pasting a post from an electrologist on another forum which should be VERY helpful to all here:

The following are different suggestions for consumers to consider when shopping for an electrologist. Please keep in mind that being licensed, being certified, nor being a member of an association is a guarantee that an electrologist is the electrologist for you, but it's a step in the right direction when beginning your search. Being licensed or certified usually includes mandatory continuing education, always a plus. Being a member of an association, especially a member that attends meetings and seminars, indicates an extra effort on the part of the electrologist to be on top of what's going on in the world of electrology.

Word of mouth is the best way to begin the search for an electrologist, but it can be difficult to find someone willing to admit they've had electrolysis.

Currently, only 34 states in the US regulate the practice of electrolysis. To check the status of your state, go to http://www.electrology.com/licensingoverview06.pdf

I imagine that all the licensed states require that the license be displayed. Look for it, and also look for the expiration date. Even in licensed states, there will always be those who try to get away with working w/o a license. Sometimes it's because they don't want to pay the fees and sometimes it's because they haven't met the educational requirements. Whatever the reason, it's not fair to those who follow the rules and a danger to consumers.

There are also voluntary certifications. They include CPE-Certified Professional Electrologist, CCE-Certified Clinical Electrologist, and CME-Certified Medical Electrologist. The CPE and CCE are on the same level, just sponsored by different national associations. The CME is the next step up from CCE. You must be a CCE to test for CME. CME is for those electrologists who also do laser hair removal.

I strongly believe that every electrologist should belong to at least one electrology organization. Professional associations are our main source of current information in this profession. Associations exist on local, national, and international levels. Most have websites or newsletters to keep members updated on our profession. They also have membership directories which aide consumers when shopping for an electrologist.

IGHRS-International Guild of Hair Removal Specialists began as an organization to aide consumers. In the 1970's worthless tweezer type devices were popping up in salons across the country claiming to be permanent. Consumers were being scammed. The Guild was formed to take on these fraudulent devices on behave of the consumers. Since then, the Guild has evolved to also include educational seminars for the electrology community.
http://www.ighrs.org

SCMHR-The Society for Clinical and Medical Hair Removal began as an electrolysis only association, but now also embraces laser hair removal. SCMHR sponsors the CCE and CME certifications. www.scmhr.org

AEA-American Electrology Association was formed in the 1950's to work toward regulating electrolysis. AEA has been instrumental in helping many states obtain legislation. AEA sponsors the CPE certification. www.electrology.com

COPE-Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists. This is the only Canadian association I can think of offhand. http://www.electrolysis.ca/

If there are any large organizations that I've omitted, please let me know. There are too many state associations to list each one.

There are 2 sites that have not been maintained in years. Originally the electrologist was to pay yearly to be listed, but I personally only paid for one year, and have been on there for at least 5 years.

www.wrope.com Worldwide Registry of Professional Electrologists and http://www.electrolysisreferral.com Electrolysis Referral Directory. Both of these sites list the names of electrologists in my state that retired long ago. I just mention these sites as another option.

There is one more site I want to mention. It's called, "Electrologists on the 'Net Who Treat Men." It is free to be listed, but it's a very valuable site. Even men who are not seeking genital hair removal seem to have a difficult time finding an electrologist who will treat them. This site has generated more business for me than any of the associations or paid sites combined. http://www.laseawayhair.com/Electrologists.htm

The bulk of my business comes from an ad I run weekly in the local newspaper and the yellow pages. Those clients rarely educate themselves on hair removal before they call me. The fact that you are reading this means you are an educated consumer. I wish I had more clients like you!

CPE's who don't have CCE's are also allowed to take the CME exam, but the goal of the test is to test for LASER.

Some states are also trying to make their training requirements retroactive. California for example is trying to make their school training hours count in other states.

