Which type of electrolysis and machine do I need?

Hair Removal Methods Do-It-Yourself Electrolysis
#1

Ok, I am a 51 year old M-F transsexual. Some years back, I underwent approx 1 1/2 years of electrolysis, and experienced absolutely no noticable, permanent results. I spoke with people within in my community, and they explained to me that there were several different types, and I probably wasn’t receiving the right treatment. <p>

I know quite a few people who have spent about 2 years in treatment, and they have all experienced permanent, total removal of their facial hair. So I would like to purchase a professional, salon quality, machine, which I will be using on myself. So what type of electrolysis is best for the average male’s facial hair?

#2

Get one that does does all three methods, but only start off with galvanic and work up to blend. Forget thermolysis. Too risky for the inexperienced.

What you are wanting to do is not easy and there is a high probablity that you will scar yourself. We do not promote anyone working on their own face here on hairtell. I am an electrologist and I would never touch my own face. I ask another electrologist to work on me whenever our dear Mother Nature dictates that I will sprout some new hair in my life span.

You can get a used ClareBlend from Texas Electrolysis Supply if you desire for about $400-$600, perhaps? Make sure you get some books to read and learn how this done. I’d stick to body areas only and hire a competent, modern electrologist to clear our facial hair. It can be done with decent speed and safety if you locate someone good.

Dee

#3

You would do much better to either get a friend to do the work on you, or better yet, go to a school, and get a student to work on you. Even if you pay that person a nominal fee for their work, you would be better off than trying to do reverse insertions in a mirror. The student would probably do all your work for you in return for your buying their electrolysis machine. (Ok, I guess you would not get them a Platinum, but a nice SX-500 would do nicely)

I have been an electrolysis practitioner for 20 years (I don’t admit to that often :o :blush:), and I still have hair on my face (that I want gone tomorrow, because all my clients look better than me in about 3 months or less) and yet, I won’t do even one hair on my face. I wait until I am in the same city as someone I trust, and have THEM do it.

Working on yourself, ESPECIALLY ON THE FACE, is just not advisable. Legs, area a possibility, but face is just asking for scabbing, scarring, and pigmentation problems.

I know someone who did 95% of her face by herself, and looked like someone had thrown hot darts at her face for years. Nearly ten years later, the skin has finally gotten better, but the coloring of her skin without makeup still tells the story.

#4

Any machine designed for professional use capable of blend is a good bet. Texas Electrolysis Supply has some used machines, and you can find them on eBay as well (search for Apilus, Instantron, Fischer, AR Hinkel, Clareblend just to name a few offhand.) I had a mid-90s Instantron which I initially learned on (paid $300 for it) and then an Apilus later on which I still use; both machines have served me well. I am personally partial to the Apilus machines, mostly because electrologists I know locally use them and they are used at several electrology schools. But any of the above brands would serve you well, just remember you want a blend machine, not a thermolysis only machine.

Before you start zapping, get “The Blend Method” book by Michael Bono, available at Texas Electrolysis Supply. It is on the hairtell “required reading” list for beginners. “Modern Electrology” is also good but I found the Bono book is the best from the viewpoint of a beginning DIYer.

Just be aware that learning how to perform electrolysis is a serious commitment of time and money. I started learning on my body (only) about six months ago and although I have come a long way I am still learning and it can still be frustrating at times. I do a minimum of an hour of electrolysis on myself daily without fail, sometimes up to three hours of I can tolerate it. I have spent about $1200 so far on my epilators, needles, magnifier and other equipment. I am happy I decided to do it, because it works for me. Only you can decide if it is worth it for you, in your situation, in the long run.

And as others have said here, doing your own face is very difficult. I have tried doing my own face and I will say it is a lot harder than it would seem, trying to do accurate insertions in reverse in a mirror. A lot harder than I thought it would be :sick: I didn’t do any permanent harm when I tried, but it was so frustrating I just gave up. (Now, in the interest of full disclosure, my facial hair is pretty awful, and as one electrologist put it, it isn’t for amateurs.) But I still wouldn’t recommend it, and if you absolutely cannot have professional treatment or treatment at a school, finding an electrolysis partner (like another TS) is a much better bet.

#5

OK… some years back I bought one of those stupid 9 volt battery home kits, with very little success. But I do have very steady hands, and did get pretty good at it. During the time I was getting professional treatments, I asked a lot of questions, and paid serious attention.

