had my consutation today, and she also did a 20 minute session on me to see how i reacted.

she said that more than half the hair she removed was in dormant stage of growth. there is still abit there though so fingers crossed it will be in growth phase.

she used a SX-B Blend Epilator is that any good?

the pain wasn't too bad the odd 1 hurt like hell though but it only lasts a few seconds so its not too bad.

SO you are getting blend? This will work, though thermolysis is faster. There are many epilators better than this one, however they are all cpable of energy output that is designed to "kill" hair. The thing that will always matter the most for permanent hair removal is the human being that operates the machine. Never doubt that fact.

been for the second time now, just another 20mins, seemed to hurt alot more 2day. just had a 20 minute session but shes removes alot of hair so every time i get home and have a look i feel better, and think well if it comes back i'll get that son of a bitch.

i no its going to take a fair bit of time though. but i want to know does it hurt less and less everytime you go because your getting thinner weaker hairs?

because she tells me when she is removing the darker coarser hairs and they are the killers.
what could i use to help with the pain?

thanks

You didn't answer Dee's question. Are you getting blend type of electrolysis or thermolysis?

To decrease the pain, you should avoid caffeine, drink lots of water, take a painkiller, and use a numbing cream if you still can't handle it well. Some devices are less painful than others (i.e. the newer computerized ones).

oh sorry, i miss read it.
yes its blend electrolysis.

when she says shes doing the darker hairs it really hurts, but on the finer ones i cant feel it at all.
but no pain no gain.

i should have the area cleared in a week, gonna fit a 40minute session in on friday so that should get things going again after the short session i had.

Is there no one in your area doing thermolysis? That will be much faster and also less painful as the time per zap of each hair is shorter. Thermolysis can kill 5-10 hairs per minute.

she mentions on her website that she does all the kinds of electrolysis. i will ask her next time i go. she said that she thought blend would be the most effective.

as its faster to do thermolysis is it more effective than blend?

thanks

Hi:

Most of my facial hair was removed through thermolysis.
I had a lot of it and found it pretty vile.

They can remove a lot more hair in the same period of time,
and full clearance is what you should be aiming for.
Some of the hairs may be killed on the first treatment,
and some may grow back, but probably weekend. Eventually
once you have had the area cleared on a regular schedule
through the growth phases the number of returning hairs
will decrease till they are all gone.

As far as pain relief I agree with ehat lagirl said above.

Alicia

All modalities of electrolysis are effective if performed correctly. The skill factor determines success. Very close to that is equippment issues. Any epilator will work, but the latest computerized brands run circles around the older generation style epilators for comfort, speed and skin reaction.

Whatever her setup, you are going to get permanent hair removal, but in how long, at what price? Skin condition? level of sensation? I don't know.

Dee

They both work well in good hands, but thermolysis is faster. I found that I needed blend on some deeper hairs, but for most thermolysis was just fine and a lot faster.

thanks.

i phoned her up and im going to try thermolysis tonight at my session.

i will let you know how it goes.
i think im going to try clear a side at a time rather than her removing hair from 1 side then going to the other cause it was too painful. i will just grit my teeth.

Avoid caffeine, take a painkiller and drink lots of water. It should help.

bout an hour since my last treatment, feeling good, thermolysis is alot better. just over 1/4 done now and i've had 4 sessions which have added up to an hour, going to be much faster with thermolysis now. i only had 20mins because she was shutting early because she is open up a new shop and going to sort out the alarm.

but thanks for all your advice. i'm excited about saying bye to this hair. bring on the year of electroysis.

Here's a hug for you scottish. Keep positive!

Dee

thanks dee,

the thing i like about electrolysis is that the hair is removed there and then and you dont have to walk around with stubble for 3 weeks waiting for it to shed, plus i was the finer hair didnt shed so therefore this is a better method for me, i'm not putting laser down it works on loads of people just not me.
i have to wait till monday for my next treatment as my electrologist is off this weekend. but i have appointments monday and tuesday so i'm hoping to be 3/4 done by this time

i pay £60 an hour for my sessions, but i only do about 40mins a time, and carry over the 20mins. would you say this is good value? what do other people pay for an hour?

thanks

That price sounds about right. Is there a reason you're not doing a 1 or 2 hour session to just get the clearance in one sitting?

