Electrolysis for the Therapist

Electrolysis, my go to treatment for Hair Removal

Looking to help improve your client’s confidence by providing a permanent solution to their hair growth problem ?

Unwanted facial hair is embarrassing and sometimes so much so, that it affects a client’s self esteem, their work, home and social life.

Electrolysis offers the only proven method of permanent hair removal as endorsed by the BMA and the FDA. It has been around for over 100 years.

Many Laser technicians are now aware that whilst Laser hair removal treats multiple hairs at a time, it will however, NOT treat white, grey, blond or red hair successfully.

This is the reason why many have chosen to to introduce electrolysis as the final stage in their laser treatment packages.

What is Electrolysis and how does it work as a permanent method ?

Electrolysis is an approved means of achieving a safe and permanent hair reduction and is ideal for all skin and hair types.

The goal is to treat the hair root in order to prevent re-growth.

A tiny probe (the size of a hair) is inserted into the follicle opening visible on the skin’s surface, a current is then applied that creates heat and chemical reactions to destroy the follicles capacity to produce another hair.

For comfort and optimum results at Helen McGuinness Aesthetics, I use the Blend method of Electrolysis, which is less painful, results in less regrowth and treats distorted follicles.

How long will each treatment take?

The average client will receive several sessions lasting from 15 min to one hour, depending upon the area that needs to be treated.

A small amount of hair on a lip, for example, would take much less time and fewer treatments than it would take to do a pair of underarms. The secret to successful and productive electrolysis, is catching each hair in the proper growth cycle and treating it during the optimum growing state.

Typically, appointments are scheduled weekly or every other week at first until an area is cleared.

How many treatments will clients need?

The number of treatments required will vary depending upon the size of the area being treated, the hair density and the strength of hair growth cells.

Other factors including growth cycles, any hormone medication or heredity factors can influence the number of treatments and the end point for permanent hair removal.

When will they see permanent results?

Generally, areas can be cleared from as little as 6 months to between a year and 18 months, if the client is dedicated to completing regular treatments.

Because there are three different growing cycles, some hair remains hidden at any given time, and it may take several treatments to completely clear an area. The number of total treatments will vary from area to area and person to person.

Does Electrolysis always work?

Yes, but not always on the first attempt.

Hair grows in three stages:

1. • Growing
   • Transitional
   • Resting.

The hair’s follicle is only susceptible to treatment during the growing stage, when the hair bulb (growing area) is intact.

Unfortunately there is no way to know what phase of growth the individual hairs are in, which is why it’s important a client returns for treatments frequently.

If a hair is treated unsuccessfully once and then is given too much time to grow again it will once again pass in to its final (telogen) stage where treatment is ineffective.

So what are the benefits of using Electrolysis compared to Laser hair removal?

The main reasons for selecting Electrolysis over laser hair removal is that:

• • It is more reliable for preventing hair regrowth.
  • It’s ideally suited for transgender male-to-female patients for permanent facial hair removal and for those considering Gender Reassignment Surgery.
  • Electrolysis will successfully treat all hair colours, including white, grey, blond or red, which are unable to be treated with laser.
  • Electrolysis is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permanent hair removal.
  • Treatments can be undertaken at regular intervals.
  • It is a cost effective solution for smaller areas of hair growth on the face (i.e lip and chin).

If you’d like to add Electrolysis to your portfolio of skils and be able to offer this to your clients, please click on the following link for details:

Electrolysis Training