I greatly appreciate all the professional responses that have been offered in this thread, and I am going to look into buying a machine. I figure that maybe I can get a few people to chip in with me, and we can all buy the machine, and start by working on each other’s body parts, and then progress to working on each other’s faces. If a few of us get together, we may go for a brand new, top-notch machine. I have been told that as with all machinery, that they become less effective, the more they have been used.

I know what you mean about people working on their own faces, because I know a transgender who used to be an electrologist herself, and she worked on herself, and would certainly be better off with the facial hair. Yes, she has bumps and blotches all over! Quite unattractive.

I know that this will be a bit of bad news for some of those out there, but when you combine the fact that I am legally male, yet give off a very feminine appearance, that I am 51 years old, and that I have a felony conviction, as one might imagine, I can not get a minimum wage job licking bird-droppings off the sidewalk, and have not been able to secure a job for more than 3 years now.

So being that electrolysis is not regulated in the state of Pennsylvania, and that I have direct access to a continuing, and increasing, base of potential clients, I am considering becoming skilled in the trade, and going into business.

#6

A quick afterthought, here, What I did find when I used the home kit, is that much like giving yourself an injection with a hyperdermic needle, there is some advantage to be able to actually feel that it is being done properly. I can well remember the feeling, and lack of resistance, when I could actually feel the needle properly sliding down the hair shaft, and down to the root.

But I will guarantee each and every one of you, that however I decide to go about this, and however far I decide to progress with it, that I will do it only in a safe, and resposible manner, that I will indeed purchase the recommended texts, and that I will not work on anyone else’s face, nor establish a business, until I feel I am more than competent with the process and procedures.

#7

As long as you promise to never greet a male voice with “I don’t treat men! <click>” when they call you on the phone, I welcome you to the profession with open arms.

Just one thing I want to correct. Electrolysis machines DON’T become less effective as time goes buy. They are like stereo equipment, they can go for many years working just fine. When they start to go, they usually just need a resoldering of a wire, or replacement of some wires, or a recalibration of the treatment energy setting mechanism. This is the reason people don’t replace their outdated equipment. The stuff just never breaks. It would be different if the machines disintergrated in 5 years. People would rather buy the new sexy thing instead of paying to get the old thing fixed. As it is, 20 years goes by and a practitioner has not even sent the thing in for a cautionary check-up during a vacation week.

#8

I definitely see your point! Especially since I bought a used, 1980’s, solid-state Harman-Kardon, receiver on eBay! Along with my 1980’s Akkai turntable, this is a pretty reliable system, that I have the greatest faith in. You only have to explain that once to an audiophile! LOL

So since I will be using a blend machine, all that is needed is for the machine to deliver current through the needle, and into the folicle, for the Galvanic end of the system to work. This will cause the combination of body salts and water, within the tissue, to break up into their basic elements, where some of them will reform as Sodium Hydroxide, which will damage the tissue associated with hair growth. And since all that is needed, is for the radio wave to excite and heat the tissue within the folicle, the Thermolysis end needs only the ability to generate said wave, and heat the tissue to the point of being damaged. I guess that is a pretty simple system, and would have considerable longevity.

I am in the antiques and collectibles business, and I am always amazed that clothes irons dating all the way back to the 1930’s, always seem to work when I get my hands on them! Same philosiphy… very simple electronics.

And since I am involved in the Transgendered community, and EVERY true transsexual desires and/or needs electrolysis, I might be the one saying “Sorry, I don’t have time for women.”

And as you can see, I have already started my schooling! On the basis of your advice, I will begin looking for a used, top-quality, digital, computerized, blend epilator machine.

#9

James, are there any problems with those membrane keyboards the Apilus machines use? I mean, in terms of wearing out? I remember a few gadgets I have owned over the years with membrane keyboards having problems over time.

Being transgender myself, I have also had a few people I know ask me if I would try working on them (ironically, a few of these same people told me 6 months ago I was nuts to even think about doing electrolysis on myself, a bit of a backhanded complement I suppose but I’ll take it.)

#10

I hope some of those back-handed complement people are the same people who said that I was “too far away to make it worth their coming to me for full clearnces in a day.” Some of those girls were getting some ROUGH treatments from what I saw. One lady in transition had, what I thought to be old acne scars all over her face. Then she asked me to comment on the great job her electrologist was doing and I was horrified to realize that those were marks from her hair removal during the past year!

