I have tried contacting the referrals from the older posts.. but many of them are not in place... can lagirl or James W. Walker or someone who has undergone this treatment refer someone in Bay area CA please.. I have found this forum to be the best by far. I will really appreciate any help I get... thanks..

Where in the Bay are you located? There was a regular posted here before from Hayward, who can probably help you more. But you'd really have more options by using the "how to find an electrologist" links in the sticky post on the electrolysis sectoin of the forum and going in for sample treatments.

thanks... i live in san mateo in bay... I can travel anywhere in nearby cites as long as I get an electrologist that has a reference. I did check those links too. I found some electrologists.. but as they are not refered.. I am not sure of them..

Most electrologists are not referred here, mostly because we only know about people in our area. Don't let that put you off. There are lots of competent electrologists out there. Read the electrolysis forum and learn what you should be looking for. Then go for consultations and sample treatments. You'll be able to judge quickly who leaves your skin looking perfect.

Thanks a ton for building my confidence. I have been reading the "professional Electrolysis" thread very much... I kinda got an idea what to look for.. I will be visiting for sample treatments soon.. Thanks.

I've been to Cindy Green in Palo Alto... Nice lady, left no scars. However, she works too fast end ends up plucking most of the hairs. She claims she doesn't, and I don't think she does it intentionally. However, my hairs grew back thicker and darker, which always happens when they're plucked.

I recently switched to Sanae in Santa Clara (http://www.bodyandskincare.net). Only been to her once, so too early to see if the results are permanent. However, she definitely does not pluck. She is very meticulous and takes her time on inserting the needle to get it in proper placement. I can feel the hairs slide out effortlessly. It's been 2 weeks since my appointment, and the hairs have not returned yet. They always returned pretty quickly after my sessions with Cindy Green. No scars either.

~M

Thanks. I am having a consultation with both of them tomorrow. Lets see how that goes.

Good luck on the consultations! Word of warning, Sanae has a pretty heavy accent and may be difficult to understand sometimes. However it appears that she has a much more professional training background, and her method feels more focused and thorough.

If the hair was in fact plucked, the hair wouldn't be returning in only a few weeks anyway. The same exact hair would only show again this early if it broke off on the way out. You can't judge whether they're plucking by trying to figure out if the hair regrows fast or not. You can only judge based on whether the hair slides out without resistance on the way out.

What machines do they both use? What electrolysis method? I would recommend to try to find someone who uses a type of thermolysis (flash, microflash, picoflash, etc) and one of the newer epilators like Apilus.

I don't know the science behind it. But I know for a fact that on my body, if I pluck a hair, the hair in that immediate area will grow back thicker and darker. Can't tell you if it's the exact same hair, or hair from a folicle half-a-millimeter away, but thicker and darker is the end result. Shaving never changes my hair texture or color (except for the tip being more blunt). Just the way my body reacts to plucking - not saying that other people will react the same way.

Now after having been to both the electrologists mentioned in the previous post, I can say for certain that the first one I went to plucked. If you ever plucked your eyebrows, then you know how plucking feels: like a pin prick with a slight tug of the skin. She told me that the plucking sensation I complained about is just the electricity zapping the hair. I had started with just 3-4 dark hairs on my chin, the rest was peach fuz. She recommended to zap the longer peach fuz as well, and I agreed. Now all the peach fuz is growing in thick and dark. Needless to say I'm pretty pissed at myself for not having trusted my pluck-suspicions from the start. Now that I tried another electrologist, I know how it's supposed to feel when the hair slides out effortlessly, without being plucked.

Moral of the story: when you are attempting electrolysis for the first time, try several different people in the beginning. It's very hard to tell how good a professional is unless you have others to compare them to.

I was unable to meet Cindy but met Samae last weekend. She shounded fine... I actually forgot to ask her wht type of electrolysis she used.. was so much into other info that I forgot this one! I am too getting my chin hair treated. I am kind of in the similar condition like yours.. and now listening to your case, I am kind of worried. I have another issue.. I had an outbreak on my chin long ago.. so I Have black spots left by the acne I had there.. I have a couple of small acne now too.. will this be a problem?

