About Electrolysis

Electrolysis is …

… the only form of Permanent Hair Removal…period. It effectively treats all hair colors, all skin colors and all hair types on almost any part of the body for men, women and people in transition. It is also the only permanent solution to unwanted hair that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As recorded in medical journals, it was first used in 1875 by ophthalmologist Dr. Charles E. Michel to treat ingrown eyelashes.

… a method of permanent hair removal that involves the gentle insertion of a very fine, sterile, single use filament into the hair follicle. The hair follicle is a natural opening in one’s skin, therefore the filament slides into the opening without the client feeling it. A high frequency or galvanic current is then briefly applied to the bottom of the hair follicle, which over a series of treatments, destroys the papilla at the base of the hair follicle.

Key factors of effective treatment:

1. Proper insertions into the hair follicle. A small (disposable) wire filament is carefully selected to match the diameter of the hair/follicle and then, with the aid of microscopic loupes, is inserted alongside the hair into the follicle, which is a natural opening in your skin.

2. Proper choice of modality and sufficient intensity to be able to remove the hair without a plucking sensation.

Three modalities:

Galvanic Method

This method uses galvanic current (D.C.) that reacts with the salt and water in your skin (this reaction is named ‘electrolysis’) to form lye which then destroys the follicular tissue. This method is excellent for treating distorted hair follicles that may result from repetitive tweezing or waxing, or simply from having natural curly hair.

Unfortunately, galvanic current on it’s own is very slow so this method is not used often. Instead, Blend is the preferred method to benefit from the use of galvanic current.

Thermolysis Method

Also called ‘short-wave’, this method utilizes high-frequency current (A.C.) to produce heat, which is used to destroy the follicle.

This is used when treating vellus hair, those soft blondies that shimmer in the sun, or for treating hair that is not overly distorted.

Blend Method

This combines both the galvanic and thermolysis modalities. The heat of the thermolysis current speeds up the chemical reaction of the galvanic current. This is an excellent method for treating hair that has had several temporary methods of hair removal resulting in follicle distortion.

The resulting method is slightly slower than thermolysis but much quicker than straight electrolysis and is very effective on problematic hairs.

Still interested?

Once the hair has been successfully treated, it is lifted from the follicle with a pair of sterile forceps. The client should feel the current but not the hair being pulled from the follicle. If there is a repeated plucking sensation, this may indicate insufficient treatment which results in an expensive tweezing session. If this happens frequently, a client should discuss the matter with their Electrologist as some minor changes to the treatment plan can remedy this. Seek other advice if plucking is still an issue after discussing the matter.

There are factors that influence the total amount of treatment required from person to person:

Hair that has been plucked or waxed repeatedly for years. Plucking creates trauma to the skin and our bodies react as if there is an injury at the site so blood rushes to the area to repair the trauma, bringing with it hormones that “fertilize” the area which causes the hair to become more coarse. These hormones also “fertilize” the surrounding facial hair, causing a greater problem than what you initially started out with. This probably sounds quite familiar to anyone who has tried eliminating unwanted hair by tweezing repeatedly only to find that the unwanted hair multiplied and became thicker and darker.
Polycystic ovaries, medications, and ongoing stress can prolong Electrolysis treatment duration based on the fact that hormone production is enhanced and elevated. During the consultation and throughout the process the cause of your unwanted hair should be discussed.

Electrolysis is not a one-time treatment but a series of treatments over a period of time. With consistency, 12-24 months is a realistic treatment duration.

Once you start Electrolysis treatments it is very important to cease all hair removal methods that result in plucking the hair from the follicle.