Another newbie question - how should one choose a practitioner? I visited a practice today, but I was handled to a much younger person than who I was hoping to get, and quite frankly she didn’t put me in confidence (this was the preliminary consultation - no work was done).
So I’m curious to know a few things:
Is it OK to request the practice owner rather than a younger practitioner?
What kind of qualification should I look for? What does “California Licensed” mean - is it a good sign or a bad one?
Is there anything to like or worry about larger, multi-disciplinary, spa operations?
What should I expect during the preliminary consultation (often offered free)? What I experienced today was very, very high level & not personalized at all.
i would educate yourself on what works even by just reading these forums, so you know the facts. when i go in, i would ask questions and make sure they answer them correctly and sound liek they know what they’re talking about. also, ask what modality they use (thermolysis, blend, galvanic), how long they’ve been doing electrolysis, estimates on how long it would take and how often you should come in, etc. most places also offer a free 15 min test treatment. i would take them up on it so you can feel for yourself how they do it. for example, you shouldn’t be feeling liek the hair is just being plucked. if you look a bit more on the forum, you will find more tips on what to ask etc.
I’m going to try to address each of your questions.
Is it OK to request the practice owner rather than a younger practitioner?
It’s okay to request. But more important to age is experience. The practice owner might be new and unexperienced… Was it a maturity issue? Did the younger person seem unprofessional?
What kind of qualification should I look for? What does “California Licensed” mean - is it a good sign or a bad one?
If you are in California, it would be one good sign. If you are in California and they are NOT licensed - I would run, since they would be operating illegally. Licensing is good, but education background and the fact that an electrologist attends regular continuing education is a really good sign.
Is there anything to like or worry about larger, multi-disciplinary, spa operations?
Well, yes, to some degree. If the practitioners have only a weekend of training and then work for a franchise, I would be concerned. Again, ask about experience and education.
What should I expect during the preliminary consultation (often offered free)? What I experienced today was very, very high level & not personalized at all.
I’m not sure what you mean by “very high level”. A basic consultation will be fairly general. We explain some skin and hair anatomy, some causes of hair growth, after care and recommendations for removing hair between treatments. The consultation should also be two-way in that the electrologist asks you questions - either on a health history or verbally. Based on your honest answers, the electrologist can then make recommendations as to what will best help you complete the treatments.