Yes, it's definitely important to get sample treatments with several electrologists to pick the best one.

sgupta, call around and find someone who uses an Apilus machine or thermolysis or flash or microflash in the area. I wouldn't even get sample treatments or waste time on appointments before you find out this information over the phone. That will already help you narrow things down.

maharet, how old are you? how serious is your facial hair problem?

If I remember correctly, Senae uses thermolysis.

lagirl, I'm in my mid-20s. My facial problem isn't too horrible - just some dark hairs on the chin. It started out with just a few hairs, but became worst after my first electrologist plucked the chin... Anyways, my thyroid hormone levels are normal. Haven't been checked for testosterone levels, but I don't seem to have any other androgen-related problems besides the chin hairs.

If it's just some chin hairs, it's probably normal.

Plucking can cause hairs to become darker and more coarse, but it can also be just because you're in your mid-20s and hairs are getting darker and more coarse regardless.

Yes Samae uses electrolysis. I had my first time ever electrolysis yesterday. Samae was good, used disposable needle, gloves etc.. It was painful, for some hair it was ok but for some it was really very much painful. I am having some bumps, no redness and no other problems YET. I have kept my fingers crossed.

Hey maharet, how your condition now? after the treatment done by sanae?

I had my first electrolysis ever 2 days ago. Everything was fine until yesterday. I now see small pimples on my chin where the needle was inserted. What do I do now? Please help me!!

What are you using for aftercare? Are you keeping the area clean and dry? If you haven't already, purchase witch hazel at a drug store and apply a few times a day. You should avoid using lotions, makeup for a few days after the treatment, or any facewashes or anything else with chemicals to let the skin heal well.

Also, can you clarify what these look like? Are they white? A few of those are normal and the above aftercare routine will help you prevent them altogether. They will go away within a couple days.

Yes they are white. I will buy the witch hazel today. I havent applied any facewash or cremes. I only applied ice couple of times and I wash my face with cold water as suggested by my electrologist.

They're normal, especially in the beginning when your skin is getting used to treatments. Witch hazel should help. Ice is good too. Keep the area dry and clean. They'll go away within a couple days. It's just your skin healing itself.

Hi sgupta,

After Sanae treats my chin, the area is a little red and slightly bumpy. I assume it's just tiny swellings. The redness and bumpiness goes down within 1 or 2 hours. I never had any white pimples after treatment, although I hear it's a normal reaction. Unless you are prone to breakouts, the pimples should disappear pretty quickly.

Don't forget that electrolysis in effect damages the hair root and surrounding area, and the skin eventually pushes the damaged tissue out to the surface... kind of like the skin purging out a splinter. It's the natural healing process. Perhaps your pimples are related to that.

Personally, I don't do anything special to the treated area. I don't use makeup or creams. Sometimes I'll use olive oil as moisturizer, but not on treatment days. On treatment days I don't put anything on my skin before or after the treatment. Sanae usually applies some soothing gel after treatment, but otherwise I don't mess with my skin for the next day or two.

Thanks, I have started applying witch hazel and its working! All pimples have vanished but one. I have not applied any face wash or anything till today. I still have the bumps though. Any suggestions as to when is it safe to go for the next round?

When you are healed completely. Should take a week or less for your face, a little more time is needed for body work. I have found that my clients who have oily skin are more prone to pustules. Tell your electrologist. Maybe she/he needs to adjust the intensity?? Yes, witch hazel is good. Tea tree oil helps to disolve the pus. Use it sparenly at bedtime by applying with a cotton swab. No re-dipping the used cotton swab in the tea tree bottle.

Dee

It can take about a week for everything to go away. It's normal, especially when your skin is still getting used to the treatments. Witch hazel and icing will help. Once everything is back to normal, you're ready to go again.