I really have to comment on this topic. I dont remember where I seen it so thought I would like to start a new one. I read that someone had commented on when they heard the snap that there it goes its all gone…Well I’m an electrologist and also on the board for my state, and a state examiner… well the sound you hear is the moisture gradiant in the hair follicle. Not every time you hear that the Hair disappears for good. The current and the moisture have to be watched carefully so you dont overtreat as this can happen with doing Thermolysis. Just thought that you might want to be watching for this as we as electrologist dont’ want to see any blanching or scarring on a person.
I heard that same popping sound when I was treated with the Apogee alexzandrite laser. I wonder if that was also due to the moisture gradient. This was often accompanied by the hair fluying out of the follicle.
RJC2001
Hi Electro
Thanks for adding this bit on the popping sound. I’ve heard it a couple of times, but only very very seldom.
From your post, are you saying that it’s a sign that the hair might have been overtreated?
(BTW - I heard it quite a lot with laser!!)
No I’m not saying that you have been overtreated. What I’m saying is that with the moisture in the hair follicle and the current being delivered you can sometimes hear this sounds. I don’t like to hear it. If you treat a hair with Thermolysis and and you have a shallow insert you can hear this popping sound. Most cases this is not good as blanching the skin can occur. The post I had read said they hear this sound all the time which scares me how the skin could react. I wish I could of remembered where I seen this post, but I wasnt registered on this forum yet and had to do all that before I could post.
OK, thanks Electro.
That makes sense - I remember hearing it and thinking that I’d read about that sound on this forum, but not heard it before.
I’m trying to remember when it was - I think she was rushing at the time (zapping several hairs, and then tweezing them out), so I guess it’s easier to slightly miss the insertion.
Welcome, electro, and I look forward to more of your comments!
I used to get a lot of those pops on my thicker hairs on my face. I had almost exclusively thermolysis, and I could definitely feel/hear the pops several times in a longer session. I figured they were water or oil in the area that was forced from the follicle rapidly from the heat.
I never liked to hear it, either, electro. That or the little sizzles I’d hear every now and then.
Hi thanks. I think it was i who said that about the popping sound. : ( I always thought i was a good sign. I too hear them more often with the thicker hairs. Hmmm. So noted.
Tonic, it definitely means the follicle took a good shot of energy-- the question is if it was too much or not. If it’s only happening once in a while, you’re probably fine.
Popping can mean that the follicle had more moisture than those around it (dehydration causes the skin to be unevenly hydrated) or the practitioner’s setting is too high, or the insertion was a little off. If you hear it at every insertion, the power it too high, if it is once in a while then the other two explainations are more likely.