hello
i have read on another forum that eletrolysis can worsen hyperpigmentation - is this true
i have been having ipl treatments - i dont know whether to continue with ipl or try eletrolysis instead. IPL has not given me any scars but my skin has gone darker. i am having it done on my upper lip
i have seen a few electroligist and they have told me to stick with the ipl as elctrolysis will cause scarring
my technician is using the chromolite machine - i have asian skin
This is utter BS, DS, HS, PS. So, a few electrologists told you to stick with IPL treatments because electrolysis will cause scarring. Are you very sure of that statement? If you are, then you have been lied to by electrologists that were not trained in the first place.
Your only hope, my dear, for permanent hair removal lies with electrolysis - not IPL. IPL has darkened your skin and that doesn’t sound so great. How many treatments have you had with the IPL for your upper lip? When the treatments stop, the hyperpig should gradually disappear hopefully over several months. This is how some people’s skin reacts to trauma.
If you live in an area on the planet where there are no PROFESSIONAL electrologists who actually use the best and most excellent equipment available, then stick with your IPL treatments. You may have to do this for years and hopefully, more hair won’t be stimulated to grow on your face. This can happen you know.
If you are lucky enough to live near a PROFESSIONAL electrologist who can deliver permanent hair removal with absolutely no scarring then you will be a happy flower within 9-12 months. There are many electrologists in the world that know what the heck they are doing, by the way.
Maybe where you live, electrolysis care is not up to professional standards. Be it known loud and clear that the act of performing electrolysis DOES NOT CAUSE external SCARRING. What causes scarring is when an untrained so-called “professional” hot shot uses human guinea pigs to enhance their income.
One thing is for sure, IPL makes more money quicker, and for less physical work when compared to electrolysis. 
When properly done by a well trained practitioner, all that remains is hair free skin. It just looks like none ever grew there.
I have a client who has Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, who can’t even recommend me to friends anymore, because ten years after her last treatment, no one believes she ever had a problem! Alas, I guess I did my job too well. 
hi
i have had 5 ipl treatments on the area. there has not been much hair growth but it is dark so it looks like a moustache anyway
very upsetting for a female
i am booked in to see an eletrologist on Tuesday - is there anything i should ask her? she said the type of electrolysis she does is diathermy
has anyone had experience of hyperpigmentation on the upper lip? not even foundation covers it - you can see it all the time
Diathermy is the same as thermolysis or shortwave, etc. Tissue that makes hair grow is destroyed by heat with this method, to put it quite simply.
No wonder you are upset. You pay money to get hair removed and are left with darkening skin. It should fade with time, meaning, several months. Electrolysis can stimulate those pigment cells under the skin, too, if you are prone to hyperpig after a trauma.
If you are lucky enough to be near an electrologist that has the newer types of epilators and inserts the probe with skill using just the right amount of intensity and timing, skin side effects can be greatly diminished or non-existant at all. No trace of treatment, except minus the hair. This can be achieved.
Some of the older epilators for professional hair removal are too harsh for the delicate lip. There are better tools to use, but not all electrologists believe they need to bring it up a level or two.
Good luck Tuesday. Check out her epilator and get a sample treatment. See how your skin heals. Try to sample as many practitioners that you can.
Are you located in Europe?
Dee
Hi Dee
yes i am based in the UK
Thanks for the info. I will go for the appointment on Tuesday and will let you know what machine she uses.
is it better for me to have the sample treatment elsewhere or should i just try the upper lip?
the lady i have ipl with is really nice - she has become a friend - she swears by the ipl machine - its very difficult and confusing to make a decision especially when you trust the person
i will try the electro and will keep my fingers crossed
also can you recommend any products that can reduce hyperpigmentation - something that does not contain hydroquinone?
thanks
I would ask her to do your lip area for about 10 minutes, however I thought that the 5 IPL treatments did well with the hair,but left you with darkening skin?
Products for hyperpigmentation should contain kojic acid or licorice root extract. You will have to read labels, but choose products that have kojic acid or licorice root extract listed first. Corrective Control is an example of a product that has kojic acid listed first
You can purchase licorice root extract from NATURES ANSWER, INC.
http://www.naturesanswer.com/product/7ca9dd42-8c31-4480-9f92-f647e02050a5.aspx
Hydroquinone has fallen out of favor. You can read all about this by doing a search here on hairtell about what to do about hyperpigmentation.
Dee
IPL is not supposed to cause pigmentation if it is used on an appropriate skin type at an appropriate setting. It sounds like you were treated even though your skin was either too dark or too tanned for whatever setting was used. That’s one of the problems with using an IPL. It is really only applicable for someone with very pale skin, and asian skin has a lot of underlying pigment. You should see a dermatologist who can prescribe a cream to lighten the area faster.
Electrolysis shouldn’t cause any pigmentation in good hands. Your pigmentation was caused by improper use of the machine (or rather the use of that particular machine in general on you in the first place).
hello
i dont want to go crazy buying products because i have done that already - so much money
whcih is better the corrective control or the licorice root extract? how long till results are seen?
is it safe to use the product whilst having hair removal?
thanks again
It is safe to use licorice root extract while having electrolysis. One must remember, however, that during the first 24 to 72 hours after treatment, one should try to just keep the treatment area clean and dry. Other than the products one is using for inflamation and skin healing one should avoid putting too much on.
Having said that, I have not had any clients report any problem using licorice extract the day of treatment.
ok i will definately buy some
what about the day of electrolysis - aftercare - i have heard a lot about witch hazel - which product exactly - moisteriser??
is it safe to use on sensitive skin?
