Electrolysis permanently eradicates each hair follicle; treatment sessions will vary from person to person and could take as many as 12 sessions for an entire area of body hair to be eliminated.
Though undergoing electrology treatments can be challenging, there are steps you can take to prepare and minimize irritation during treatments. We spoke to various electrologists and dermatologists about what to expect during their appointments and how best to get results.
1. Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep can help ensure you arrive at your treatment relaxed and in an upbeat mood, enabling the systems that control pain receptors to function optimally.
Electrolysis works by inserting a small probe into each hair follicle to destroy and prevent future growth. While electrolysis may feel somewhat uncomfortable at first, its level of discomfort depends on your personal pain tolerance; many clients report finding electrolysis less painful than waxing or shaving – although every person’s comfort levels vary.
Make sure that you go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning, especially on weekends. Doing this will reinforce your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and help you sleep faster overall.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol at least 24 hours prior to your appointment, and stay clear of activities which cause excessive sweating around the area of treatment. Such activities may trigger dilation of blood vessels which will increase pain. Although scabs may form after treatment, leaving them alone to heal will prevent infection from developing.
2. Drink plenty of water
To effectively treat hair follicles, it’s imperative that skin hydration be ensured prior to and post electrolysis treatment.
Hydrated skin helps facilitate more efficient electrolysis sessions. Furthermore, drinking plenty of water is great for overall health benefits and strengthening immunity.
After an electrolysis treatment, your skin may feel irritated and red. One simple way to soothe irritation and redness after electrolysis treatment is icing the area with an ice pack; this will soothe it quickly while speeding healing time. Furthermore, direct sun exposure must be limited post-treatment in order to decrease hyperpigmentation risks as well as avoid sunburn that could leave sore and tender areas behind.
Be mindful when seeking electrolysis that it may require multiple sessions before seeing results; the exact number may differ depending on who you ask and their individual hair growth cycle – anagen (growing phase), catagen (transitional phase), and telogen (resting phase). Therefore, each hair needs to be addressed at its appropriate moment so all unwanted hair can be eliminated permanently.
Therefore, it’s advisable that you locate a licensed electrologist with expertise in working with your hair type and skin color. A friend or family member with previous electrolysis experience could also recommend someone they trust as a technician.
Electrolysis does not typically cause much discomfort for most people; even when treating sensitive areas. Many can even read or listen to music during their appointments and ibuprofen should help relieve any pain they might be feeling.
Electrolysis treatments can take some time, making finding a quality electrologist extremely important. Look for one who understands your body and hair type while charging an affordable fee.
3. Stay out of the sun
Are you tired of shaving and waxing to get rid of unwanted hair? Electrolysis offers a permanent solution that will leave your skin hair-free forever. Electrolysis works by inserting an extremely fine needle or wire into each hair follicle without puncturing your skin, says board-certified dermatologist Michele Green, and then using electric current to penetrate each follicle, permanently disabling its base and eliminating existing or any new hair growth from that site. While electrolysis works anywhere on the body where unwanted hair exists, its most efficient results can be seen on faces or underarms.
Sadyk Fayz, a board-certified nurse practitioner and expert on hair removal treatments, suggests it is wise to set regular appointments and keep to them, as permanent hair removal sessions can take anywhere from six months to a year to complete. She further stresses the need to find an electrologist who is familiar with your skin type, hair color and amount of unwanted hair you wish to get rid of.
As Elise suggests, shaving, tweezing or using wax on the area for one week prior to your appointment could make you more sensitive and increase sensitivity levels during and after. If necessary, trim hair using either a small bikini razor or scissors so that each strand measures at least 1/4-inch long before cutting them with the blades. Also be sure to moisturize both before and after treatments by applying thick cream with Neosporin or hydrocortisone in it; these may help soothe it further post-treatment.
Following your appointment, it is completely normal for the treated area to become red and swollen. Sleep in an inclined position and use cold compresses throughout the day to minimize swelling, she suggests. Take as necessary (ibuprofen or otherwise) for pain management or discomfort relief.
Some individuals experience a pitted appearance following their treatment, caused by dead space left by destroyed follicles being filled in with scar tissue from wound collagen fusing into smooth tissue over time. Although this technique works on most hair colors or skin types, large treatment areas may not be appropriate and thus it may not be the right solution.
4. Keep your skin clean
Preventing electrolysis hair removal by keeping your skin clean is one of the most vital tasks you can perform both before and after hair removal with electrolysis. This requires daily cleansing with gentle products and patting dry instead of rubbing dry after each washing session, plus using thick moisturizer on your face after every cleanser application.
Keep your skin hydrated to help accelerate healing faster and avoid itching after electrolysis treatments, and use a moisturizer like hydrocortisone 0.5% cream as needed to calm any reactions such as itching. Occasionally, however, an electrolysis session may irritate the area directly beneath an electrode and manifest as itching, redness or an eczema-like response; in such instances use mild steroid cream like hydrocortisone 0.5% on this area to calm any adverse reactions.
One important step you should take before your next appointment is to refrain from shaving or tweezing in the area until then. Shaving can cause microscopic cuts and scrapes in the hair follicle, allowing bacteria into it, leading to infection. If necessary, trim hair instead with scissors or tweezers instead.
As your skin recovers after electrolysis treatments, it’s wise to avoid tanning in the sun or using sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 30. When selecting sunscreen products for daily wear, ensure they have consistent application at least every other day and use sunscreen with high SPF ratings (at least 30). Keep in mind that permanent results require multiple sessions; aim for weekly or biweekly electrolysis appointments until all unwanted hair growth has been eliminated from that area.
Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved permanent hair removal technique. While multiple sessions will clear an area of unwanted hair, and up to one year for your wound collagen to transform into smooth tissue that won’t produce additional hair growth, if you’re considering electrolysis as a solution it’s wise to research which practitioner would best meet your individual needs.
