wrinkles and pock marks

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
#1

I went to an electroligist for 5 months 1 hour a week. I have not been back for four months. I can’t say that there is any difference at all!!! My face is where all the work was done upper lip ,chin and cheeks. I have hundreds of little purplish dots on my cheeks and deep wrinkles on the sides of my mouth. a bunch of more shallow wrinkles on one side. It seems as if the current zapped the fat right out of my face and now my skin is sinking!!! someone please help I am only 25 and female with very fine blonde facial hair. The women that did the work is extremely qualified and belongs to the electrology board and is also an editor of the electolisis magazine. She was using the simple method Could that have caused this???

Another question (not as important) If I do microdermabrasion could that stimulate hair growth, Like laser can???

#2

What did your skin look like after each treatment? Did you scab? Did you heal in between appointments? What was your aftercare? Is the simple method thermolysis? Sorry for the 20 questions, but I am trying to understand the situation better.

#3

The SIMPLE method is thermolysis, more specifically, microflash thermolysis. SIMPLE is an acronym which stands for Sequential Inverted Micro Pulsed Led Energy.

First time permanent treatment of a follicle whether it is in the anagen, catagen or telogen phase is highly probable with the SIMPLE technique, thus, regrowth is less. One needs a microflash epilator and one must understand the basic anatomy of a hair follicle in order to place the probe at the top of the dermis. With very high intensity levels and very quick bursts of timing, the entire length of the follicle is treated starting at the top of the follicle and then continuing down with very quick bursts of heat to the bottom of the follicle. The top layer of skin, the epidermis, is not affected if done correctly.

You should not hear crackling sounds or see blanching (whitening of the skin)- this is not acceptable.

Suzanne Anderer CPE is an electrologist and an instructor at the Illinois School of Electrology in Illinois and has demonstrated this technique at the electrology conventions. She has used this method for over three years and I believe she teaches an 8 hour course every Wednesday at her school. She uses a Gentronics epilator, last I heard, which is a good microflash epilator.

Hopefully, your practitioner has received proper instruction and is performing this method correctly. I don’t like the wrinkle description. This can happen if your practitioner over treats an area by working at too high of levels, too close for too long. I wish you would have checked back with us over the last 5 or 6 months to ask about your healing outcome. Did you have scabs or other skin manifestations that didn’t resolve within a week? Of course, I just have to throw in these next comments to cover all bases: habits such as smoking and life style choices such as not getting enough sleep, or tanning and not eating a balanced diet can contribute to poor skin.

Most times, the wrinkles will resolve. If they don’t, see a dermatologist for help.

Dee

#4

Dee
Thankyou for replying. I do live in Il. I believe she did get the machine from Suzanne for the name sounds familiar. It was a Gentronics machine. I never had scabbing, and always healed within three days. I do not smoke, I am a vegetarian and eat a well balanced diet. I drink plenty of water and for after care I would put ice on for an hour Then put aquafore on for three days as much as possible. I am most deffinitly experiencing regrowth I can see hairs growing directly out of the purple marks, some hairs are a little thicker than I ever had before, they shine in the light even worse there are a few that have turned light brown and now that I have messed with them they grow longer than before. The most bothersome of it all is the hundreds of purple dots on my right cheek kind of look like black heads and the wrinkles on my left are pretty deep making my skin look like its saging towards my mouth. I am looking for suggestions so please keep them coming.
Can microdermabrsion stimulate hair growth? And could the non progress of my experience be because my hair grpwth is genetic??? My mom has the same facial hair problem as I but worse from 20+ years of shaving.

thankyou all for your time.

#5

Hi Blond.

Your healing situation sounds fine - no scabbing, looking fine within three days. Any lesions you see after a month or so does not mean this is the final outcome. Your skin is alive! It will continue to restructure itself for up to 18 months following any injury. If you have any marks, most become undectable after 12 months. Those purple dots will heal and fade.

Since you take care of yourself and you are young, I’m assuming that you may have been overtreated near your mouth and must let the area rest and heal for 1 year. Most wrinkling of the upper lip is hereditary and is encouraged by too much sun exposure. Dr.James Schuster, a dermatologist that has researched and contributed much to the field of electrology, says that electrolysis overtreatment probably helps activate, but not cause the condition. In your case, blonde, you are young and you take care of yourself, so I’m wondering if the wrinkling was caused by overtreatment to this sensitive area??? Alpha Hydroxy Acids or Retin-A can be helpful, but you should consult a dermatologist - there might be something newer and better. Dermabrasion or chemical peel may be needed after you let things heal for a year. As far as microdermabrasion causing more hair to grow, I have no information to offer here.

