Need Advice From The Pro's

Hair Removal Methods Professional Electrolysis
1

Hello

I need some advice r.e electrolysis.

I’m a white male(mediterranean skin tone) in my early 30s and have had problems with hairs under my eyes & on my cheeks for years now. I initially tried a hair removal cream but that irritated my skin and left me with red marks where the hair used to be…the redness went after a day or 2 but I never used this method again.

Since then I have been trimming the area with scissors but the hair growth has increased and is harder to trim and affects my confidence. It’s hard to be intimate or kiss with girlfriends as I’m aware of the hair, a couple of girls have noiticed in the past. Whilst I can trim before I go out, sometimes 2 times a day, its waking up that it’s noticable before I have the chance to trim. This has really affected my confidecne and I find it difficult to get close to anyone even when having a conversation.

I’ve read on here that electrolysis is the only proven method to rid these hairs forever…is this true?

I understand that it will not be an overnight process and will take follow up treatments…but I’m led to believe that the hair growth will be reduced over time until eventually the hair is gone permanently…Can anyone confirm this?

I looked at laser and it seems it can be problomatic and is only for certain skin tones, I also don’t know if it would be safe so close to my eyes/cheeks?

I’m seriously considering taking the leap and beginning a course of electrolysis. I have found an electrologist that lives near me and she seems to be very qualified, living close to me is fortunate as I won’t have to travel far to see her.

I have yet to speak to this lady, her name is Anita Philpott, she is a member of the british association of electrolysis and has practised for 25 years. This seems positive and I hope she can help.

The advice I am after as well as some of my queries above is how long could I expect before I had full clearance? I have just returned from holiday(that was hindered by my unwanted facial hair)and have tanned as a result of the sun, will this be an issue?
The uk is currently quite warm and summer is approaching. I have to travel for 6 months in december of this year and I need to know if I can make an improvement/reduction in the facial hair that I am suffering from in thsi time period.

I don’t know if I will be able to find an electrolygist when I am travelling and I am concerned that when I start treatment I won’t have time to complete it, Can the area be treated more often to speed up the reduction and lead to permenant reduction of hair?
I could visit this lady more often if this is the case before I depart on my travels.
I’m worried that I’m going to increase the hair growth by beginning treatment and then I will suffer even more when I’m travelling.

Could I have the hair groweth reduced or removed completely? and if needed re-commence treatment after 6 months when I return to the UK? or will I be causing myself more problems by starting the treatment now?.

I just want rid of this facial hair and want my confidence and life back, I’m desperate but need something done asap.

I have read that some TS have had clearance in a short period of time due to having to have an operation. With this in mind I am hopeful that I could achieve some good results in the 6-7 months that I have until I depart

I hope this post makes some sense, my head is all over the place and I would really appreciate some feedback and advice from experienced posters on this forum

Thank you

2

Hi mate,

Thought I would chime in as I’ve been in the same or similar boat to you!! Again I’m same age and same background but have been having laser to clear the areas for over 12 years now which has caused excessive hair growth in areas you wouldn’t believe … Forehead, temples, eye socket etc.

I started off seeing Sharon at parkside in islington who is excellent. The only problem i had was that I was getting so much regrowth it felt impossible to be getting anywhere with it. Also they are quite expensive (£250 for 4 hour course) and unfortunately don’t use the most up to date equipment and vision aid. I would still go there to tidy up areas if needed though, it’s just a slower process and as I’ve just found out more painful!!

I contacted an electrologist on here, Mairi Hawkes who is in Scotland and is well regarded on here and uses the apilus platinum and good vision aid. I went to see her on Wednesday for the 1st time and managed to get a full clearance of the area in 4 and half hours, and trust me there was lots of hair there! Mairi was amazing and it’s only been 2 days post treatment but almost all redness has subsided, most swelling has gone and I only have a few pin prick scabs which is to be expected with the amount of hair removed in such time in a relatively small area

As I let the hairs grow out for 4 months from my last laser session I hopefully don’t have to worry about treatment for a few months where I will get my 2nd clearance and then hopefully finally my 3rd… It may need some minor maintenance locally after that!

Point I’m making is to clear a lot of the hair for good you would only need to make the trip a few times and have to put up with the post care a few times and be clear inbetween treatments as opposed to have to get treated weekly, put up with the swelling, redness and feelIng like you arnt getting clear ever!

