Electrolysis stands out from temporary hair removal methods by being permanent and one of the more costly solutions available to customers.
Electrolysis involves inserting a needle into a hair follicle’s opening. A small electric current passes through it, killing and preventing future hair follicle growth. Clients typically describe electrolysis treatment as feeling like quick heat or pinching sensation.
What is Electrolysis?
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal method that works by permanently damaging each unwanted hair follicle’s root. A fine pre-sterilized probe is inserted into each natural opening of each hair follicle without penetrating the skin, and sodium hydroxide or an electric current delivered through this probe to cut off blood supply to it and destroy it, thus preventing future hair growth from taking place.
Electrolysis treatments fall into three broad categories, galvanic (which uses chemical reactions), thermolysis (which employs heated needles), and blend techniques that utilize both. No matter which option is selected, all procedures should be administered by an experienced electrologist licensed in each technique chosen for permanent hair removal. It should be noted that electrolysis results don’t show instantly; clients require multiple sessions in order to fully eliminate all hair in a treatment area.
Electrolysis stands out as an ideal permanent hair removal method due to its pinpoint precision in targeting each individual follicle, unlike temporary methods like waxing and threading.
Electrolysis can be used to effectively remove unwanted hair from most parts of the body, such as eyebrows, nose and ears, face (eyebrows, upper lip, chin and jawline), neck, shoulders, arms and underarms, breasts abdomen and bikini line. Electrolysis is also often employed to treat hirsutism – excessive hair growth on face and body due to heredity hormone levels or drugs or illnesses that stimulate hair growth – though many women with this condition opt for electrolysis instead in order to achieve more balanced looks.
How Does Electrolysis Work?
Electrolysis involves inserting a small needle or probe into the natural opening of your hair follicle without penetrating your skin, then sending an electric current down it to damage its dermal papilla, matrix and bulb of hair follicle, ultimately closing it permanently and no longer producing new hair growth.
Electrolysis comes in several varieties; thermolysis is the most popular. Low-level heat applied to the tip of an electrolysis probe causes both epidermis and dermis to swell and melt, effectively disabling hair follicles’ ability to grow new hair follicles.
Galvanic electrolysis uses direct current to trigger chemical reactions within the follicle that lead to its destruction – although this approach is slower and less effective than thermolysis.
An excellent electrologist will take the time to analyze your hair growth pattern and develop an individualized treatment plan tailored specifically to you and your requirements. This approach ensures maximum results and reduced treatment frequency.
Once it is time to begin treatment, your electrologist will apply a numbing cream across the area being addressed, which may take up to several minutes before becoming fully effective. Once done, during your electrolysis appointment you will simply have to lie back and relax!
Electrolysis treatments typically take between four and six months to permanently rid yourself of unwanted hair. Because hair grows in stages, we need to treat each follicle as it progresses through these cycles. Most clients require several regular sessions every week or every other week in order to achieve the desired result; sessions should preferably occur every week or every other week.
How Long Does Electrolysis Take?
Electrolysis may take more than a year to successfully remove hair permanently, yet remains the only permanent method available. The reason it takes so long lies within how hair grows: each follicle undergoes three phases: anagen (growing), catagen (resting) and telogen (dormant). For effective removal of root-level hairs during their growing phase by an electrologist, several sessions must be attended in order to effectively eliminate unwanted strands from an area completely.
As with any medical procedure, electrotherapy treatments may cause some discomfort; the intensity will depend on both you and the size of the area being treated. Some describe it as feeling similar to being stung by bees or having hot needles piercing their skin; most electrologists will offer topical anesthetic to ease this sensation during your session.
Once your electrolysis sessions have concluded, hair should not grow back and you won’t have to worry about them anymore. However, if your results don’t satisfy you as anticipated it’s possible more sessions may be necessary; to know this accurately schedule an appointment with an electrologist who will assess what exactly needs to happen for best results.
Your electrologist will tailor a tailored treatment plan to ensure all unwanted hairs are gone for good. Depending on the size and amount of growth on your body, multiple sessions may need to be scheduled each week or bi-weekly in the beginning – then once all hair has been eliminated it should only take 15-minute visits once every few weeks or three.
Does Electrolysis Work on All Hair Types?
Although both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Medical Association (AMA) recognize electrolysis as the sole permanent method for hair removal, many women still wonder whether or not it works on all types of hair. Electrolysis treatments benefit all hair colors and skin types equally – no one need be excluded!
Electrolysis, when performed by a trained electrologist, is one of the safest ways to permanently eradicate unwanted hair. Unlike waxing, threading or tweezing which damage hair shafts directly, electrolysis targets the roots to destroy hair-producing cells at their source – providing truly permanent results.
Electrolysis only has minimal side effects, with redness and tenderness at the treatment area for up to 24 hours after your appointment. A pain reliever taken an hour prior can help manage discomfort as can using ice on the treatment site.
Your electrologist will insert a tiny probe into each hair follicle and apply a gentle impulse from her epilator equipment, potentially creating a stinging sensation during treatment. Therefore, it is crucial that you feel secure enough during this procedure so you can concentrate on doing the best job possible.
Electrolysis has been around for more than one hundred years, and various techniques have been developed over time to make the process safer and more effective. Today there are two primary forms of electrolysis – galvanic and thermolysis; with thermolysis using heat instead.
Dependent upon the area and type of hair that exists on your body, multiple sessions may be needed to reach your desired outcome. This is due to how hair grows in cycles which take time for all growth cells to be destroyed; furthermore, dormant hairs that have lain dormant for some time may reemerge and require treatment as well.
What Are the Side Effects of Electrolysis?
Electrolysis can have some temporary side effects that could hinder hair regrowth. These side effects may include redness, scabbing and irritation; however, these should subside within 24 hours or less. Electrolysis should not be performed on people suffering from conditions like keloid scarring, active skin infections or hemophilia as these would complicate matters further.
Electrolysis is a safe and effective method for eliminating unwanted hair. The process involves inserting a needle or thin probe into each opening of a hair follicle, and administering low-level electrical current through this needle to destroy its contents – eliminating future growth of that particular follicle and thus stopping further hair follicle development. Although electrolysis may seem painful at first, the electrologist will have to insert each individual hair follicle individually for best results.
As electrolysis can be quite painful, you may wish to use local anesthetic prior to starting treatment sessions. Keep in mind, however, that electrolysis requires multiple sessions for permanent hair removal.
Electrolysis stands out as the only permanent form of hair removal recognized by the FDA, making it ideal for women dealing with hormonal problems like PCOS. Electrolysis also effectively prevents future hair growth on all types of skin.
Electrolysis offers another great advantage over shaving or waxing: its convenience. In fact, electrolysis doesn’t need to be done regularly like shaving or waxing – you can go days without shaving but still benefit from having smooth and soft skin! This feature is especially valuable for people with sensitive skin who can’t tolerate frequent shaving due to irritation caused by conventional razor blades. Likewise, electrolysis eliminates the hassle of tweezing hair by having it fall out naturally over time.