As for the membrane keyboards, I have yet to hear of apilus/dectro needing to replace them. Even the SM-500 that I had (the oldest apilus that I ever got my hands on) still had a fully functioning membrane keyboard. In the worst case, one would only have to rig up a new connector system in place of the mal-functioning key. That could be as crude as a spring with an aluminum foil square on top, taped over the broken key.

When you think about it, the membrane keyboards are really doing light duity on an Apilus. A cash register, or calculator is getting more of a pounding than an electrolysis machine. Even at a busy practice, there are only certain keys that are even pushed more than 10 times a day.

#11

Ironically, some of them might very well be. In fact, I knew someone about an hour from you who asked me to try and work on her. I said “Go to James… no really, go to James I am a beginner… go to James” but they wouldn’t listen. And so much for my commission :wink:

I have seen a few electrolysis horror stories in my time. One lady I knew had skin in the beard area that looked like a golf ball. I always tell folks, if you are left with pits, big scabs etc. on the face, stop going back and find a new electrologist (but again, some people never listen.)

As for the Apilus keyboards, remember for beginners the keys might get more presses, as we dial around trying to find the right settings (something I used to do constantly). I am glad to hear the SM-500 is robust however :wink:

#12

I’ve been reading your conversations between Kaytrex, Deedra &James W Walker. Sadly this all occurred in Nov 2008. I’m wondering if any of you are still on this site and can help me. I’m interested in learning and purchasing a machine to help my daughter in removing her facial hair. She has had a couple of sessions with a professional in our area. But, sometimes dysphoria gets in her way and she can’t leave the house. We live in Virginia Beach so if anyone has any suggestions I would be so grateful.
Thank you all
Shell

#13

First of all Shell I want to urge you caution, there’s only one good reason to work on oneself, and that is that there are simply no professional electrologists in your area that you can afford to have the job done for you. Working on oneself is extremely difficult at best, and it takes a LOT of hours of dedicated work to get results. There will be some areas where you are simply unable to work on yourself, and others that will take great effort and skill to master working on such areas by yourself. There is also a significant risk of you doing damage to your skin. Electrolysis is not a medium to be taken lightly.

I tell you this, having already accomplished what you seek to do, that is master an new skill while making the hair on ones face go away. In general self work is not recommended, but it can however be done safely and effectively.

Your safest modality for doing self-electrolysis is blend. I cannot and will not help you do this in Thermolysis, and in my opinion pure galvanic machines are too slow for the task at hand.

#14

As far as things wearing out, they do unfortunately. I’m and engineer and the biggest problem with electronics, especially things over 15 years old, are electrolytic capacitors. They are commonly found in all electronics. They have a heat rating and a definite life expectancy. The dielectrics leak out with time and the thickness of the dielectrics degrade with every charge/discharge cycle. Every piece of electronics is dying a slow death, even this brand new computer I’m typing on.

Just so happens I’ve come up with an epilator which uses no electrolytic capacitors. The epilator is galvanic only and is powered by a standard headphone jack. The power output is capped at 4ma since that’s all the current a headphone jack can supply. And before everyone starts yelling “scam” or “impossible”, all the do-it-yourselfer’s get a chance to own one free of charge. I’m giving the first set of them away. They come with a needle holder, wires, .006" sterile probes, and the miniature unit itself. The unit has an LED indicator to let you know when you’ve made an insertion. The output is controlled by the volume control on your phone, computer, tablet, or mp3 player. Please don’t request a free unit unless you have limited financial resources.

#15

I think this is an interesting idea for consumers who have just a few stray hairs or a lot of time on their hands. An electrologist is preferable if they have access to one, but a lot of people outside of the US unfortunately don’t.

Does it solve some of the problems associated with the One Touch galvanic epilators?

#16

Hi Scurvy,

I’m familiar with the One Touch but I don’t know all of it’s problems. I know it tends to have electrical issues with wiring and that huge stylus. My unit: With no batteries to run out, no exposed wiring, real probes, LED display, three times the voltage, no need to move your finger onto a metal contact while trying to keep that stupid stylus engaged, pathetic spring-loaded stylus…none of these so I’d say it’s and improvement. Did I miss any? It’s been 10+ years since I’ve even seen one. All I remember was not having a pleasant experience.