Shaving did not cause your Mother’s hair to get worse. Shaving does not affect hair growth at all. Genetic makeup?/hormones?/medications?/disease?/stress? could be the trigger(s).

Did you get as many consults as possible before you settled on your present electrologist? You know we are going to say that over and over again here. Please don’t be shy. Discuss with your practitioner any concerns you have. Actually go in and show him/her skin manisfestations that are worrisome to you. Someone like me can only go so far to offer advice when I can’t see you or don’t know what levels or if correct techniques were used to treat you. Blonde, it would be helpful for her to see the condition of your skin or have you already taken this step?

A face with copius amounts of fine blond hair is challenging, but careful scattering of treatment to keep the thinning process going will win eventually.

Dee

#6

Does anyone know if this can happen with Galvanic as well?

#7

As far as I know it sounds like this will happen regardless of the equipment that is being used if the area is over treated.

DEE how long should I wait before trying someone new??? I would like to zap a few more hairs that are on my wrinkled cheek but if further treatment is not good right now please let me know. I have not had any treatment at all in four months. I am not noticing any healing at all either in these areas.
What type of machine do you suggest I look for??? For fine blonde hair??

#8

Hello Blonde,

I wish I could see pictures of the purple dots, because they do not sound like anything I have ever seen before…

Regarding the statement about your Mom and her hair growth being worse from shaving - shaving does not make hair grow heavier. All shaving does is cut hair off at the skin - so the hair she has was going to grow anyway. If your mother’s hair problem is pretty bad, then you could be destined to the same kind of hair growth. If you began treatment on accelerated vellus hair and had one our a week for 5 months, I would consider that too much treatment. Sometimes though, electrologists have a hard time saying no to clients who wish to be aggressive with their treatments.

If you are seeing wrinkles on your face, could it be that you are very thin? Often vegetarians are very thin, and thin people do have more wrinkles than heavier people. Do you have oily or dry skin? Oily skin usually has a coarser texture - and the hair follicles openings are more visible once the hairs are gone.

#9

I really like the newer generation of computerized epilators because you can get the same energy output for every insertion and the energy level can be refined to the smallest increment so you are not undertreating or overtreating a hair. HOWEVER, you still need the “thinking, observing brain” behind any machine that is used whether it be “older” or “newer”. If the practitioner knows her equipment well, then you will be in good hands.

The advantage of seeing another electrologist is, she can see your problem, whereas I can’t. She can talk to you and you can express your concerns to an actual face. My concern lies with the wrinkling and allowing that area to heal for at least a year whether overtreatment caused it or if something else is happening. If a difference is not noticed after a year, then a dermatologist could offer help with different treatments that could range from Hyaluronic Acid Gel (Restylane) or bovine collagen which treat wrinkles around the nose and mouth to topical creams, chemical peels, and laser / electro-surgical resurfacing.

I like the idea of consulting with another or even a couple of electrologists. Let us know how things go!

Dee

#10

snnk,

Overtreatment can happen with any modality whether it be galvanic, thermolysis or blend. It’s all operator dependant. Galvanic and blend are a little more forgiving of mistakes than thermolysis, though. With quality magnification and a quality light source, one can “read” the signs of overtreatment and make adjustments quickly so signs of overtreatment isn’t repeated more than a couple times.

#11

blonde,
You live in an unregulated state. I do not know what “board” you electrologist belongs to.

I do know that a blind lady in my region exagerates her credetials. I went to her once and I’ll bet if another electrologist looked at the burn she left on the surface on my face she would have been able to tell the brand and size of the probe she used and pressed into my epidermis. I am amazed how people love her. I hesitate to comment on your face without seeing. it.

Blend, Thermolysis, Flash

Once again to quote Dr. Schuster " in the hands of a skilled practitioner it makes no difference."
Although I don’t do blend on shallow face hairs.

#12

Although I don’t do blend on shallow face hairs.

Why? Do you do galvanic? Please explain, thnx! My hairs are shallow but thick and long.

#13

FYI the blend is galvanic speed up by thermolysis.

I do not do the blend on the face unless the hair is deep and terminal because shallow blend insertions cause scabs. Scabs are tolerable on the body but everyone sees your face.

