Electrolysis and laser are the two primary permanent hair removal methods available today, offering great results yet also creating some degree of discomfort.
Electrolysis treatment often feels similar to being pinched or stinging, though its exact intensity varies from person to person.
No matter your comfort level, multiple sessions with an electrologist will likely be required before reaching your desired results.
How it Works
Electrolysis involves inserting a fine needle into the opening of a hair follicle. Once inside, a very low electrical current travels down through it and kills the follicle without harming surrounding skin tissue – effectively stopping any future hair growth and possibly leading to permanent cessation altogether. Due to being more manual than laser hair removal treatments, electrolysis typically takes longer and may require multiple sessions than usual for success.
Electrolysis’s sensation can vary significantly between individuals. Some may feel intense pain while others barely register any sensation. Furthermore, depending on which area is being treated can further influence its perceived intensity; cheeks, jaw and chin areas tend to be more painful as bones close to skin surface are closer together while chest and neck areas often have thinner skin; underarm skin thickening makes electrolysis less bothersome than its thigh equivalents.
Know that many individuals require multiple electrolysis sessions in order to experience permanent results with electrolysis. Your hair has its own growth cycle, and electrolysis must catch each hair at its ideal growth stage for maximum effectiveness and speed in eliminating unwanted hair. Target more follicles at their ideal growth phase for faster results and reduced hair removal timeframe.
Always consult a licensed and certified electrologist when seeking treatments, and seek their recommendations. A good electrologist should explain how the procedure will work, with how many sessions needed and any medical conditions being addressed in advance so they can ensure safe treatments for you.
Scarring may occur as a side effect of treatment, although typically this should be minimal and fade quickly. Furthermore, an infection from raw skin could arise post-treatment; to keep yourself and others safe it’s crucial that you follow all instructions from your electrologist in keeping this area clean and hygienic.
Preparation
Electrolysis begins by applying a numbing cream to the area being treated. This will help minimize discomfort if getting electrolysis done on an area such as your bikini line. Once this step has taken place, a technician will use a fine needle to poke each unwanted hair follicle using electrolysis; according to board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali MD “it usually doesn’t hurt too much, although some people report feeling an occasional slight sting from each poke.
Electrologists can treat up to 18 follicles during each visit; most sessions last 30-60 minutes and will likely require multiple sessions to fully eliminate all unwanted hair follicles as each one has an individual growth cycle; the longer your hair grows, the more often it needs to be treated in order to effectively get rid of it.
Electrolysis’ primary advantage is its permanent nature – provided you’re willing to undergo multiple treatments over time. The procedure works on all hair colors and skin types, although its greatest efficacy lies with dark, thick and coarse hair (though new laser devices have improved its efficacy on finer or lighter-colored strands).
Laser hair removal does come with its own set of disadvantages; it’s more expensive than its laser counterpart and may take several months to see full results due to each hair growing in three stages before falling out, according to board-certified dermatologist Karan Lal, MD, an expert in medical and cosmetic dermatology and treating patients with diverse skin.
Elise recommends applying soothing cream after your appointment and continues moisturizing it for at least one week post-treatment, in order to minimize irritation and inflammation, which could cause redness in the treatment area. She instructs her clients to continue moisturizing for as long as necessary after they finish treatment.
Laser hair removal tends to be less painful than electrolysis due to being faster and not requiring an electrologist to poke individual follicles with probes. Husain notes that more advanced laser machines tend to feel less intense during treatment.
Discomfort
Electrolysis hair removal requires the skill of an electrologist and takes longer than laser. Numbing the skin before each treatment and using a needle with small enough tip to heat each unwanted hair follicle without harming surrounding tissue is required; treatments can last anywhere between minutes and hours depending on the area being addressed.
As soon as your treatment has concluded, your skin may appear red and irritated. In order to minimize hyperpigmentation and inflammation by moisturizing, and redness can last between one and two days afterward. Elise advises her clients to apply a numbing cream prior to appointments as well as ice the area throughout the day in order to minimize discomfort.
If you are considering electrolysis, be sure to conduct thorough research first. Search for a practitioner with an excellent reputation, ask questions (like whether they offer numbing and the number of sessions they believe you require) prior to scheduling any procedures and get referrals from friends and family who have undergone it themselves.
Electrolysis is an excellent permanent hair removal solution. It has been clinically tested to be efficient on all hair and skin types and is safe around sensitive areas like the face. Though initially discomforting, electrolysis results in smooth and hairless bodies more cost effectively than other methods.
Results
As with other hair removal methods, electrolysis can cause temporary discomfort; however, its effect will soon pass and your skin will return to its usual state. You may feel a pinch or sting every time the metal probe enters a follicle to destroy it; clients have likened this sensation to getting needled or getting tattooed; nonetheless, your skin will heal in hours to come!
Your electrologist may suggest using a topical numbing cream prior to electrolysis treatment in order to reduce discomfort. As opposed to home epilators that use rotating blades and can be painful, professional electrology machines use fine needles piercing the skin and entering each hair follicle individually – this method typically lasts from several minutes up to an hour depending on the size and number of hair follicles being addressed.
After each session, your skin may appear red or irritated due to the needle being inserted into each individual follicle and applied with electric current, destroying them and stopping hair growth. Your body needs at least an hour of recovery time from this treatment’s heat.
Some individuals do not experience any discomfort during an electrolysis treatment session, although this depends on your tolerance level. Others report feeling something similar to being pinched by a hot pincer, or perhaps experiencing rubber band snapping sensations on their skin. Overall, electrolysis tends to hurt less than waxing or threading treatments and even far less painful than laser treatments.
Electrolysis is not covered by insurance and can be costly; especially if multiple sessions need to be done on each body area. Follow-up sessions must also be scheduled so as to detect any new hair growth that wasn’t addressed by previous sessions. And should any issues with folliculitis (an inflammation of hair follicles that leads to clustered pimples during or after electrolysis sessions arise, your dermatologist may prescribe antibiotics – although this condition is relatively rare). To ensure maximum success with electrolysis sessions and minimize cost, discuss all potential issues with your electrologist before beginning treatment sessions!