Any kind of witch hazel will do. Witch hazel has less alocohol in it - somewhere around 10-20% depending on the formula.
My extreme favorite witch hazels are the THAYERS products.
I use Medicated Superhazel with aloe vera formula on my acne prone clients. They add camphor that acts as a pain reliever. It’s great for minor burns and itching, scrapes, insect bites. I like the smell, too.
I use LEMON WITCH HAZEL with Aloe Vera formula as well. It’s gentle. I use it to cleanse the skin before electrolysis. It contains 10% alcohol and has lemongrass, orange peel, blackberry,chamomile, nettle and other natural ingredients. This is a very effective cleanser, but it is good for sensitive skin. I really like the smell of this one, but the peach formula runs a close second.
Lastly, there is the LAVENDER WITCH HAZEL with Aloe Vera. It’s gentle and has a calming effect. There is no alcohol in this formula, so it is truly delicate for sensitive skin. It contains witch hazel extract of course, lavender water, Vitamin E, etc. I LOVE this formula the best.
Witch hazel is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to tighten pores and reduce swelling.
I know this sounds like a commercial. Let’s just say this information sharing from a rather passionate user of witch hazel. I’m not satisfied having the witch hazels that you get at CVS or Walgreens that cost $1.50. I want the good stuff. The fragrance in these products calm the client as well and I’m okay with spending $6-$9 per bottle to get what I prefer.
I have seen some of the “flavors” in places like Wild Oats and Trader Joe’s, but I order it online by the case since I use so much. I order it from HerbsPro.
So yes, witch hazel is safe to use on sensitive skin.
Dee
hello
i had my first treatment today
she used a sterex machine
i didnt feel the kneedle go in or the hair being pulled out much - however i did feel the current - ouch!
after the treatment it was red and swelled up - it feels like a bump - a bit hard - 2 hours later the redness has gone but its still swollen
i will use witch hazel with tea tree oil in it - it does contain alcohol but il try it anyway
please can you let me know this is good news or not?
thanks
is this normal
hello
i had my first treatment today
she used a sterex machine
i didnt feel the kneedle go in or the hair being pulled out much - however i did feel the current - ouch!
after the treatment it was red and swelled up - it feels like a bump - a bit hard - 2 hours later the redness has gone but its still swollen and its gone white (i have brown skin)
i will use witch hazel with tea tree oil in it - it does contain alcohol but il try it anyway
please can you let me know this is good news or not?
thanks
is this normal
Tell us how you heal after a week has gone by.
Dee
hello
its been over a week since i had my electrolysis treatment
my skin has healed however that area has gone dark and you can see all the points where she inserted the needle
i dont feel very confident about elctro anymore
i am going to go back for a few more ipl treatments and see if my skin pigmentation starts to fade after i finish
Do what you have to do. I don’t feel confident that you are getting a super treatment with excellent tool’s. It’s not electrolysis one should blame. Some machines are better than others and some practitoners perform better than others. And… you have to remember that your immune system is such that you get hyperpigmentation with IPL or anything that excites your pigment cells. So, you really shouldn’t be blaming electrolysis and loosing confidence.
If you stick with electrolysis, you will be haifree eventually and the pigment changes will fade. With IPL, you will still get hyperpig and you will never be totally free of all noticable hair. I wish you luck and success with IPL.
if I am acne prone will the lavender OR medicated superhazel be ok or is one better than the other? I would think not having any alchohol would be best but maybe it actually helps things. Is there really a need for pain relief AFTER the treatment (since the medicated relieves pain).
Should tea tree oil be put on after the witch hazel and last aloe vera or what is the order?
Hi Dee
apologies! i did not mean to sound so harsh about elctro
i just feel that if both elctro and ipl will make my skin hyperpigment i might as well stick to ipl for now
the area i had elctro done on went very white - it is still like that now - i have read that hyperpigmentation can fade but its more difficult for hypo pigmentation to fade
i am in a dificult position - i spoke to my ipl technician - she suggested that i try some more treatments - if it does not work then to stop and try something else - maybe then elctro will be my only option
some of the areas on my upper lip are actually my normal skin colour - could this be that there is no hair root growing under my skin - i have been told that the hair roots have been destroyed there but i find it hard to beleive
i hope i have made the right decision - if anyone could suggest any different please let me know
Follow your instincts, flowers. No offense taken. For the sake of clarity, I try to never miss the opportunity to correct misinformation about electrolysis. I deeply wish that every electrologist, in every country on this earth had the right formula in place, from quality tools to impeccable skill, in order to deliver exceptional electrolysis treatment for their clients. It is very possible that your electrologist is doing everything correctly, but your skin results are dark spots no matter what you use. This leads me to ask you a question about conflicting statements you made. You said a couple of times that you had dark spots. In the last post, now you are saying that you have HYPOpigmentation (white spots). Which is it?
I don’t know anything about a Sterex epilator. I can only rave about a few epilators that I have experience with. They are high end quality computerized epilators that I have first hand experience with or electrologists I trust own the other brand and I trust their ravings.
I know you have Asian skin. I routinely work on all people of color from hispanic, middle eastern, african skin and skin like yours and all outcomes are successful with skin appearing as it did before the hair became a problem. I can only think of one hispanic woman that had some hyperpigmentaion at the end of her right eyebrow for several months that eventually faded.
I would hope for you that more hair is not stimulated to grow. That has been a problem for some women as reported on this site. I have seen it first hand in my own electrolysis practice. You can do a search here on hairtell for ‘induced hair growth’. Educate yourself. Read, as much as you can, as many consumer post’s here on hairtell about IPL’s.
Thanks,
Dee