Don’t get me wrong, if you have an intensive session over several hours where thousands of hairs are removed you will be more swollen, red, sore and potentially scab a little more than if you were having short treatment but the flip side is its cheaper, you are clear of hair in between and don’t have to worry for a few months inbetween. In my case, I got treated Wednesday, thurs fri off work and when I go back mon nobody will know I had the treatment! I may have a few scabs or marks but you cannot notice unless inches away ie face up against a mirror looking for them!

I managed to get return flights, and a rental car for £100 plus the cost of treatment. So was worth the money.

I can’t speak highly enough of mairi, she is amazing and worked pretty much solid for 4.5 hours with only a five minute break! Her technique is amazing and speed is excellent. I struggled to take an hour of blend at parkside, painfull! 4.5 hours with the apilus was a walk in the park! 4.5 hours was just enough though, was getting a bit much!

Please consider going this route if you can, definately the way forward!!

3

It’s safe to laser cheeks. I’m not sure about under eye. I’d advise against it. I doubt if you have laser-able hair (dark and coarse) there anyway.

Tan is not a problem for electrolysis.

You can easily complete 1st clearance in 6 months. In fact, it is realistic to expect more than 50% reduction in such a small area if you stick to your appointments and the electrologist is at least “average” skill-wise.

Electrolysis will not increase the growth. Laser can - if the area to be treated has fine and/or less dense hair.

4

Ditto the above.

If the electrologist has the right sort of set-up and skill, you would be able to get all the current clear cleared in an extended session or two, as Mark has done. I am a fan of this method as even though you need a few days down time (not generally that bad), it does mean you get to be hair free quickly and then, assuming the electrologist killed most of the treated follicles - you will remain more or less hair free for some time.

Alternatively, you can have shorter sessions and just keep going weekly until it’s clear and then maintain the area. Usually (especially) if you are in the UK, this decision is made for you as the electrologist may not be comfortable for treating an area for more than an hour or so.

If you start soon, by December you will either almost be done or at least half way there - this all depends on how skilled the electrologist is in treating the hairs and getting them first time.

5

Hi cousinit

With good electrolysis you will get permanent results, and see a reduction in 6 months. Plus electrologists on the forum may be able to give you referrals while traveling, certainly Spain, Germany, Australia and the US are cover. First step is to definiately have a consultation and test patch with Anita, I’m sure you will get on fine, however look for the basic’s, smooth insertion, effortless removal of hair and good standard of hygiene.

How long the 1st clearence takes depends on how much hair there is, it may take an hour it might take 8 or more. It will then depend on you and the electrologist whether the treatment is divided in several short sessions or a couple of long ones.

I hope this helps and you can get this sorted, soon the unwanted hair will be a distance memory.

Hi Mark, thank you for the your glowing review, for 4 and half hours of treatment and several hours of traveling you did really well!!!

6

Hi all

I appreciate you all taking the time to read my post and respond. It means a lot that there are people I’ve never met that wish to help and offer support, Thank you :slight_smile:

Mark, thanks for your post. I really appreciate you taking the time to post and share your experience. I had heard of parkside and Linda on here so thank you for sharing you own experience.I’m pleased you’re making progress and I’m glad you’ve found Mairi. I checked out the distance and it is a long way to travel, but I understand that if you get the desired results it’s a small price to pay and well worth the journey. I would hope to find a electrologist a little closer to home but I appreciate your post and the glowing review of Mairi, you’ve given me some food for thought! thank you mate :slight_smile:

Mumbaigirl, thanks for your post. I’m scared of laser from what I’ve read it seems its a gamble as to whether it will work or not, the last thing I’d want is more hair and due to the sensitive area I’m lookingto be treated it has worried me, if I hadn’t found thsi forum I would probably still be considering it though. I’m quite positive after reading your post and I hope I can have some good results in the time I have before I travel, thanks again

stoppit&tidyup, thanks for your post. I would hope that I could have the area cleared in 1 visit, there isn’t a vast amount of hairs, they are noticable but there isn’t that many, some are finer than others and I would hope that I could get full clearance in one visit. I hope taht I can get good results, it would mean so much and make a huge difference to my confidence, I feel I’ve missed my youth because of my concerns with this. I’ve read your posts praising the benefits of rosehip oil and have checked out the naturally thinking webiste looking at some of the things I will need, thanks for your input on the board and for taking the time to offer support in this thread, it means a lot,Thanks again

Mairi, thank you for your input, after reading Marks fantastic review, I checked out your website. I wish you were closer to me as I would visit you in a heartbeat. I will be in Thailand and south east asia, I’m unsure what is on offer over there, from what I noticed last time it seemed laser treatments are the in-thing which I’m looking to avoid. I hope I can get some good results, I would obviouslky love full removal in the time I have but I have to try and stay realistic without getting my hopes up too much too soon.