Hi Lagirl,
I do live in Orange Cty. and would love to try your electrolisyst .
Could you give me the contact information?
I'm willing to drive an hour to get proper treatment.
I would really appreciate it.
Thanks

Tina Reynolds in Westwood. you can google her. There are many electrologists in Orange County and nearby there though. I don't think it's necessary to drive all the way out here. I heard of a few in Torrance. There is a mother daughter team I think. If you use the links above, there are a bunch you can check out. just do a few consultations and you can find some good ones. Also, try using the search feature and you can find previous posts with recommendations possibly closer to you.

Just a little bit of information. Long Beach, California happens to have a electrology school, called American Institute of Education. It is possible to help students get their hours in under the watchful eye of very trained teachers for just a few dollars. You can also have your electrolysis performed with the use of Apilus Platinum machines which retail for $9000 each, as they have a large number of them.
You just might wish to consider going to them.

Martha Montgomery

What is a Registered Lectrologist and a Licensed Electrologist?
How does that compare to CPE, CCE, CME?

The search feature on the word "Certifications" would have turned up this post string:
http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads...=true#Post33202

and this one:

http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads...h=true#Post1832

And lots more where that came from.

so go on, give it a try, that little search button is right on the right side of the page my friends.

The link to the AEA website needs to be updated. As of July 2006 licensure became mandatory in the state of Illinois. We worked very hard to get this law passed, and are very proud of it. Buyer beware....there are some electrologists currently practicing who say they are licensed but in fact are not and are practicing illegally. Always check the ifpdr.com website to look up the name of the electrologist.
Thanks,
Debbie

Funny thing is, the immediate past president of the AEA is in Chicago and was president when the change came.

I will notify AEA about the update. I'm not sure if Gerry was retired at that time or not.

Gerry announced the licensure change to the convention in Las Vegas that year when it happened.

can anyone recommend a good electrologist in Portland, Oregon? I am very worried about scabbing and scarring and had a bad experience with an electrologist when I lived in CA. Is it possible to do it on the chin/ under chin and neck area WITHOUT scabbing and or scarring? Does scabbing just have to be acccepted? I have a hard time not plucking some hairs so will I still see progress if I occassionally pluck in between treatments? Your help is greatly appreciated. I have some dark hairs but scattered amongst lots of blonde thick hairs that drive me even crazier.
How do I find out if I have an androgen problem? What tests do I ask for and what kind of Dr. do I see? Is it an endrocrinologist or will a dermatologist work also? Does thyroid play a role?
I had my testosterone tested years ago and it was on the high end of the normal range. Does that mean it is ok as long as it doesn't go OVER the high mark in the normal range?
Sorry for so many questions. I feel so lost , frustrated and embarassed.
Sincerely appreciative,
Jallison

You should not worry so much about temporary scabbing. Most scabbing has more to do with clients who don't practice proper aftercare, and even then it goes away pretty quickly. Just use your Tea Tree Oil overnight, and you won't have to worry.

As for an electrologist,I would start my search with these people:

Jaimee T. Bloom CPE
Wendy E. Dillon CPE
Barbara Failing CPE
Sheila K Ahern CPE

Now go back to your edit profile page and put your location in! It really helps people to help YOU having that info pop up next to your screen name.

you should see an experienced endocrinologist to get tested for PCOS or other hormonal imbalance issues.

scarring is not normal. check out several electrologists and get sample treatments to find the right one. also, make sure to use proper aftercare to speed up healing and minimize scabbing.

you absolutely CANNOT pluck in between treatments. that will hinder your progress and you will goign in forever. You can only shave between treatments. Also, you should try to go in as often as possible in the beginning to get to your first clearance and then go in as soon as new hair pops up (so you have a better chance at killing it right away, when it's still weak) in order to be done as fast as possible.

Scarring is not normal and is unacceptable.
Scabbing, however is normal and should be very short term.

After considering laser as the only option for facial hair removal, I'm looking seriously into electrolysis. Today I met with the only licensed electrologist in my area (I live about 2 hours away from Chicago). Could y'all help me evaluate her?

