Q - How does electrolysis work?
A - The simple answer is that the electrologist slides a special probe along the hair’s route and into the follicle. Electric current is applied that creates heat and chemical reactions to destroy the follicles capacity to produce another hair.

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Q – Does it hurt when the probe is inserted?
A – No. There is some discomfort when the electric current is applied. 

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Q – Does it always work?
A – Yes but not always on the first try. To best understand this it helps to understand how hair grows. Hair grows in three stages and then falls out and starts over. The hair’s follicle is only present and susceptible to treatment during the first (anagen phase) and perhaps the second (catagen phase) stage of growth. If a hair is treated during the last phase of growth the effort is wasted because there just isn’t a follicle there to treat. Unfortunately there is no way to know what phase of growth the individual hairs are in. This is why it’s important to return for treatments frequently. If a hair is treated unsuccessfully once and then is given too much time to grow again it will once again pass in to its final (telogen) stage where treatment is ineffective.

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Q – If I were willing to schedule a very long treatment session would it be possible to remove my upper lip hair all in one day?
A – No. Most hair problems consist of hair that is so densely spaced that treating every hair in one day would cause skin damage. We want you to look better, not worse!

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Q – What can I expect in terms of visible skin reaction to the treatments?
A – A mild sunburn appearance should be expected and will last for three or four hours. 

Q – Why not use the laser system?  It’s so fast and high tech!
A – Lots of reasons why!
First remember the very important word “PERMANENT”. Lasers remove a lot of hair quickly (at $ub$tantial expense) and the hair stays away longer than waxing or tweezing BUT it WILL return. Also lasers are next to useless for light colored and white hairs. Lasers aren’t painless or immune to the possibilities of skin damage. 

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Q – Is it very painful?
A – Most people find it tolerable. 

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Q – How does it feel?
A – It feels different to each client.  Most clients only feel a slight pulse as the current is applied. Some people tell us that it just feels similar to a “bee sting or a prick”. 

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Q – What can I do to reduce the discomfort?
A – Most people become more relaxed with each treatment, so they automatically get a little more comfortable each time. Other people take a common pain over-the-counter headache medication like Tylenol or Aspirin to ease the sensations. There are also different over-the-counter topical anesthetics that can be applied in some situations to reduce the discomfort.

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Q – What is permanent hair removal?
A – Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal process presently recognized. It is the only way to remove hair permanently and safely.  The target area or goal is to treat the hair root, or papilla, to prevent re-growth of that particular hair. Your electrologist will put a tiny probe into the body’s natural follicle opening and treat one hair at a time with a current from the epilator equipment.

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Q – What should my skin look like after a treatment?
A – You are likely to notice some slight redness or pink and perhaps some swelling.  This is normal.  A cold compress applied for 10-15 minutes immediately following a treatment will help reduce the irritation.  

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Q – Is there scarring?
A – Scarring is a problem that is not likely to happen if you follow the aftercare instructions to keep the area clean and undisturbed, as your electrologist will carefully instruct you. If you should happen to see any marks like scabs, and most people do not, just leave the area alone. Do not pick it or pitting and scarring could then occur.  It’s up to you to responsibly provide aftercare and not pick at any irritation.

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Q – Will I bleed?
A – All electrologist in our office is administered by qualified professionals, so any chance of bleeding and scaring is very rare.  Your electrologist will only be inserting a small probe into the hair follicle pocket, the body’s own natural opening, there will be no bleeding because the probe will not pierce the skin.  Since the insertion will be done by a licensed professional with more than 600 hours of school training, they will be able to tell when they reach the bottom of the opening and most likely no bleeding will occur.

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Q – Will my skin be damaged?
A – Seeking treatment from a licensed practitioner will help reduce the chances of skin damage. Generally the quality of skin, especially in areas frequently tweezed, will improve after treatments begin.  Additionally, those clients working on underarms for instance have noticed few odor problems with fewer hairs to trap moisture. In fact, with less hair there will be even fewer ingrown hairs and irritation from shaving and other damaging methods of removal.

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Q – Is it permanent? How does it work? Will the hair grow back?
A – Electrolysis is the only proven form of permanent hair removal as it has been for the past hundred years.  Your electrologist will have three methods to choose from in order to perform the process on you.  She will select the process of electrical impulse which is either most comfortable for you, or the most permanent method for you, but that can be different from client to client, and it may depend upon the area you choose to have worked on.  Your electrologist will work with you to meet your individual needs.  Once destroyed, the hair will not re-grow.

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Q – How long will each treatment take?  When will I see permanent results?
A – The average client will receive several sessions lasting from 15 min to one hour, depending upon the area that needs to be treated.  A small amount of hair on a lip, for example, would take much less time and fewer treatments than it would take to do a pair of underarms.  The secret to successful and productive electrolysis is catching each hair in the proper growth cycle and treating it during the optimum growing state.  Typically, appointments are scheduled weekly or every other week at first until an area is cleared.  Your electrologist will discuss this with you and you can work out a treatment plan perfect for you.

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Q – What should I do about noticeable hair problems between treatments?
A – Stop all tweezing and waxing immediately. It can distort your follicles and may even nourish stronger, coarser hair in the wounded area as it heals.  Cutting the hair with scissors is the best method. Shaving works too, but try to shave within 24 to 48 hours before an appointment, so that your electrologist will have a hair shaft long enough to grasp.

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