It doesn't sound like you have a lot of hair if you can clear it all in such relatively short time, so laser is not a good solution anyway, especially since some of that hair is fine too.

she only does 40mins at the most, because shes pretty busy and i can only go night cause i work till like half 5.
but she says that if we are on a roll and i can take it she will keep going. i'm in at half 5 tomorrow and her next appointment isn't till 7:15 so should have a good time then.

when she pulls a hair out and its got a root she gets excited because she says this wont come back. is this true?

thanks

i have just been reading about thermolysis, it says its the fastest method of electrolysis but its the least effective, is this true?
would it be best to get a clearence with thermolysis and then use blend on the hairs that come back?
or is it ok to just keep going with the thermolysis?
the hair is not that thick, its not like stubble, but its not peach fuzz either.

thanks

The cunnard that thermolysis is the least effective form of "electrolysis" is born of a widespread misunderstanding and misapplication of the art and science of permanent hair removal.

The difference is that thermolysis is the most difficult of the three to master, and is the most dependent on proper treatment settings and placement of the treatment element inside the follicle.

What this means is that well performed thermolysis is exactly as effective as blend or galvanic, while being faster. It also means that when those who don't know how to do it well, attempt to experiment with it, their results are less than stellar, thus appearing to confirm their preconceived notion that it is a lesser modality.

Think of it as the difference between the hunt and peck typist and the touch typist. Someone who knows how to touch-type knows it is the way to type the fastest, but when you tell a hunt and pecker that touch typing is faster, they tend to type slower, when they try it, because they don't yet know how to do it. Of course, if they stuck to it, they would find that they quickly surpass their abysmal hunt and peck numbers and join the flying fingers club.

Hi:

My electrologist used mostly thermolysis since that was
the modality she was most comfortable with. I have had very
good results. One of the advantages to using this mode is
that you can clear an area in a shorter period of time.
Even if you have to clear the area more than once,
each time it is cleared there are less hairs coming back.

The beauty is that with regular appointments it is possible
to keep the face cleared and eventually to be rid of all
the hair.

I am really happy with my results and I did have
a lot of hair to start with. My face is now completely
hair free and I don't have to shave ever.

Alicia

I perform PicoFlash thermolysis everyday of the week. That adds up to thousands and thousands of hairs that are treated with thermolysis. Thermolysis simply and magnifigantly WORKS or I wouldn't have a business that keeps me hopping every week year after year. What you are reading is old, stale white bread stuff and what James said is all true as well. Thermolysis is harder to do, especially if you can't see the follicle opening very well. Electrolysis books need to be updated.

Thanks for your confirmation Alicia for the effectiveness of thermolysis working and thank God for hairtell so we can clean up such crazy misinformation.

Effectiveness mostly depends on how good the insertions are. If you find someone who's good at thermolysis, there is no reason for it to be less effective. The only issue sometimes can be on the hairs that are very deep or curly where blend may be needed. But for the majority of the hairs, thermolysis is great. I've had most of my hair removed with microflash thermolysis. I only needed blend for one small area with deeper curlier hairs.

hi sorry for the late reply. hair tell wasn't working for me, for reason for me.

i've had 2 sessions this week which is about an 45mins now and i'm about 3/4 cleared. there was more hair than i thought as there are some really fine hairs that can only be seen up close up but might as well get them think they are new hairs cause they arnt very long and are fine she says.

got a few dark hairs on my shoulders so gonna get them when my back is cleared. doubt that will take long.

think i'm getting addicted, doesnt seem like a proper day unless i get zapped!!!

thanks for all the help.

It is easy to get addicted to electrolysis as long as it is being performed with skill and good equipment. It actually goes pretty fast. When a client comes for one area only, ninety percent of the time, they request that another area be started. It is very common for me to work on 3-5 areas at one time because clearance comes pretty fast for most facial areas and some body areas. That's what one can do with quality tools today using MicroFlash or PicoFlash thermolysis. Using the more modern forms of electrolysis and better probes, first, full clearances come pretty fast for most clients. It is a happy, hopeful day when I have to say those beautiful words to my client, "I don't need to see you now except for every 3-4 weeks."

Go hard at first and then follow those new hair growth cycles as they emerge. You will be so vey happy you did.

Dee

hi,

i've had nearly 3 hours of treatment now, and already i seem to be getting more new hair coming through is this normal?

i have be searching the net and i found a place that has a Apilus Senior II machine. i takes me about an hour to get there in the car but i'm thinking that it will be alot quicker than the machine i'm using at the moment. so i emailed them so i should get a reply on monday as they are shut sundays. but if i can book in for long sessions is this the best idea to change to this machine, as its computerised?

it takes me nearly 30mins to get to my clinic at the moment and she only does short sessions, so travelling and hour to get an hour on a computerised machine should be better right?

thanks

You are experiencing normal hair growth cycles. If you can find an electrologist that offers decent speed, using MicroFlash thermolysis, then it may be well worth your effort to travel farther.