I'm still trying to figure out what was going on because she was a little flighty and very disorganized in her consultation - a very chatty Cathy and I came out feeling confused in more than one way. She has 10 years of experience, is AEA licensed, is experienced in all three techniques, scabbing doesn't happen with her, clients and colleagues alike are amazed with the efficiency of her work, etc.

However, she stated a philosophical preference for the galvanic method, said that hairs will repeatedly regrow after treatment (within a couple of weeks) warranting weekly treatments over a couple of years, and was incredibly vague about any ballpark number of sessions or even hours for first clearance. She also made some dramatic statement that "you can't kill hair without damaging the skin" which I didn't fully understand. These all appear to contradict some of the things I have read on here. Have I been reading wrong or is something wrong with this picture?

Ultimately, I understand that as flighty as she was, it's her skill with the needle (and the foot pedals) that's more important. Aside from her indecipherable attempts at impression management, how is she sounding? She wouldn't do a complimentary trial run (she charges $40/30 min). If I had her do a couple sessions (she's the only gig in town), how would I know if she's doing good?

-------
p.s. I do appreciate that these things vary by the individual, but it was frustrating that she couldn't (or wouldn't) throw out a few numbers--and yet felt that anecdotes of blonde-haired clients would somehow be informative.

p.p.s. I'm between a Type III to IV South Asian female with some induced hair growth by previous laser treatment. For now I'm trying to remove hair in the jaw area (probably 100 coarse hairs, 200-300 finer hairs), and eventually upper lip, cheek and forehead.

I won't focus on what the electrologist "said" because heresay is uncomfortable for me to address but:

Hairs do not necessarily regrow, hairs cycle in and you need to be patient as much of the hair that grows needs about a year to present itself. As follicles are treated to prevent further growth, you will see fewer hairs so results are immediate.

If the tech. has a preference for Galvanic and that is your only choice, then try it. Personally, I think it is too time consuming but I have met the rare client who insists on it and I will do it only if the hairs are thick and growth is sparce. Since your growth is within small areas, galvanic would be my last choice. Scabbing might or might not happen. As long as they are pinpoint in size, its okay. You can treat the follicles and cause some tissue traumma (edema and erythmea) but its temporary and if she views this as "damaging the skin" then so be it.

Remember, initial clearance and consistant treatments will get you finished faster.

And the fastest way to initial clearance is MicroFlash Thermolysis.

Thanks for your responses everyone. It's good to hear that I wasn't completely mistaken in my understanding that consistent treatments are necessary due to staggered hair cycling rather than regrowth of the same (treated) hairs. Ordinarily I would have asked her to reconcile her understanding with mine, but at that point of the 1-hour consultation I figured she'd only respond defensively. And no one wants to alienate the only electrologist in town!

What concerns me most is her theory of repeated treatments and treated-hair regrowths. I'm trying to figure out whether this is due to a (mistaken) belief that the regrowth is from the same hair treated (versus different hairs cycling in), or whether she is actually under-treating the hairs. I understand that this is hard for you to speculate about, but it would help me strategize how to best work with her. That is, if it sounds like she's treating the hairs just fine, then I'll play along and give her a few tries. On the other hand, if it sounds like she's under-treating, I'll have to figure out how to subtly advocate for a more effective course of treatment (whatever you guys think that is).

Okay, so she talked about having a careful hand to be sure that treated hairs slide out with no resistance. To me that sounds like an indication of proper treatment. But despite this, could she also be using too little power in a single treatment to actually permanently 'kill' the hair? She was quite insistent that a single hair needs multiple treatments (my guess is 20-30) to permanently disable regrowth, and seemed to take pride in her clients never having horrible skin reactions.

Regarding galvanic v. thermolysis: She never actually got around to naming her preferred method, I only assumed galvanic given her critique of thermolysis. She had explained that although she could clear the hair twice as quickly with thermolysis, the regrowth rate was twice as fast as her preferred method (again, note her understanding of regrowth above), which would then require twice as many sessions. To her that indicated that thermolysis under-treats follicles, and she explained to me that the upper layers of the epidermis absorb much of the heat energy resulting in less treatment of the hair's root. However, she was open to doing it if the client desired.

