I am an East Indian woman, I have fine black hair on my upper lip that I have been able to just bleach… but now, I am ready for a method that will remove my hair permanently. This helpful website has encouraged me to consdier electrolysis rather than laser hair removal and now, I have many questions!
For my skin tone, is “thermolysis” and okay option?
will electrolysis cause my upper lip to break out? This is a HUGE fear of mine!
What will my upper lip look like after treatment? Will I be able to go to school the next day? or will it be red and bumpy and OBVIOUS that something is going on with my upper lip?
4)since they only remove certain “patches” at a time, will I be lef with “bald spots” and hairy spots on my lip throughout the treatment?
If someone could please help me, I would really appreciate it. I really want to do this for my personal self esteem and I am really nervous about the procedure… not the pain, but the process, and what I should expect, I feel like crying just thinking about it.
Thermolysis is a preferred choice for your skin type.
Galvanic is not a good choice for an upper lip. The hairs are too close to each other, in a tiny area, and the treatment is too slow. Opt for thermolysis techniques like flash methods that can clear areas quickly.
There are too many variables that will determine cause and effect regarding how your skin will react but most people don’t have enough of a reaction to make them feel selfconscious.
Interview several electrologists and go for sample or short sessions. The electrologists will describe the different styles they have for clearing an area, removing hairs along the top, along the sides, in a way that you will not have a hitler mustache or the bald areas that you are concerned about.
If you have a tendency to break out, don’t use alcohol and do not ice. After your treatment, apply a tiny bit of tea tree oil and some aloe. Keep your fingers off the area. Wear sunscreen - a must.
Keep in touch with us here about your experiences.
Okay, kelle, now that you have searched and decided on electrolysis for your upper lip hair, your goal is to find someone who has good hand and vision skills and updated equipment that they know how to use well. Yes, do get short sample treatments so you can assess your healing. If you are happy, you can go for a little longer. A good electrologist will thin out the thicker hairs first so you look balanced. You should see a huge difference after one? two? three? 15 -20 minutes sessions. Flash, MicroFlash, PicoFlash thermolysis will please you. Stress your worries about having noticable skin reaction. There must be something noticable after a treatment, but you should look back to normal within minutes to hours. There is no clear cut description for everyone as far as healing goes. You just need to get a treatment with a professional electrologist and verbalize your desires.
The big deal here is to help people connect with electrologists in their locale. Where are you located? Maybe we can help you out for this next important step.
First of all, I really want to thank you all for replying. Honest to God, reading your thoughtful replies INSTANTLY eased that nervous feeling I get just THINKING of the word “electrolysis”.
I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. I found this website of an electrlysist in my city.
Because of my Indian skin tone that so easily tans, I am wondering if I should be starting this electrolysis process right as summer is about to begin… I do not have a problem staying out of the sun, I can sacrifice that for my skin’s well-being but I honestly feel like some sun exposure is just inevitable… I am pretty allergic to strong sunscreens and I would say my skin is slightly acne prone and dry… will these factors effect my treatment?
P.S. This woman does “thermolysis” only… I pray that this is a safe/reccomended procedure for my skin tone/type.
Again, my HUGEST fear is my upper lip being scabbed/red and having to go to school the next day. This thought gives me NIGHTMARES!! If I go through with this procedure, how long would those unsightly scabs last?
Again, I want to thank you all- I am so glad I found this website!
You may want to have your appointment as early as possible on a friday so you have all weekend to get your skin back to normal. Although it is possible to leave the office with just a little pinkness that goes away in minutes to a few hours, you may need more time to get rid of the redness, and there could be temporary scabs.
Make sure you do your post treatment to speed the healing. Tea Tree Oil, Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel and such will make sure that your skin looks like nothing ever happened as soon as possible.
We are destroying tissue that makes hair grow. There has to be some evidence that work was done after your treatment, but if it subsides within minutes to hours, that’s beautiful. A skilled electrologist with a computerized epilator, who wears quality magnification and has a good light source would be the best choice. That’s why you need to sample their work by getting a short appointment. Go home. See how it all heals. Don’t use aftercare products that are not needed. I’ve heard of people using hand sanitizer, iodine, vitamin E oil, neosporin and other weird things. Use witch hazel, aloe vera gel, the purest you can find, and spots of tea tree oil, a pharmaceutical grade. What you do after you leave the office is very important for healing.
Summertime electrolysis is okay. Stay out of the sun. We do recommend sunscreen or sun block. Maybe Arlene Batz could advise you with sunscreen or sunblock ideas for your skin. Most of my practice is composed of women of color. There is no scabbing. They do very well year round.
The word “nightmares” is not synonymous with electrolysis if you search for a skilled, modern electrologist. If you are this nervous and doubtful, then you should stick with your temporary plan for upper lip removal. Again, be clear about your fears with the electrologist and give her feedback about your healing.
If I wear light sunscreen, and say get a little bit of color while standing at the bus stop, will this effect the process?
P.S. What did you all think of her website?
P.S.S. I meant that I think “sun exposure” is inevitable- I am glad to hear that there is a possibility of no scabs!
I have had this area treated along with several others. Your main goal should be to find someone skilled. Thermolysis (microflash or picoflash type even better; 5-10 hairs per minute) is the fastest method and would be good in your case. Galvanic is really too slow (1-2 hairs per minute). Finding someone with a newer computerized epilator and good magnification is best. Also, it’s important not to be overtreated. This area shouldn’t be treated for more than 15 mins or so at a time.
