Electrolysis offers permanent hair removal superiority over laser. Electrolysis uses a tiny probe to target each unwanted follicle individually, leading to lasting results over time.
Hair plucking works effectively to remove fine and light-colored hairs that have proven difficult to treat with other methods such as laser. As their hair lacks pigmentation, these treatments may prove ineffective.
How Does Electrolysis Work?
Electrolysis offers one of the only permanent hair removal methods on the market today; unlike laser hair removal which only addresses superficial layers of hair growth, electrolysis destroys each individual root to stop future hair from growing back and stop future treatments from becoming necessary. Although multiple sessions over several months must occur before hair will stop growing again permanently.
At each treatment session, an electrologist uses a fine needle inserted into a hair follicle’s opening and applies a minute amount of electricity via an electrode to cause it to die off, cutting off its blood supply and being destroyed. Once done, they then extract it from its location; sometimes a slight sting may be felt after removal; if this concerns you, speak to your electrologist about getting topical anesthetic beforehand.
Sometimes the skin around follicles can become red and irritated, sometimes with small blisters forming which may be very bothersome. That is why selecting an electrologist who has experience dealing with your specific type of skin and hair should be done carefully.
After treatments are finished, it’s also important to take steps to maintain good skin health in between treatments. Avoid sun exposure and any creams which could clog your pores or cause irritation to the area. An aloe gel without fragrances or menthol and cleanser specially tailored for sensitive skin may provide some relief from side effects of treatment.
Electrolysis treatments may take multiple sessions before reaching permanency; upper lip and groin treatments typically take the longest due to closer hair follicles on these areas of skin.
Other factors that can determine how many treatments you need include your family history, hormone balance and normal physiological changes, past use of temporary hair removal products such as razors or medications and stress levels. If you are uncertain how many sessions will be necessary to reach your hair-free goal, consult an electrologist who is familiar with your case for guidance.
What Are the Side Effects of Electrolysis Hair Removal?
Electrolysis differs from other hair removal techniques in that it targets and destroys only cells responsible for hair growth, and after multiple sessions may eventually stop producing new follicles permanently. Unfortunately, it takes longer than laser hair removal and requires multiple visits to a salon in order for optimal results; additionally, electrolysis may also be more painful than shaving, waxing and depilatory creams.
Electrolysis procedures can cause skin damage if performed by inexperienced technicians. Therefore, it’s vital that you find an experienced electrologist who knows how to treat your skin in an efficient and safe way. You may experience redness, swelling, welts, tiny blisters or scabs after treatment; all signs that the electrolysis is damaging your skin and should be addressed quickly.
After treatment, ingrown hairs may develop if not all hair follicles were destroyed completely, causing itching and irritation in some cases. You can easily eliminate this effect using a gentle exfoliator in between sessions to gently exfoliate the area in question.
Some individuals experience a burning sensation from the electricity used to remove each hair follicle, although this depends on an individual’s skin sensitivity, pain tolerance and area being treated; some areas such as the groin and neck may be more painful than others.
Before your appointment, a local anesthetic injection may help ease some of the discomfort; however, this should not be used on all areas as this could lead to adverse chemical reactions and cause side effects that are potentially dangerous.
Electrolysis is one of the safest and longest-term methods of hair removal available, though it takes longer than other options to complete. But electrolysis’s results speak for themselves – your unwanted hair won’t return when utilizing the services of an accredited professional and it is less expensive than shaving, waxing or depilatory creams – not to mention effective against all hair colors and skin types unlike some treatments such as laser.
How Long Will Electrolysis Hair Removal Last?
Electrolysis treatments required for permanent hair removal vary depending on each person. A skilled and experienced electrologist should be able to determine how many sessions will be necessary during a free consultation; this should be the first step when selecting an electrologist for electrolysis treatments. On average, between 10-14 sessions should suffice in fully eliminating unwanted hair in any given area.
Electrolysis treatments typically last at least an hour and a half due to its slow nature, as electrolysis targets the root of each hair follicle rather than simply taking off its top layer like waxing does. Instead, electrolysis works by inserting a fine needle into each opening of a follicle where an electric current travels down it killing any existing follicles that might remain. Each hair follicle goes through three distinct growth cycles known as anagen, catagen, and telogen which must be targeted during its growth cycle to be effective; hence why one session won’t suffice in getting rid of all unwanted hair, thus necessitating multiple sessions to achieve full removal of all unwanted hair removal.
Electrolysis may be less painful than waxing, but it still causes discomfort. You may feel some stinging during or after your treatment; to alleviate this feeling you can ask your electrologist to use topical anesthetic. Sensitive skin may experience redness following their session; to minimize this side effect it is important to moisturize the area afterwards instead of scrubbing as this could lead to blistering or even worse, blisters. Some individuals with darker complexions can develop temporary dark spots after electrolysis; these usually dissipate over time.
One of the greatest obstacles of electrolysis is that hair may take some time to grow back after each session, since each follicle in an area has different rates of growth. Therefore, it’s essential that appointments be scheduled well in advance to avoid surprises!
After each appointment, it is also advised to adhere to your electrologist’s recommendations regarding washing the treatment area, particularly after not washing for some days after each visit. This will help protect against bacteria entering into hair follicles and irritating skin while staying on track towards reaching your desired result.
How Can I Find a Good Electrolysis Clinic?
To select an electrolysis hair removal provider, it’s important to keep a few things in mind when making your selection. First and foremost is asking around for recommendations. In addition, make an appointment for a consultation appointment and meet the electrologist beforehand in order to discuss expectations and questions with them as well as assess their facility/staff as being professional and clean.
Consultations provide the ideal opportunity to verify a practitioner’s licensing and training. For instance, certain places may advertise themselves as electrologists but actually utilize electric tweezers or patch devices instead of needle electrolysis. Only licensed professional electrologists use needle electrolysis.
Consider how long each treatment session will be and the total number you need; according to the Cleveland Clinic, most people need between 15 minutes and an hour for each visit. Furthermore, be prepared for some discomfort during treatments; pain levels vary based on tolerance levels and area being treated – typically, chin/cheek areas tend to be better tolerated than neck or groin regions.
Electrolysis is one of the least painful methods of hair removal available today, compared to waxing or chemical depilatories. You will only experience minor discomfort during your electrolysis procedure due to the electricity used to open hair follicles; this allows hair removal using smaller needles than would otherwise be possible.
Once hair has been extracted from the skin, it should no longer grow back; however, hormones and external factors could still lead to some of it returning later on; to ensure maximum effectiveness, schedule regular touch-up appointments to stay ahead of the game.
Electrolysis costs vary greatly, depending on factors like provider, location and hair thickness and density. Prices in larger cities and coastal locations tend to be higher because living costs are generally higher and salons must charge more in order to make a profit.
Electrolysis costs don’t require insurance to cover them compared with most cosmetic procedures; you can pay out-of-pocket or explore financing options instead.