Hi, I’ve been going to a supposedly reputable electrolysist for about 7 months (she has been recommended on this site) and i’m a bit concerned because i seem to scab horrendously after every treatment. so i’m either in a state where i have scabs everywhere or the hair is growing back. needless to say, not ideal. and these aren’t just pinhole sized scabs but much larger. i’ve asked her why my response is so awful and she says she’s removing the ingrown hairs and the setting needs to be high to remove the particularly stubborn ones.
although there are other options in my area, she’s very convenient and always seems to be booked so i can’t believe everyone’s having this reaction. my question is whether my skin is just very sensitive or perhaps whether she may be doing something a bit aggressive here? i would have thought after 7 months, my reaction wouldn’t continue to be so bad?
You need to try some other electrologists. I had almost the same issues (and she was always booked, etc). I switched to someone else and had no problems. Someone else I know went to the original one and got the same response I did. Just because they are booked does not mean they are the best choice.
Ya, you can always try another place. However, in my experience I scab almost all the time (not very large scabs, just tiny ones. These scabs can last up to two weeks or longer before they fall off on their own. It’s just the way my skin reacts. Some people can heal faster than others.
it depends also on the area you’re treating and the sensitivity of your skin, as well as aftercare you are using. are you using any aftercare at all? what area are you treating?
hi, thanks. yes, i use a 20% gentle tea tree oil astringent, though admittedly not every time though doesn’t seem to make a big difference when i do. more often i use a salycilic acid/acne cream. area where i get the most scabs is on my chin/neck… someone told me perhaps putting ice on the area immediately after the appointment would help though that’s not so convenient. thoughts?
Ice is good, as are the other products you are using. Have you discussed the scabbing with the electrologist? Are they superficial (light and gone soon) or are they deep (and darker)? Also - are the hairs going away? You should be seeing a decrease in the amount of hair.
My concern is the ingrown issue. With that many months of electrology treatments, there should be no more ingrown hairs, because you have stopped tweezing, correct? Ingrown hairs are USUALLY caused by the hairs being broken off from tweezing (or incorrectly done treatments).
I would stop using the sacrylic acid acne cream on the area until it’s healed after the treatment. it’s not helping the situation. also, pure tea tree oil is best, but i refer pure witch hazel which is cheaper and less harsh. I would use it twice a day for 4-5 days at least after your treatment. It does help if you do this consistently, which it doesn’t sound like you do. It’s not necessary if your skin doesn’t have any reaction, but in your case it is.