What is the downside of sampling another electrologist??? Absolutely nothing! Try this just once and see if there is any difference. When you meet her, let her know that you want longer sessions. She will know what is possible after she works on you and acesses your situation.

Dee

hi,

i've been going to my usual electrologist, because i couldnt get an appointment to a new place till monday but i'm nearly completely cleared on my back with the dark longer hairs. there are a few new patches coming in but about 30 hairs at the most.

anyways i still have a bit of dark hair on my shoulders so therefore i have an hour session on monday with a new clinic and they have a Apilus Senior II. so i'm sure from what i have read that they should easily clear the area in an hour, maybe less as they isn't a massive amount there, less than 300 hairs easy. and 1 shoulder is alot worse than the other.

i just have a few questions about about microflash and picoflash.
how long does the probe stay in the follicle for? which is faster and most effective of the two?
and are there any questions i should ask at my consultation?

thanks

Both are fast, far less than a second per follicle.

Just express your concerns and goals and observe that hygienic measures are being taken, hair is not being tweezed, insertions are not being felt, though some insertions may be felt as no one is perfect. If you think you have about three hundred hairs, those should be easily handled in an hours time or something is wrong. You will not be getting PicoFlash thermolysis with an Apilus Senior II. It will be MicroFlash, which is still awesome. She may choose another modality if she is not a MicroFlasher. I hope she will do MicroFlash thermolysis for you, but it's her call. You will still get permanent hair removal.

Good luck and check back in!

Dee

less than a second!!!
that is very fast! when i had my first ever session with blend she was using 3 second per hair!!

i'm crossing my fingers for microflash then.
they advertise doing legs on there website so unless you do microflash, i'm guessing they will be there for years.

i'll let you know how it goes on monday.

thanks

i've been today for my consultation and a 15min tester session.

when i asked what she used she said dio-something (i forgot), she says its the fastest and most effective. i dont think i felt 1 hair being tugged at all, so must be effective, it was alot faster aswell, but i am alot redder than normal, does this normally happen?

and also she said its not a good idea to have a massive long session on 1 area because of the energy and heat being used, so she said would do about 40mins in 1 bit then 20 in another, and then start from that 20mins the next time.
i dno if this is good or not?

Methinks "dio-somthing" = Diathermy = Thermolysis.

thats the one.

so this will be a quick method i take it?

i was happy with this consultation as she actually listened to me and didn't try and make out that my hair could be removed with laser.
first thing she said was "god it is fine hair isn't it"

got an hour session booked for wednesday so i will keep you posted. at the speed she going i'm looking forward to it.

even if it takes me 50minutes to get there.

That is the best selling point for Thermolysis/Diathermy/MicroFlash/PicoFlash. As fast as the operator can move, thats how fast hair can be removed. One goes from a speed limit of 1 hair a minute, to the door opened to the possibility of 10, 20 or more hairs removed per minute.

If the effectiveness of the treatments stays high, the increased number of hairs removed also outstrips the efficacy of other methods number of hairs permanently removed with just one treatment.

All methods of electrolysis are effective if the electrologist performs with skill.

Marathon sessions can be done, however, it shouldn't be attempted if the equipment is old and sparky, thus, the preference of many electrologists for using the better brands of computerized epilators. Many electrologists do hours and hours of electrolysis at a time without harming the skin. It is all a matter of setup, skill and stamina. Thin or fine hairs can be hard to see without surgical magnification.

Thermolysis can be faster if one buy an epilator that can do MicroFlash or PicoFlash thermolysis. If she does Thermolysis or Diathermy (same thing), then that may be better for your situation.

Please understand that every modality that falls under the term 'electrolysis' is the most effective. Thermolysis, Blend, Galvanic - doesn't matter and every electrologist should know this and not purport one modality is more effective than the other. The difference lies with skill and time needed per follicle to damage hair growing tissue. I personally lean on thermolysis because much can be accomplished up front to get that precious first clearance. Time to completion is very good as well.

she has a Apilus Senior II machine so i'm guessing she does microflash!

she said in my consultation we will see how this goes and maybe do something different with the settings next time depending on the how your skin reacts.
it looks fine now though. bit red in a few places.