Can MicroFlash thermolysis be done with a foot pedal setup? I forgot to write down the name of the machine she uses, which does galvanic, blend and thermolysis. She explained that it was the most expensive machine on the market when she bought it 10 years ago, and at the time most popular with prominent electrologists. The name had "blend" in it.

I would do a sample 15 min treatment with her and look for the following:

-do the hairs slide out without resistance after being zapped?
-does she use proper magnification?
-what method is she using to get you to your first clearance? how's her speed?
-how does your skin look post-treatment and how does it heal (given proper aftercare of course)

Electrologists are often wary of giving precise numbers when it comes to treatment completion because there are just too many factors involved, that don't necessarily depend on them. however, in most cases, if they do give a number, THEY will be the ones who will get blamed if you're not finished by then. These factors involve how consistent you are in your treatments and committed to getting a bunch of treatments up front to clear the area (better with thermolysis btw at this stage, even if you switch to galvanic afterwards when you know for a fact you're treating just the anagen hair that just came out), underlying medical conditions, etc.

Thanks, I will give her a 30 min session try. So as long as the hair slides out easily, she's treating properly?

I think I'm understanding why thermolysis for first clearance is a better idea: since it removes hair more quickly than galvanic, you're paying for less time clearing hairs that might be mainly telogen hair (which are less effectively 'killed'). Right?

One thing I'm still trying to make sense of is what she meant when she said that hair regrows after 1 week with thermolysis but after 2 weeks with galvanic. I'm assuming she meant that for areas where regrowth is ordinarily quick, such as a man's beard, but why would the techniques yield different regrowth rates?

you are correct on the first statement.

in terms of her other statement, i suspect there was some miscommunication. a hair cannot generate and grow out in 1 week. it has to be a NEW hair. if the exact same hair appears (hard to tell), then it likely broke off on its way out.

Anyone who performs thermolysis who thinks it has that much more of a regrowth rate doesn't understand that the efficacy of thermolysis is all about practitioner skill. If one gets the treatment energy correct, and the insertion correct, it is exactly as effective as galvanic and blend. What you don't have with thermolysis is the higher tolerance for IMPROPER insertions and near misses.

Alright, thanks all for your helpful responses. I will have a try when I get back into town and report back (no doubt with more questions :-) )

Hi I am looking for a recommendation for an Electrologist in New Hampshire. My wife has already had Laser but outside the US and we are looking for an Electrologist as she has very big problems with hyperpigmentation. Plus she will need to get her face done which is finer hairs and the laser might not be worth doing as teh hairs are quite fine but dark.
We have been out of the US for quite a few years now and if anyone has any good experiences in the Concord NH area that would be best for us. We are looking for Thermolysis and someone mentioned microflash but I am uncertain as to what that is. She has a lot of facial hair and really wants it gone.
I looked at the directory but would like to see if anyone has any personal comments about any of teh places.
Thanks
Steve & Cathy

I'm hoping with you that someone in New Hampshire will give you a personal recommendation. We'll see what happens. If no one responds then you need to do the chore of making a list of practitioners close by and then going in for consultations and short treatments.

I remember you from another forum and I won't mention the country you were located at the time because you haven't mentioned it here yourself, but I'm curious if you ever found an electrologist there. I remember you said there was a lot of laser locations, but the electrologist side of things looked dim. Did Cathy have laser performed on her face or was it just body work?

Microflash thermolysis is a variation of thermolysis (heat destruction). It is high intensity and very short timing, well under a second. It can only be performed using a computerized epilator and the electrologist must be very skilled and focused to perform this modality correctly. It is an excellent way to remove hair, any size hair on any color of skin because it is lightening fast, something that would please you both because she has lots of fine dark hair. When I say it is fast, I am saying that you can get the hair cleared and keep the hair cleared until there is no more hair to treat. With consistent appointments, timed to get anagen hair, you can expect permanency in 9-12 months at the best. You may need a few additional months if there are more than the usual hurdles to jump.

