for quite some years. Now, if I get pregnant, hormonal changes might stimulate new hair, or when I go through menopause. So you would have to deal with them again but as far as I know, it’s unlikely to be a huge problem like the initial hair.
Another question is, are you doing anything to the area? If it is untouched, it is just going to get less from now.
If you were removing hairs and have only recently stopped, you will see lots of hairs start coming through, whether or not you do electrolysis.
Thanks stoppit&tidyup, that was a very informative reply. I am no expert but would you say for a man’s beard the hairs are mostly active whereas the eyerbows hairs are mostly telogen?
I’m probably not the best person to answer this question but if you are regularly shaving or trimming then the hairs you see growing are anagen.
If the beard hairs are left alone for months (I guess 3-6) then it would be a similar situation to the eyebrows (which I assume are not being removed or trimmed in any way).
We are born with an estimated 2 million to 50 million hair follicles on our body. (Studies say different numbers!) They don’t all grow terminal hairs, but some areas grow higher percentages than others.
If you are removing any type of beard hairs (male or female) it will take time, and there is no guarantee that your body won’t turn on some previously dormant (and never before grown) follicles in the future. Many people who have successful electrolysis treatments will return on occasion for a little clean-up. Forever grateful for what they have already accomplished.
I thought a man’s beard has a very short hair life
Hi nice,
Do you remember where you heard that a man’s beard has a very short life?
The areas that have a short life are not able to grow hair long, like the eyebrows.
Beard hair can grow for about a year before it sheds.
The only other area that has a longer growth stage is the scalp.
The entire head (this includes the beard)
has approximately 1 million hair follicles.
These follicles will not all present a hair at the same time.
Hey everyone, thanks for the replies.
I’m sorry, by “active” hair follicles I didn’t meant at a certain stage of hair growth i.e anagen, telogen
I meant not dormant.
I am female but it feels like I have more body hair than most guys my age (I’m 18). My body is a scary sight. The places I’ve epilated/depilated are not much, and it was over a year ago (about the time I decided electrolysis was best).
All I do presently is shave my face and bleach around my eyebrows (and my finger knuckles).
I wear long pants and tops always, and for as long as I can remember.
Yes, I am female but one who inherited some unfavorable genes from her old man.
Hi Pixie,
Have you seen a physician about this excess hair problem?. If not i would suggest that you do go and get some testing done to make sure their is no underlying problem.
pixieslover, just curious, have you ever tried Laser hair removal? Or thought about it?
Pixieslover,
Having had clients with the same amount of hair as you are presenting, I can tell you that you shouldn’t have large amounts of new growth later in life, after successful electrolysis. If you were to suddenly gain weight in your torso, or if there ARE underlying hormonal problems, or if you were to be taking medications that cause hair growth, my “prediction” might change.
Using the Ferriman & Gallwey scoring system, you have enough hair to warrant a physician visit. Very likely they will find nothing, or they will give you spironolactone, however, that will not make the hair you have go away…Electrolysis WILL.
I have had testing before. When I was 14 I begged my mom for a visit to the doctors to get blood work done because I thought my testosterone levels must have been phenomenal. Everything turned out normal and at the time I had about as much hair as I do now.
It’s very therapeutic to know that I do ,in fact, have excess hair growth. Everyone’s been telling me for as long as I can remember that it’s all in my head and I’m severely overreacting. Well that’s just because I’ve never dared to uncover my skin in front of them.
@ekade: Laser is an option (never tried it before besides epila which is a SCAM) but electrolysis is what I’m leaning towards
If I were you, I’d treat my facial and chest hair with electrolysis and body hair(forearms, legs and underarms) with laser and then follow it up with electrolysis. Is your hair black? It seems to be dark brown in the pictures.
Thank you Barbara for your reply.
I remember one time an electrologist was replying to a boy who questioned the permanence of electrolysis. She said that it IS 100% effective if done correctly but it only disables one follicle and cannot prevent future growth of follicles that were not treated
She proceeded to say that it is possible that an area could run out of follicles that are able to produce hair. This lead me to believe that if it were to happen in my case, any hormonal problems I come across later wouldn’t and couldn’t manifest in new hair growth.
The reason I think this could happen is because I’m already growing so much hair I can’t imagine that there’s any more hair that can possibly sprout in the future, which lead me to ask the original question.
I hope it makes sense.
@mumbaigirl My hair is black and thicker than in the pictures :o
Hi Pixielover, as far as I can see in the pictures, you probably will not develop new hair in areas that show the images. The underarms have completed the perimeter. What may happen is that the hair you have now become more thick. Your hair is dark and your skin is very clear, good contrast for the laser. However, I believe that the roots of these hairs do not have enough pigment. Except maybe in underarms and probably in the bikini line, the rest (arms, thighs and legs) the risk of wasting money is very high.
It is my impression only, laser experts have the last word.