Side effects are usually minimal and short-lived. Usually, there is some redness for 1-2 hrs. It goes away fast. Some people may get a few scabs a few days later that fall off in a few more days. But that’s not standard. It just depends on the skill of your electrologist and your skin sensitivity. My skin got used to electrolysis fast, so I didn’t really get any side effects at all, for example. Good aftercare is important too: keep the area clean and apply witch hazel a few times a day for a few days afterwards. Tea tree oil can be good too, in small amounts, especially if you’re getting any pigmentation issues. Those also go away if they do happen; and using sunscreen will help. Most experience nothing but great hairless skin afterwards. You should really check out a few electrologists in your area. Many will give sample treatments.
I liked her website. I thought it was honest and understandable.
If she is using an IPL, I’m thinking it’s the Aurora???, not a great one. So, I’m not sure about that part of her hair removal business. Combining the light-based options with electrolysis is fine and offers the consumer a mix of possiblity and certainty. Electrolysis is always the certainty.
Electrolysis prices are fantastic. It is not stated anywhere if she is computerized yet, unless I was reading too fast and missed that.
I think she sounds like a good catch, but I would not waste money for an IPL on your upper lip. Electrolysis is the gift that keeps on giving and I would go straight way to electrolysis and never look back. You will be very happy within weeks, but mind you, you won’t be finished in a few weeks because of hair growth cycles. Give it 9-12 months, with the last 5-6 months consisting of short, infrequent appointments until the end is realized.
Express your concerns about scabs or pronlonged irritation before you start and do good aftercare. Verbalizing these things keeps electrologists on their toes. Most don’t need to be told, but some benefit.
We love it when people come back and thank us for the advise, but we are even happier when they come back and update their story whether it be a positive or negative outcome. It helps others who come along with the same questions and concerns on hairtell. Keep all your information in the same thread so we don’t have to chase you all over the board trying to put your hair story together.
Will you think to come back later and update us on your experience? Good luck to you, kelle.
I am SO grateful for this forum- I feel like you all are here for me and give me the advice I seek… the least I could do is update you all on my experience!
Well, I am planning to call the office in a week or so, I am just a little busy with school right now.
I am making a grand list of the questions I would like to ask.
Can anyone offer any questions I can ask her regarding the machine she uses?
Just ask for the name of the machine and what type of electrolysis it does (thermolysis and what type of it, blend, or galvanic). You can usually get a sample treatment too.
I was asked to provide info. on sun protection but I won’t specify a brand to purchase because formulations change. Understanding concepts and ingredients will help you make proper choices.
We all need protection from the sun’s ultra violet radiation (UVR includes UVA and UVB). Without using any SPF, the darkest natural skinned person has an SPF of 8 while a very light skinned person will have a natural SPF of 3 or 4 because our natural protection isn’t going to last. Fitzpatrick Type 1 or 6, we need to protect our skin. If you are undergoing electrolysis or if you exfoliate or get peels, an SPF is essential because unprotected from UVR often causes hyperpigmentation, premature wrinkling and cancer.
If it takes you 20 minutes to burn and you applied an SPF of 15, you would most likely have protection for 300 minutes.
You compute your protection by multiplying the number of minutes it takes you to burn (example was 20 minutes). Now multiply this by the SPF you are applying (example was 15 spf) and you get your approximate protection time. In this scenario, you would be protected for 5 hours. Note that if you are going into the water, wear waterproof SPF but keep in mind that in the water, the waterproof SPF will only protect you for about an hour. Reapply as needed.
If you have allergies to the chemicals in sunscreens or sunblocks, what is it that you are allergic to? Sunscreens and sunblocks differ in formulations so which is it that you are allergic to? You can always use a low SPF and reapply that as necessary as the low SPF’s have less of the ingredient that might be irritating you.
If you are on birth control pills or using antibiotics, you are increasing your sensitivity to the sun’s radiation. And for sure, if you are using skin lightning products that contain hydroquinone, you are at risk for skin cancer if you don’t protect your skin. You know that skin cancer is the only cancer that is increasingly on the rise. The radiation from the sun changes our skin cell DNA.
Thank you for your thorough advice for my sensitive skin. I appreciate you for taking the time to help me. Thank you.
So, as I have mentioned, I am an East Indian woman, living in a city where there don’t seem to be many “professional” electrologists… What I mean by this is that there seem to many salons that offer the electrolysis procedure, but my gut just does not trust those little beauty shops… the electrologist I have found has 25 years of experience, causing me to automatically gain trust.
This wesbite is the only place I can ask all the questions I have and have experienced people answer and advise me…
I want to confirm, is thermolysis the best option for my skin tone?
Thermolysis is more than fine for your skin tone as long as the the person behind the machine and modality is performing at a top level. Modern, computerized, updated equipment and quality magnification and lighting rank very, very high as well. WATCH HOW YOU HEAL in those first couple appointments and give her feedback.
It is not wise to snub salons and beauty shops that offer electrolysis. Some of the best electrologists work in these places. It’s a business decision that necessitates one being able to offer their services or not. Practicing under one roof or another doesn’t tell the whole story of how well someone can permanently remove hair.
You know what to look for, kelle, because you have been reading posts here on hairtell. If you have more questions, come back. We are here for you and will help as best we can.
