I’ve been to 3 clinics so far, and the first two I went to I had to hold onto a metal probe while they treated me.
Just went to a new place today and the machine said Apilus on it, might be spelled wrong. Anyway I didn’t have to hold anything. She’d just insert the needle and the machine would beep, then she would take the hair out with a tweezer. Sometimes if it resisted she’d put it back in and it would beep once or twice more and she’d remove the hair again.
I assume that’s normal but just want to make sure not all machines need me to hold something?
The metal bar is held during galvanic or blend treatments as a ground.
The metal bar is held, sometimes, during thermolysis as a sensor.
Why not call the places you visited and ask them, “Am I getting galvanic, blend or thermolysis”? Ask, “Why am I holding a metal bar”?
There is way too much misinformation and misunderstanding when clients or prospective clients do not ask their technicians.
It seems pervasive that questions are not asked directly to the practitioners. Is it that the techs seem too busy to answer or are unapproachable? If the question is an afterthought, phone them or send emails. Get the issues cleared up ASAP so there is no misunderstanding and then panic… as seems to be the case way too often here on HairTell.
I can call them and find out, or ask tomorrow when I go back. Either way are there any normal treatments where you don’t hold it? That’s my main thing, if it’s normal to not always hold anything then I don’t care I just wasn’t sure since my older 2 places I had to hold it. Those machines were really old though where as today it looked brand new. She wasn’t the most friendly so that’s why I didn’t bother asking.
With modern epilators, it is an erroneous assumption to state that holding the indifferent electrode must mean blend or galvanic currents are being used. With thermolysis, the indifferent electrode is used when the electrologist is NOT using a footswitch to turn the current on. With an indifferent electrode, the electrologist can utilize auto-delay timings according to the other parameters of the treatment.
I haven’t used a footswitch for 22 years - and my specialty is thermolysis. Almost every time a client of mine returns who had treatments elsewhere, they comment that the other electrologist assumed that I was performing blend or galvanic.
mdshs: I would hope that all electrologists want you to ask questions. During the consultation, my clients are told several times, “If you have any questions, at any time, please feel free to ask!”
I just got back from another session, the machine doesn’t even have a handle to hold if I wanted to It was thermolysis that was used on me, and the machine an Apilus Senior it said. I didn’t notice if she was using a foot switch though. I just know that when she would insert the probe the machine would beep, and sometimes she would insert it once or twice more and make it beep a couple more times. A few times during the treatment it did a quick rapid 5 or so note beep almost like an error tone but she didn’t seem to really notice it.
At my appts I hold onto that “something” and the rod felt sponge-like. My electologist calls it the “boyfriend” so I just assumed that it was one of those things that when using the blend method the client had to hold on to for safety purposes. Now I’m curious to ask her what the purpose of it is.
It will be interesting to hear what she says when explaining that…
The indifferent electrode has nothing to do with “safety” as in ground…it is a neutral wire that completes the circuit.
The beeps indicate completion or aborting of the current. The electrologist might choose to change the angle of insertion resulting in a different sounding beep.
Yes, perfectly normal not to hold a metal bar, depending on the type of electrolysis you’re getting. My technician uses an Apilus Platinum (thermo) and I’ve never held a bar during any of our sessions. However, I do hold a metal rod for the ionophoresis she performs afterward. (She always wraps it first in a wet wipe, though I’m not sure why?)
The metal bar is held during thermolysis when the electrologist chooses to work in automatic mode, having nothing to do with galvanic or blend. If the electrologist wants you to make contact with the metal bar during thermolysis, it is being used as a sensor, not a ground.
It was thermolysis that was used on me, and the machine an Apilus Senior it said. I didn’t notice if she was using a foot switch though. I just know that when she would insert the probe the machine would beep, and sometimes she would insert it once or twice more and make it beep a couple more times. A few times during the treatment it did a quick rapid 5 or so note beep almost like an error tone but she didn’t seem to really notice it.