I have been reading a lot about hair removal but still there remains a question.
I there someone who could explain to me WHY a hair is killed when you remove it with the sheath and black bulb?
I mean, the black bulb isn’t the part of the follicle out of which the hair grows right? It is the root, am I correct?
Then why is it that it is killed when you get out the hair with the black bulb and sheath?
What is this bulb exactly? And what does removal of the sheath mean exactly, not literally I know how it looks when it is removed, but what are the implications and what is the cause?
And isn’t it possible that one can get the black bulb also on the hair by just tweezing?
Why does it mean the hair is killed?
Maybe my question sounds stupid to you pro’s…But I am eager to understand so a clear explanation would be great…
I would like to understand the process behind the killing…
Removing a bulb does not inidcate that the follicle will not generate a new hair. In electrolysis we have to electrocoagulate or produce sodium hydroxide in the follicle to destroy the areas within the follicle that nourish it (the dermal papilla and bulge).
The bulb merely indicates that the hair is in the growing stage, anagen, the ideal phase for electrologists to work so that we can reach the dermal papilla to destroy it.
Yes, lye is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When we introduce the electrical current into the follicle per a hair thin metal probe, it causes the salt and water to break down into their chemical elements, sodium (NA) and hydroxide (OH)to rearrange themselves. The sodium hydroxide is highly caustic and is responsible for destruction of the the tissue within the lower third of the follicle. The frothy, “beer” foam-like substances one may see escaping out of the follicle opening are hydrogen and chlorine gases. Electrologists produce NaOH on a very small scale, using the clients own nature-made conductive solution - water and salt. The sodium hydroxide destroys the papilla, the lower third of the follicle with the bulge area included while the hydrogen and chlorine gas mixed (with at times lymphatic fluids, sebum (oil), etc…) escapes through the follicle opening. Because there is more moisture at the lower part of the follicle, there will be more sodium hydroxide produced at the lower portion than at the top.
The aim of all epilation is to effectively complete the destruction of only the lower third of the follicle and the bulge area. The metal probe needs to be placed at the bottom of the follicle before the currrent is released. You determine that by doing a depth gauge.
Grasp a representative hair from the treatment area, with the tweezers set flush with the skin. Pluck the hair without breaking it. (that part can be tricky) If the hair you get out is in anagen phase, you can now hold an electrolysis probe/needle up to the plucked hair, and see how deep the probe would have to be inserted to have a typically perfect insertion down to the bottom.
Of course, this is only an approximation. Some hairs will have a more shallow follicle, and some will have greater depths. This is why it is important for one to get “the feel” of doing this work, so that one knows when one is pushing up against the hair’s anchor matrix, and when one is butting up against the sides, or the bottom of the follicle. One wants to avoid breaking the sides and the bottom of the follicles.
The act of coagulating the papilla is one process. Hair is comprised of 100% of a special type of protein. It is called “keratin” and makes up your hair, nails, and the upper layer of the skin. The hair itself is dead as is ALL keratin. It does not bleed when it is cut and there is no pain when it is cut. There is no blood IN the hair and NO NERVES in a hair to transmit pain when it is cut. The pain you feel when you pull on it is due to the fact the hair has a root system that is attached to the wall and bottom of the follicle. This is full of nerves to transmit pain signals to the brain when it is pulled to a tension that causes the signal to be created and then is transmitted to the brain.
Coagulation is the act of converting the liquid of blood and lymph to a semi-soft solid in the immediate area we treat. Like converting egg white liquid to a white semi-soft opaque solid by heating it. It will coagulate when heated by electricity, boiling water or whatever. It is the heat that does the work. We merely introduce the probe to the depth we need and control the amount of heat and the length of time and intensity with our machine. The machine delivers a radio frequency, which is controlled by the FCC, and all machines deliver a frequency of 13.5 megahertz or 2 x that or 3 x that. There is no difference which frequency is used no matter what any company maintains. HEAT IS HEAT. HEAT DOES THE WORK.