I have received a response from Anita, she would be happy to see me for a consultation, it’s £35 for approx 45 minutes witha small treatment if I wish. Anita seemed a little surprised at my query regarding which machine/method she used, I guess it’s not the typical question to ask but after reading on here how some machines are more effective than others and less likely to scar or inflame the skin that’s why I was asking. Although I think I read a post from James Walker that it was more the skill of the electrologist than the machine they use, so I’m still a little confused.
Anita uses a sterex machine which is apparently both diathermy and galvanism and a combination of the 2/blend. Anita feels it’s quite a simple problem but I would obviously need a consultation which is understandable as she hasn’t seen the area as of yet.
I’m feeling quite positive although apprehensive about beginning treatment but I can’t delay this any longer.

I hope that all who have posted and anyone else that can offer some input and advice continues to do so, I will look back on here before I contact Anita, this is a big decision and I’m still aprehensive and nervous I’m still looking advice on whether sterex is a good system, I’ve probably confused myself reading as I’m yet to get a full grasp on the industry jargon but I would love to get in touch with Anita asap and begin my treatment and hopefully this will all be a distant memory in the future

I

Thanks again to you all, it really means a lot that you’ve offered help and support, I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found this forum, I really appreciate it

Thank-you

PS I almost forgot this and it’s probably quite important? I’m really not confident about having this area shaved prior to treatment and feel quite reluctant. Could I potentially have the area cleared and then any regrowth after clearance would be in the regrowth stage? And then have another full clearance?

Thanks again

7

hi cousinit,

Well the first thing would be to have a consultation and test patch with Anita.

The Sterex machines (her one is an sx-b) are the ones the BIAE promote. they are decent basic computerised machines. These are the ones that the ladies at Parkside use and what Mark was being treated with when he went there.

The machine of choice for many electrologists such as Josefa, James, Dee, Mairi and many others on this board and beyond is the Apilus (the more sophisticated models). These machines allow for a different ‘type’ of electrolysis… namely the ability (if the electrologist is appropriately skilled) to do long and more comfortable sessions and with a lesser skin reaction than with a basic machine. Of course this last point is dependent on so many variables but lets say everything is the same except the machine. Mark has explained this relatively well. There is no way Sharon at Parkside would have agreed to do 4.5hrs treatment in one area with the SX-B, and rightly so.

To be honest, I am a little surprised that Anita was surprised. Her website is called “electrolysis help” and she says she is a fellow of the BIAE. One would think she would be used to having some clients who have done some background and want to know what treatment they are receiving.
For example, I’m sure Mark didn’t just one day decide to travel all the way to Mairi - he must have asked her questions. She knows I have done so, and it’s all for the benefit of the client.
In my experience, the best electrologists I have had the pleasure of meeting/speaking to are very open about explaining the whole process and want the client to be clued up. I got along great with Sharon because we both loved discussing electrolysis.

8

hi stoppit&tidyup

thanks for popping in again and for explaining some of the terms. I had read taht the apilus seemed to be the best machine for treatment and was hopeful that anita would be using this machine, from what I’d read it seemed faster and less painful and both of these points would be huge pluses for me

I’ve read that some electrologists work at a rate of 10 hairs per minute, looking at the hair I have I would hope that an hour would be enough to clear both sides although I’m inexperienced and I presume a lot has to do with the speed in which the electrologist works?

I too was a little surprised that Anita was surprised by my question :slight_smile: My initial email was very brief though, only a line or two and the only question I asked her was which machine/method she used, perhaps that was unusual? I found this article featuring input from Anita and it did make me feel more at ease with corresponding with her in the first place NHS funded hair removal? | PDF

I’m not really in the know with the scene and industry and am concerned of meeting any inexperienced electrologist that may cause long term damage, produce poor results or make my problem worse, According to Anita’s website she has been active in electrolysis for a long time though so that’s reassuring, it’s another reason I was mentioning who I intend to see, not to discredit the woman as I’ve never met her and she seems genuine and did take he time to respond to me but purely because it’s a big-step and I’m still anxious about it

I searched on here and found that Mairi visits Glasgow once a week, that makes a huge difference to travelling the distance as it’s the route from Glasgow that would cause me the most concern, but I’m unsure if this information that I read is still current?