Now let's hope that someone comes forward to share the good news about their practitioner from the Concord area.

Dee

http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/75/page/1 - from this forum's directory.

it's hard to get answers to a post like this as by the time someone from NH might read it, it will be very far from the main page. either way, you should post a NEW thread with this question in case that DOES happen. however, your best bet is to call all the electrologists you can find and ask what machine and method they use, how long they've been practicing, etc.

microflash is a faster type of thermolysis. either regular thermolysis or flash will be fine for her, as long as the practitioner knows what they're doing. you would be able to tell after sampling several electrologists and following recommendations here (i.e. not feeling plucking, good post-treatment reaction etc)

Yes we have posted on the other Forum regarding lasers. We are currently in the Philippines but we will be moving back to teh US around Januaryy or so.
Electrolysis is just not done here. The place that does the laser for us also does electrolysis and it's a galvanic unit with a single probe and I'm certain no one theer knows how to operate it very well snce it seems they use it primarily to encourage laser hair removal as electrolysis is just too painful.
Gotta admit doing 1 hair at a time with a single probe would take a very long time.
No chance of getting electrolysis done here not even in Manila.
Cathy just had teh Bikini area done and is still undergoing treatment this last time she was pretty badly burned. The techs heer really don't know anything and my suggestion was to set the pulse to 20ms and 30 joules on the Lightsheer but it seems that while she can handle a 30ms pulse and 30 joules. She can't handle the 20ms pulse. It's been 6 days and the blisters are still bad and the scabs are still pretty black and there is open raw flesh where the scabs have come off.
Thankfully she has a fairly high pain tolerance.
We will finish up the laser but at a lower setting. Once we are in the US I will just have her use electrolysis. Laser woks but with her skin the hyperpigmentation problems would make her face a nightmare. The test spot I forget the setting but it wasn't very high lasted 3-4 months on her face!
Scary! Thankfully it was in an out of the way place on her forehead.

Regarding Microflash does it still use a probe? I really want something that's permanant so she doesn't have to go through this any more. She really wants to be hair free but laser just isn't the answer for her.
It doesn't have to be Concord NH but something within driveable distance would be ideal.
Theer are many paractitioners in the Concord NH area but no idea about if they are any good.
I'm hoping electrolysis will be less painful for her as the burns from the laser take about 2 weeks to heal.
Electrolysis should not need such a long recovery time.
I'm hoping someone comes through for us.
Thanks for the info
Steve & Cathy

Thanks, we are new to this forum and I gave up on electrolysis when I found it wasn't available in the Philippines where we are currently living. My work contract is up here soon and I will be going back to the US.
I'm going to have to study all about electrolysis like I did with laser but Laser in the Philippines is not exactly the way to go. It's cheaper for the same machine by far but the techs often have little idea of what they are doing and know very little about the machines and many places even affliated ones get nervous about using the machines on any setting that would be effective.
I wanted Cathy to use electrolysis but they just don't do it here so when we get back to the US we will get it done there.
How should I post a question so that it will be seen? Also I want to post it in the correct area. I will study up on thermolysis and microflash and see if Ican figure it out. Cathy isn't very good with technical things.
Thanks for your help
Steve & Cathy

http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/1

click "Post New Topic" at top left.

Steve,

To answer one of your questions, microflash thermolysis uses one probe, same as the blend method,which is an awesome modality, too. A skilled electrologist can clear a lot of hair and get to a first full clearance much faster with flash or microflash thermolysis. Most clients find they can tolerate microflash better than other methods if the insertions are good. A skilled electrologist can find levels that individual clients can tolerate. So, the hard part really, is finding a good practitioner.