The galvanic current is evenly distributed over surface of the probe. With a shallow insertion all the current is consentrated in a smaller area leaving a stronger amount at the surface Thus scabs

The thermolysis current consentrates at the tip but radiates upward. Sometimes it reaches the surface befor generating enough heat to kill the hair. Thus the scabs if not overdone and not disturbed there will be no scars.

On the shallow face hairs the heat is low and short and doesn’t have time to travel to the surface.

The heat is also attracted to moisture. So on the desert where faces are environmentaly dry there is less scabbing and also because there is no environmental moisture settling on the skin.

#14

I’m not an electrologist but my practioner says the opposite. She only does blend on the face because it does NOT result in scabs. I’ve had flash on my legs (once) and blend on my face (at least 7 times). My legs were covered in scabs and I have yet to have one on my face. From reading posts here it seems to me that flash usually results in scabs.

#15

Apparently a CLARIFICATION is in order

Don’t second guess your electrologist. She has more facts in your case then I do. If you are seeing steady progress and are satisfied with the results and the way your skin looks then you are doing just fine.

In the book ELECTROLYSIS, THERMOLYSIS AND THE BLEND it states on page 236. "Galvanic current, it was found distributes its effects evenly throughout the entire surface of the needle therefore the portion of the needle having the greatest area (ie the largest diameter )transmits the greatest amount of current. For high-frequency the reverse was found to be the case the highest abount of current is in smallest diameter.

Iff the practicioner is using a tapered needle THEN MY COMMENT IN THE ABOVE POST IS INCORRECT. I personally do not use tappered needle. If your electrologist does she is just fine. It is only personal preference and a better choice for therm only. As the book goes on to state on page 237 that a “tappered needle tends to conduct galv. currents at the top of the probe when used alone.” emphasis on when used alone (I doubt anyone practices this method. More surface area equals more current so galvinic will have more current near the surface of the skin when using a taper needle.

So while the tappered needle is better for therm. I prefer the other flexable needle and do considerably more therm then blend.
A skilled electrologist can adjust his/her current accordingly and give you an effective treatment. And none of this has taken into account moisture gradient. MOISTURE GRADIENT off sets this a little. In order to have a chemical change the current also needs the salt and moisture that is usually more abundant deeper in the follicle. There are many variables that cause us to make adjustments.

I edit this out of my original post but will put it here. The reason I don’t do blend on shallow face hairs is–I have on occasion forgotten to turn off the galvinic current when starting my day. it automatically turns to .1 for 1 second this is an insignificant amount. When this happens on shallow face hairs my clients get scabs. It doesn’t happen on deep hair because then I am using the blend and turn the time/temp up. I usually realize I done this and then the client complains of scabs at the next visit. Shallow insertion brings the contact current closer to the surface. With shallow insertions the taper isn’t enough to change the situation
I don’t know why your experience is different unless your electrologist uses extremely low settings or your hairs are deep. This reduces scabs. It is all in the adjustments.

On deep body hair my clients have less scabs if I use the blend. Maybe because the therm is deep and the galvanic current allow the hair to release before the heat reaches the surface. Maybe because the heat is at the point and the increased galvanic action stays low so even if the galvanic is equal or more (in the case of a taper) it isn’t recieving as much heat action.

#16

I am also in Illinois. Can you give me a hint as to where you go please. I know the lady I go to has been in buisness for 30+ years. I hope its not the same lady. first name starts with an L last name starts with a S?? Please share!

#17

Blonde, how are you healing? Did you ever do microdermabrasion?

#18

I am responding to tangerines post about legs scabbing with thermolysis and the face not scabbing because blend was used.

The techniques available to all electrologists vary a great deal. I can make a similar statement: The face does not scab, but the body does - and I use thermolysis for all areas.

In my city, I have had the opportunity to treat clients who have had treatments all over the world. One of my early clients was surprised when her face did not scab - she expected it to! Everywhere she’d gone, she’d experienced scabbing after treatment. She was sure it was the after-care I used.

It makes sense to me that every old and new electrologist be on constant watch for accuracy of insertions, and determining the settings for the particular area they are working on.

#19

I would agree. I experience different things every time. I used to get more red bumps and scabbing on the nipple area with blend, but almost didnt get anything with thermolysis there. however, on the abdomen, i do get scabs with thermolysis. On the upper lip and eyebrows, I’ve experienced both nothing and scabs with thermolysis. I think it just depends, plus I find the skin on any one area gets used to it.