Okay,good. I like her flexibility. It is important to try, observe and then refine strategy for new clients in those beginning sessions. Every client is unique, so we can not be too robotical about treatments. Thanks for the update.

Dee

had my first 1 hour session with the microflash.
it was very good, bit sore in some places though.

is it usual for the electrologist to just work all over? this is what mine seemed to do, i came up in loads of red dots some with white heads, i'm guessing she didnt do some areas so much cause of the red dots. she did clear alot though, but hair was still present in the areas she worked in.

Usually an area is cleared and then the next area is cleared, but not everyone has the same approach. Body work usually reveals red dots. That's okay. White pustules can happen. Did you wash your skin before your appointment? Did she clean off the area before starting? Does she wash her hands and then don gloves, not touching anything that hasn't been wiped with a disinfectant before the treatment?

White pustules can also result from the current and timing being higher than it needs to be to treat the hair.

Keep the area clean with soap and water. Use witch hazel. Use tea tree oil, sparingly, at nightime - it helps dissolve the pus. White pustules don't last longer than 24 hours usually. No need to use antibiotic cream for these, by the way, just stick with the above and you will be fine. Expect scabbing for body work. Leave the scab alone.

Discuss your healing outcome with her and ask her if she purposely left some hairs behind.

Thanks,

Dee

I can't stress enough how much the client's post treatment care is important to what your skin looks like in the days after treatment.

Those clients from out of town who spend days with me, have me sitting on them like a mother hen, but those who come, get treated and leave are on their own recognaisance. Those are the people I often get phone calls asking about swelling, or white bumps, and when I ask them about their post treatment care, they always say, "I didn't think I needed to do anything, as all looked well when I left the office."

Of course, it did, since I sent them on their way with a good start at post treatment care, but they have to pick up the ball later that night.

thanks, the red spots dont seem to last for long, maybe a few hours after treatment, i do get scabbing though, this is normal right?

i have a half hour treatment tomorrow and an hour on wednesday.
i had booked a hour on saturday but after about 45mins she stopped and said that she should maybe stop, it was starting to get more painful with time, but she did remove alot of hair.

james and dee when you do a complete back with electro how much are people paying altogether for total removal? i know i have no where near a full back of hair but i just wondered whats the average cost you would say? then i would have a idea of how much i will be spending.

thanks

sorry its taken so long to update you.

but i have a question. i've had a clearence but it only lasts about a week and then more hair is coming in. i know its nt the same hair but i cant understand because people say after you get cleared then you dont need to go until maybe 3 weeks later.

is this normal for hair to be growing all the time?

I don't know where you see that people don't need to go until 3 weeks later after the clearance. It varies based on how much hair you have and how often you were going in the first place. You need to go in as soon as you see new hair. In the first several months, going weekly is normal.

After your first clearance, your electrologist should give you a rough schedule (every 2 weeks, or 4 weeks or whatnot) for future appointments. If she hasn't given you a schedule, make sure you ask. The schedule between appointments will change over time, as you continue to have clearances.

The hair growing right now is totally normal. This is a simplification of the process, but this should give you the general idea.

At your first clearance, your electrologist removed all of the hair above the skin, regardless of growth stage.

The hair you see now was dormant (from exogen to early anagen) when you had your first clearance, have started growing (full anagen) and has grown up and out of the follicle and is now visible above the skin.

At your next scheduled appointment, that hair you see will be prime for zapping because it is in anagen stage. Now, at the same time, under the skin there will be dormant hair you don't see, and by your next electrolysis appointment those hairs will be in anagen stage and be ready to be treated (and there will be hairs that are dormant under the skin that will be treated at the next appointment, and so on.)

oh right so this is normal?

i suppose when you say every 2-3 weeks that they let the hair grow out for that long? and what i'm seeing is just growing out and will be in its growth stage still in 3 weeks time?

so i shouldnt be worrying about seeing new hair this much?

No, you should not worry.

This is why it is so important to get to First Clearance as soon as possible. Once you do, you have the option of aggressive scheduling that allows you to stop shaving right away, (that is have reclearances every week) or be a little more relaxes about it, and get recleared in 3 to 4 weeks (one would shave much less frequently on this schedual). One could even skate the edge of the razor and get recleared every 6 to 8 weeks, but if you are not traveling a long distance to see your practitioner, I don't know why one would not go more frequently.

In general, it takes 3 to 6 months to find oneself having enough clearance to be sure of being in posession of a stable permanent hair reduction. After that, one boldly goes forward towards permanent hair removal.