I’ve been having (thermal) electrolysis for about 2 years, and slowly but surely I can see it starting to work. However, my electrolysist is always telling me not to shave as this will make the hair finer if I don’t.
Logic tells me that shaving the hair (once a week usually) should not make the root of the hair thicker or change the hair at all. However, my electrolysis is adamant that if I hadn’t shaved, I would probably be clear by now. I am very skeptical and would like a definitive answer on this subject please.
I like to shave as this helps keep my acne under control.
Clients come in with different situations. Generally, when one is able to come in regularly for electrology treatments and get cleared quickly, one sees faster results than those who do not stick to a recommended treatment plan.
In some situations, shaving is actually a good idea but if you are one of those people whose facial hair is stimulated by the friction caused by shaving, then it is a possibility that those very fine/vellus hairs can become slightly coarser.
This is an area where electrologists advise clients based on personal beliefs and observations as there are not enough controlled scientific studies, guiding electrologists.
Your name suggests that you are female and if that is the case, acne and excessive facial hair is a sign of a possible hormone imbalance, especially since after 2 years of electrolysis you are still in treatment.
Talk to your physician.
Keep in touch and all the best.
A. Batz, Board Certified Electrologist, NYS Licensed Esthetician, Electrology Teacher
Thank you for your reply. It was interesting to know that friction may stimulate hair growth, but I’m guessing it must be minimal.
I’m transsexual and not on hormones yet. That’s why I’ve been having electrolysis for so long. Researching on the internet it seems that most sites state that shaving doesn’t make hair grow thicker, this is why I wanted some clarification on this site.
Seriously though I have been at laser followed by electrolysis for 4 years now.Right now we are just doing cleanup
on a few scattered regrowths.The point I am trying to make is that sometimes it takes more than a couple of years to get to the stage I am at now, so hang in there and don’t get discouraged.
I don’t really think shaving should be a problem as long as you leave enough time after shaving for the hairs to get long enough to be treated. I don’t personally feel shaving is going to stimulate your facial hair growth much if at all and I can understand how not shaving would be totally disgusting to you.
How many hours have you done so far? How often do you go and how long are your sessions? Have you seen progress?
The thing that will decide how long it takes to finish is how quickly one can get to First Clearance, and how well one keeps up with the growth phases, once one catches up to the phase. Obviously, one doesn’t want to Catch The Phase, only to let it go and fall behind again.
Those who follow the best schedules with me are done in 9 to 18 months. Those who are a little less diligent still tend to finish in 24 months. (Strange thing, I have more 9 to 18 month’ers who travel from out of state to see me than I have locals who bother to keep up and on track… they just get to confident that I will always be able to get full clearance again.)
I’ve had approx 8 laser treatments, (but they didn’t really work) and after that approximately 110 treatments with electrolysis (hour long sessions once a week).
I have noticed some clearance in small places, like at the side of the chin.
My electrolysist keeps telling me not to shave though stating clearance will be slower, but I can’t see how that can be.
When I look on the web different sites state that shaving does not stimulate hair growth. I was happy with that but decided to get a definitive answer from this site. But the answers I have received are not so black and white.
My logic is telling me that shaving does not affect hair growth. If it did, then simply washing one’s face daily would stimulate all the fine vellus hairs wouldn’t it?
Thanks for all your kind replies
Take care James , lagirl, AliciaDarling, and Arlene
cupcake2
(I chose cupcake ‘2’ because I though a cupcake must already exist!)
I was in the same boat as you were. I started with laser and went over to electrolysis.
James is right that it is important to get full clearance and maintain it. I would try for at least a 2 hour session or longer right now to get clearance. If you can’t clear the entire face then do the upper lip and chin each session to clearance and work out from there. Eventually your upper lip will be amazingly hairfree and the rest will follow.
I used the progress on my upper lip as a guage of how well the
treatments were working.
Hang in there and don’t get discouraged.It will be all worth it in the end.
I must disagree with the shaving information. Shaving and electrolysis make for a great partnership. Your logic is correct that shaving will not stimulate hair growth. There are studies that prove this. Besides, even IF this were true, the act of performing permanent hair removal (electrolysis) would neatly wipe away the need for shaving anyway, soon, if not very soon. If you get cleared and stay cleared by maintaining regular appointments, there would be no need to use any temporary method.
Shaving or clipping is a great way to disguise hair until the electrologist can catch all the hair in the growing phase. It sounds like you have already researched this. If you would like, ask your practitioner to join in on the discussion.
My clients who choose to do so, use shaving in those early sessions and actually contribute to making their sessions a better experience. There is nothing wrong with a client that shaves, unless the electrologist’s vision needs is a factor.
I would like to have more than one hour session per week, but I cannot afford it at the moment. Although I’ve been diagnosed ‘transsexual’ by the National Health Service in Britain, they will not pay for any help that I need.
To be honest as well, I have tried to avoid the top lip as it is so painful, but I’ve just got to bite the bullet with that one.
Thanks for your comments about shaving dfahey, it’s good to hear a professional voice confirming what I thought.
You may want to try a topical anaesthetic like Emla on your upper lip before teatment. Make sure you use plastic wrap over it and apply it for an hour beforehand.