#17

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Samsung Epilator 3.jpg2713×2361 1.08 MB

Other folks on another thread had asked for pictures.

1 Like
#18

Hey galvaniczap how effective is that? ive been looking for an elektrolosys device, a real proffessional one, and they tend to be way out of my price range ive considered building my own using batteries but as far as know i need batteries something to hold the batteries, wires certain resistors, capactiros, and needles i have no clue how to assemble it. i know a bit about soldering as ive done some soldering and i took a few electronical engeneering classes back in college many years ago. id like to build my own, i just need to know what i need to buy and how its put together i can put it together myself. otherwise im stuck trying to buy a professional one.
my wife has steady hands and shes going to do it i just need to find a machine ive only got a 200 dollar budget, which isnt much. i am male to female trans, i started transitioning in 2008 and have my surgery behind me it was covered by insurence but due to never having the money to go do get hair removal professionaly i am stuck shaving. its horrible, its so bad i rarely leave my apartment, ive been anti social for the last 7 to 8 years, and i recently only decided diy electrolysis i saved up some money but cant seem to find a good device. i was trying to find a one touch from inverness but i cant find any that a new its like they dont exist anymore. only ones i can find is clean & easy deluxe, ive read so many stories on the one touch from inverness im hessitant to spend money on something else.
but building a electrolysis machine seems my best bet, since i can find needles for proffesional machines easy enough just the machines are super expensive. finding guides how to do electrolysis isnt hard, its just the machine holding me back. and i just cant stand this hair anymore, if you could somehow send me a shopping list of materials and possibly a diagram for me to build one i would be very happy. since it will probably end up saving my life.
id even take some lower cost professional machines that work that are in my price range, but ugh im having alot of difficulty finding one.

and btw i cant seem to post a new thread since im new im guessing, so i hope the original poster doesnt mind my reply here

#19

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a machine, especially one that does straight galvanic. Any other kind of machine, I simply would not recommend. A Blend machine can be set completely wrong and you end up doing thermolysis. Thermolysis can end up wrecking your face…or wherever. Stick with galvanic as it’s much safer and more forgiving of probe insertions, especially for the DIY person.

As far as being effective…heck yes it is. I’ve been selling them on eBay for the last few months and getting great reviews. This is the simplest method by far of doing electrolysis, especially if you have a helper.

If you’re really strapped for money I can send you one for free. They come with the tiny power unit, wires, insulated probe holder, ten .16 X 7mm stainless sterile probes, a ground strap, and a mini electrolysis manual. You will still need some sort of magnification and probably lighting. If you plan on doing some really small hairs you’ll probably need smaller needles but you can buy these online from retailers. Be careful with removing all the small hairs though. It can look very unnatural if you do. Believe me, leave some of the peach fuzzy hairs.

This unit can also be used for multiple needle galvanic. Even a standard headphone jack can supply enough current to run 10 needles at a time. The current will only be about 300ua but plenty to remove hair over the amount of time it would take to manage 10 needles. Get really good at single needle first though. Just know the option is there in the future to remove a lot of hair a lot faster.

Let me know if you want to go to eBay or just have me send you one. You can send me an email directly to: jplawagner@sbcglobal.net

John

#20

the clean and easy is the exact same as the one touch.I still dont recommend it they are crap.
If you’re MTF transgender , you will want a machine capable of blend, and your wife has a lot of work ahead of her.
I dont recommend going with a strait galvanic home unit. For one, you will be signing your wife up for 1000’s of hours of work on the face alone. Pure galvanic is slow ost especially single needle galvanic. 2-3 minutes per hair slow on deep coarse beard hairs. I’ve done exactly what you seek to do, and I did it, with the help of professionals here and with a good used professional grade epilator. . Along the way, I happened to learn a trade.I dont recommend thermolysis alone for DIY however… If I had to guestimate, because I was a novice working on myself, I probably spent in the region of 400-500 hours doing electrolysis on my face, But I was able to do it safely and effectively… I did try some pure galvanic work when I was first learning, and it didnt take very long for me to get completely frustrated and down on my lack of progress. . You are FAR FAR ahead going with a blend modality.
As for where to get the machines, I post kijiji links all the time out of Quebec and Ontario. Quite often I see cheap retired professional machines come up for a few hundred dollars.