I’m a bit of a jessie as they say up the road, I’m ready to begin treatment but am still a big scaredy cat and a worrier haha

Sorry for rambling and thanks again for your reply :slight_smile:

9

Well the problem is that in the UK, the BIAE as a whole is sort of anti Apilus. It’s probably due to the fact that their senior member’s train at Sterex. I don’t think it’s a good thing for a professional body to be so connected to one particular company.

You can try to search for electrologists using the Apilus but you must keep in mind that there are many different models and that also the skill of the electrologist is the most important thing. There is no point in an electrologist using a machine like the Apilus if they are not taking advantage of what is has to offer.

Speed will depend both on the electrologist and the modality. You will find that practitioners using blend will work slower. Sometimes even as slow as 3 hairs per min. Sharon was doing 5-8 hairs/min with me. Thermolysis is faster.

The best thing you can do at the moment is go for some consultations. Go see Anita and any others that you can find in your area (I’d say upto 1hr away) on the BIAE directory.

This is in no way connected to Anita as I don’t know her but years of experience doesn’t always mean what we’d think it does. Take for example Pokka’s electrolysis diary (she just updated so it will be in the first page). I believe her electrologist was only practicing for a few years before Pokka started and as you can see, she did an amazing job. So don’t look over someone who has less experience until you’ve actually gone for a consultation.

I think that info about Mairi is recent but you can contact her to confirm.

10

thanks again stoppit&tidyup

I think I’m going to contact anita today, i’ve sat and tried to figure out the details in my head and i’m still al little confused, from what i understand blend method with sterex is more painful than apilus? is blend still a good and effective method?

if i have approx 150 hairs per side(under eyes/cheeks)would blend be a good method for treating this area? or am i more likely to scar and have skin problems after?

it seems the skill of the electrologist plays a big part but if anita is skilled then should i see good results form this method pretty quickly?

is there any chance that i will end up with more hair in this area after commencing treatment? probably my biggest fear along with scarring/skin damage

i would want the whole area cleared in 1 sitting, is this possible? and with the sterex machine and it’s settings of diathermy and galvanism and a combination of the 2/blend how long is a clearance likely to take?
would an hour be enough time or should i expect it to take longer

i appreciate that some of the questions may be similar to how long is a piece of string but i’m still not that savvy on all the terms so would appreciate some feedback

what should i look for when i see her?

i’m going to ask her some other questions, how soon after consultation would she see me? how long a session does she offer?, i’ve read that some electrologists only work in short sessions of 30-40 minutes?
what are the chances of scarring and hyperpigmentation when treating the area i have unwanted hair and once i meet her i would ask for her projected timescale to see reductions and permanent removal

if i’ve missed anything then please advise

thanks in advance and thanks for the support and info already offered

11

i forgot to add, after a full clearance how quickly should i expect to see regrowth? and how often am i likely to need to be treated after clearance? i want as much of this hair gone as possible before i travel, ideally all of it but i assume i have to balance that with damage to the skin?

sorry for all the questions and if i’ve repeated myself anywhere but as i dont have a full understanding of this treatment other than it is the only permanent hair removal technique i’m in a position where the more i read the more i am confused

thanks again

12

With most eletrologists, about 3 months after the 1st clearance you should see about 70-80% of the hairs you originally had.

Then about 3 months after the 2nd clearance you should see about 70-80% of that. And so on and so forth until there is hopefully none left.

Assuming you didn’t laser the area within the past year.

13

hi impossable, thanks for your reply and info

if i understand you correctly then i could expect to see approx 40% reduction in the unwanted hair after 6 months and 2 full clearances

is this with the sterex machine and blend method?

i’m sorry for all the questions but i am anxious about this and want to begin treatment asap and i feel slightly more confident if i have a small understanding of what to expect before initially meeting with my electrologist
…and there’s no chance that treatment will make my problem worse and increase the amount of unwanted hair?

thanks again

14

then i could expect to see approx 40% reduction in the unwanted hair after 6 months and 2 full clearances

Yes. With some it’s more, with some it’s less. But even with the same electrologist you may notice, the one side of the face clearing up faster than the other.

It’s mostly a matter of skill than machine. However even an unskilled electrologist can’t possibly increase the amount of hair.