The process is similar to your micro wave oven. The water in the area treated gets hot but if you lay the probe directly on your fingernail and turn the machine up to its limit nothing will happen because there is no water in your nails. In microwaves the water gets hot but there is no water to heat up the plastic or ceramic dish so the food cooks and the plate stays cool. If the plate gets warm that is because of conduction of heat from the warm fluid in the dish or cup that heats the adjacent wall of the cup or sides of the dish. The whole process takes a split second because we are treating only a very small amount of water at the tip of the probe not like the microwave that is cooking an entire dish full of whatever…
No energy leaves the probe along the sides. Only the tip of the probe gets “hot”. The amount is so small and for so short a time period that the patient can tolerate it. This enables us to treat ONLY the area at the tip of the probe, consequently, a very small pin point area is treated and this makes the insertion of the probe of paramount importance. Proper instruction, knowledge of the epilator and experience is needed to make proper insertions. There is no other excuse.
In the “blend” we have a completely different method. We manufacture “lye” at the bottom of the follicle along the entire length of the probe that is under the skin. Lye is the same stuff as “DRAINO”.This is a strong chemical used to dissolve hair in your plumbing. It is extremely powerful and when it comes in contact with skin or hair it burns everything it comes in contact with except a few things like rubber or glass. Patients feel a sting that continues to burn when the probe is withdrawn until the chemical action is spent.The skin around the insertion point can get scarred if the current is left on too long as there will be more lye formed in the follicle that will overflow the follicle to the skin. Here again the operator has to control the device so that too much lye is not manufactured. You can not retrieve it. You just have to wait until the chemical action stops.
Due to to the fact you have to wait for the chemical to be used up it takes more time per hair than does the high frequency heat method. Both are effective in the hands of competent operators. High frequency is the most popular method used in the entire world.
Someone asked about “Lymph” Google it . The information is complete but too much to retype.
The matrix is alive and growing. It has the blood supply and is the equivalent of the OVARY for the hair shaft. The scarring of the matrix, by coagulating it or destroying it, with lye or other trauma, renders it impossible to reproduce anything. Just like a scar on your skin. No hair grows on scars because scars are NOT skin. They are SCAR TISSUE with no sweat glands or hair follicles. Did you ever see anyone with burns on the body or arms. The surface does not look like skin. It is not as elastic as skin. It shrinks as it heals and looks shiny and not as smooth as the adjacent skin with no hair. It is usually darker or lighter than adjacent skin even in dark complected people. Sometimes there are keloids.
The matrix is the source of the hair.
The following definitions are from Rogets Thesaurus
MATRIX== something from which another originates
Synonyms: cast, form, grid, model, mold, origin, pattern, source, womb
Ah such a nice and detailed answer, thank you so much.
So I gues destroying the matrix or the papilla wil kill the follicle?
And it is killed by the heat you say…Or the lye…
You said the lye can kill the matrix cells…
Kan lye also damage or destroy the papilla?
The black bulb is all keratin, melanin and water to give color to the hair. There are no live cells in this bulb. The fat juicy cells are in the process of dehydrating as they are formed and are pushed up into the follicle since they have no more connection with the papilla. As they move up they shrink because water in the cells leaves the dead cells and they now take up less volume, consequently, the walls of the follicle contract inwards to take up the space left after the water is gone from the newly formed hair. In addition, there is a seal between the hair shaft and the wall of the follicle called the external root sheath and the cuticle. This keeps bacteria out and prevents “folliculitis” which can be very serious if not treated. The only place where growth takes place is in the matrix area as seen in the diagram.
We need to target the bulge area and the bulb. Stem cells are in the bulge. Optimum results would be accomplished if we destroy the cells beginning at the bulge region, followed down along the hair shaft to the bulb region. So targeting the matrix cells is not sufficient. We have to go deeper than that. The dermal papilla is the director or dictator of all this, so that is why the DP needs to be targeted as well.