Please do read all you can. You sound like a good researcher and that's the way you need to approach permanent hair removal. Cathy needs relief as soon as possible. A quicker method of electrolysis, like microflash thermolysis, in my view is essential for Cathy if she has a lot of fine dark hair on her face. This method will give her hope, but she stills needs to stick with the plan for 1-1 1/2 years, generally speaking, as electrolysis is a process. Understand all you can about this and success will come.

Welcome to the hairtell family and feel free to vent or ask other questions.

Dee

Thanks Dee, I appreciate all the info you've given me. I will be sure to check into the various methods and hopefully i can get some recommendations about electrologists in the area we will be living in. Microflash sounds like it might work very well for us especially ifthey can clear a fairly large area pretty quickly. I haven't been able to read much on it as most plaxces on Google just advertise their businesses but I'll keep digging.
We've stuck with Laser for over a year now so I think we will be ok as long as we can find the right people to work with and at a good price.
I know waxing her entire body in the US is just not going to be affordable every 2 months and of course the pain of 2-3 days being able to not do very much isn't an option. As it is they just raised the rates here again to about $40 for an entire body wax and the girl who has been doing it for 1.5 years and is the only good one there is leaving.
Thnaks agin for your help
Steve & Cathy

Thanks lagirl I just posted a question on the main board hopefully we will get an answer.
Steve & Cathy

looking for one near santa barbara

PM James for a recommendation as he knows a known professional in that area or run a search. This isn't the place to post asking for recommendations.

Everyone, please start a separate post with questions!

This topic is nice for info about how to find an electrologist in the states.. But how about internationally?

Could we start a thread dedicated to listing international electrologists for those living and traveling outside the borders of the U.S.A.?

This information is a lot harder to come by than it might seem, especially when it might be in a foreign language. I think A repository of this sort would be very useful.

You know, we always entended that everyone from around the world would participate in this section, we just have had very little participation from those outside the US and Canada.

Hmm.. I wonder if that's because more due to an actual lack of electrologists outside the US and Canada, or because people outside the US and Canada aren't as aware of this website...

In the case of China and Hong Kong, it seems (after a year of searching) to be an actual (utter) lack of electrologists.

India and Austrailia seem to lack electrologists as well. Laser and IPL is on every corner throughout the world, but good luck finding a professional electrologist that operates a hygenic office, wears surgical magnification, has great lighting and uses a top of the line computerized epilator. This is a big clue to anyone living in those countries who doesn't have a job and would like to be the most famous person in a particular town/city/province/territory/region/country. Talk about monopolies! A qualified, modern electrolgist would own the hair removal market in some parts of the globe, hands down - book closed.

Dee

good topic and nice site

Thanks for the compliments, but are you purposly spamming on a website that clearly poo-poo's this practice? The links are not helpful.

What I always find confusing is that the people that spam seem to think it's a way of advertising. I look at the company their spamming across a forum or part of the Internet and take a mental note of not to trust them if I do for some reason come across them again

Dunno if it is just me.

Regards,
Benji

We highly prefer consumer diaries on their hair removal experiences written over a long time period that coincides with hair growth cycles, rather than phoney-like promotive type posts. Sorry, I can't even understand these links to know if they are phoney promotions for one's self gain. I'm doing a lot of assuming here. Consumers are more savvey these days and thankfully look at posts like this with a very crooked, squinty eye. I admit we are very hard on posters that appear self-servng. It just causes a visceral, protective reaction when we think we "smell" a rat. I apologise if my instincts are wrong, feelyou.

Looking at the sites more closely - the second site, if I'm correct, is a information site on beauty processes, although it does look suspicously like it's advertising a certain procedure over others. For example, enzymes in certain products for slimming, medical procedures for cellulite, as well as a lot of other things. Although I'm not 100% sure as my French is that good.
The third link is a site a promoting a tgype of Internet phone, which apparently means you can make "Cheaper calls".

Yet, funnily enough the first link to a hair removal site or clinic (this is a guess looking at the URL) doesn't work, despite being the most relevant here. I think your right Dee about the spamming, although if I am wrong, I apologise as well.

Regards,
Benji