15

thanks for your fast reply impossable, i appreciate it, i’ll be contacting anita laster today and making an appointment to see her asap

i’ll let you all know how i get on

thanks again

16

Hi cousinit,

The most important thing you need to understand is that although a machine can aid a good electrologist to do work that is more comfortable and less harsh (in the immediate moment)…

When it comes to permanent results i.e. treating and killing a follicle it is ALL about the electrologist. A skilled electrologist will achieve this with ANY machine and ANY method.

They are all equally effective. I’m sure you will find the electrologists on this board have skill and experience in more than one modality of electrolysis to kill follicles.

Now, how long it takes to clear the area depends on the speed of your electrologist in his/her chosen method. We cannot predict this. Then, whether he/she can clear the area or not in a 45min session depends on speed and also how comfortable the electrologist is in treating one area continuously for a duration.

As an example, when I was having my upper lip treatments, my electrologist felt that 20-30 long sessions were the max for this area. I was okay with this as this amount of treatment meant the area looked normal by the next day.

If you cannot get clearance in one session, it’s not a big deal. Just schedule another for a week later. And then if that doesn’t do it, do yet another. This is the typical way in which UK electrologist’s work.

As for the reduction you will see after 6 months, I’d say 40% sounds like a typical figure from a fairly decent electrologist here in the UK. Whether you will get this much, or more, or less in 6 months entirely depends on the skill of the electrologist in killing the follicles.

If you read my sister’s diary linked in my sig, you will see our (new) electrologist has a perfect (or near perfect) kill rate. So all the present hair at the time of the first clearance is permanently eliminated… so whether that is 70% of the total hairs or 85% of the total hairs depends on the body area and how much is present.
[Connected to my previous upper lip comment of 20 min sessions myself; Josefa treated my sisters upper lip for 2hours with no issue - this was possible due to the machine, probes and of course, her skill]

What you will generally (not everywhere!) find in UK electrolysis is the idea that only anagen hairs can be effectively treated. So if you visit the electrologist with untouched facial hair (previous trimming is okay but no shaving, waxing or anything) most of the hairs will be in telogen phase. The electrologist will remove all these hairs over a session or many sessions but he/she will expect all the hairs to come back except the anagen ones (presuming they really are all killed). This is why the first clearance gives about maximum 20-30% hair removal as impossable has explained.

If your electrologist does prefer to treat anagen hairs, she won’t want you to wait 3 months for the second clearance. After the initial clearing of hairs, she will want to see you regularly to keep clearing any new growth while it is still in anagen phase. But hopefully, after 6 months you should still about 40% reduction if she is killing all those hairs!

17

hi stoppit,

thank you very much for your post you covered most of my concerns and explained everything very well, i feel more informed after reading you post and reading your thread on your sisters treatment

the results your sister has are fantastic and josefa seems very skilled, what is the travelling time to josefa from malaga airport? is she close?

I’ll be contacting anita in a moment with a couple of questions and will be looking to book a consultation with her and then booking a session with her asap following the consultation

is it advisable to have the test patch on the area i wish to have treated?

thanks again

18

Sorry if this a stupid question, but if your electrolysist is able to treat hairs in both the anagen and telogen phase does this mean that you wouldn’t need to go back for your second clearance until after 3 months? What determines whether or not an electrolysis can treat a hair in telogen? Their skill level?

19

I’m glad it helped.

I should say that Josefa is hours away from Malaga and keep her all to myself :smiley:
But no, Malaga Airport is a 15 min (and few euro) train ride to the city center and that is where her office is located.

Go for the consultation and ask her any questions you have. There is no point (in my mind) to have a consultation without a test patch on the area you want treated. I don’t think there will be a problem given her credentials but the purpose is to check that the hairs are sliding out effortlessly when she removes them after applying the current.

The area she treats, may just be red and bumpy which reduces in a few hours, or it might stay a bit like you have been bitten for a bit longer, you might get some scabs, or some whiteheads - the exact reaction is not possible for anyone to predict although I am sure she can give you a good idea of what will happen in that area and with her treatment. My point is, whatever happens, don’t freak out. Just follow the aftercare and everything should calm down either in a few hours or a few days.

20

hi stoppit thanks for your speedy response

one last quick question for now, anita stocks aloe and witch hazel, should i just purchase this from her following the consultation and then order through the website you recommened for more supplies and the rosehip oil or would i be cheaper and better to source aloe and witch hazel from a pharmacy like superdrug/boots prior to the consultation?

at the moment im just writing some question that i would like to ask anita on the phone but i will call her in a moment

thank you