What is electrolysis?

Electrolysis is a seriously effective form of permanent hair removal. Regardless of the cause – heredity, metabolic, or hormonal conditions – electrolysis will permanently remove unwanted hair to reveal a glowing, confident you.

Electrolysis is ‘non-discriminatory’ as any hair colour on any skin, on almost any part of the body can receive an effective treatment.

Hair removal using electrolysis for ‘cosmetic’ reasons has been around since the early 1900’s, having been initially invented within the ophthalmology field in the early 1870’s for the permanent removal of in-growing eyelashes.

How does Electrolysis work?

It works by passing a very fine pre-packed sterilised needle (that’s the same size as the hair) into the opening of the hair follicle, then discharging a small amount of high frequency energy into the hair follicle, where it creates friction within the tissues. This generates a mild thermal heat which then destroys the matrix cells that produce the hair at the base of the follicle, through either cauterisation or coagulation, thus weakening and eventually destroying hair growth depending on the stage of the hair cycle.

What to expect at your first appointment?

On the day of your first appointment a consultation will take place before any treatment is carried out. Once your questions have been answered and your Electrologist has explained the procedure you’ll be asked to lie on a treatment bed. Several hairs will be treated to determine the correct levels needed to 1 – treat the hair properly and 2 – to ensure your comfort. 

A very fine pre-packed sterilised needle will be inserted into each individual hair follicle, the needle does not pierce your skin. The sensation you will feel is when the small and entirely electrical current passes into the follicle. If you’ve ever experienced the pain of a wax, you’ll be pleased to know this is nothing in comparison!

Please note: You will not be able to book any more that 10 minutes for your initial treatment. This is so your electrologist can work with you to monitor your follicles reactions and how your skin behaves post treatment. Further treatments can be booked for longer periods of time.

Preparing for your Consultation

Important: Once you have booked your consultation please resist removing unwanted hairs by means of waxing and tweezing, shaving and cutting is acceptable in the meantime. You will be pleased to know you do not need to let everything grow for weeks as you anticipate your consultation, 5 -10 hairs will be plenty for this initial session.

At the time of your initial consultation it is important there is enough length for your electrologist to be able to treat and grasp each hair with tweezers, 1-3 days growth is recommended. Your first electrolysis appointment must be an initial consultation and no more than 10 minutes electrolysis can be performed for your first visit.

For some however, leaving unwanted hair for even just a few days will be an impossibility, with this in mind if you know there will be enough hair growth after 24-48 hours this is fine too. If you are anxious about how to manage your hair growth on the build up to your consultation please contact Carrina directly for advise.

How much does electrolysis cost in total?

Electrolysis costs depend on a lot of factors including: how much hair needs to be removed and the size of area being treated.

Overall, electrolysis cost compares very favourably to other removal methods, including laser and cryotherapy. When compared to the expense of a lifetime of shaving, depilatories, or laser treatments, the permanence of electrolysis makes it a wise investment in yourself.

How many treatments are required with electrolysis?

The number of treatments necessary varies with each client. For electrolysis hair removal: the amount of hair, the methods used to hide hair before treatment, genetics, hormones, nutrition and health of the individual will all be factors that determine how many sessions will be required. For areas that have been waxed or tweezed: treatments will be more frequent than for areas that have been shaved.

IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND: Due to misleading information online it can be assumed that when a single hair has been treated by electrolysis once it will never come back again however, as much as this can be true for some people, it enormously depends on what is fuelling unwanted hair growth to begin with.

For example, if the catalyst of hair growth is due to hormonal imbalances or if the hair is dense simply due to genetics it is likely each hair will return at its next cycle, however do not be disheartened, each time the hair returns it will be weakened, the hair will return finer and the follicle will be come shallower as the blood supply to the hair is slows and stops Your appointments will become shorter and time in between sessions will lengthen until you no longer need appointments. Woohoo!

Treatment sessions can range from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the area being treated. To achieve optimum results it is important to follow the recommended treatment plan and to know that consistent clearings, of any area, will achieve permanence sooner than having sporadic appointments.

How often should I schedule electrolysis treatments?

10 minutes for just a couple of annoying hairs on your chin may be sufficient or you might schedule hour or longer to treat larger areas like heavy facial growth or legs.

The frequency and length of your appointments depends on the size of the area being cleared and the progress of your treatment. In general, treatments on a particular area are longest and most frequent at the beginning. Treatment length and frequency then tapers off as fewer and fewer hairs remain to be treated.

For best results, follow Carrina’s recommendations in scheduling appointments. It is important to know that consistent clearings, of any area, will achieve permanence sooner than having sporadic appointments.

Is all electrolysis the same?

When it comes to electrolysis, there are three different kinds of treatment to choose from. Your options are: Galvanic, Thermolysis and Blend. 

The aim of all three is the same… to kill your hair matrix cells for good. 

Galvanic electrolysis produces a ‘chemical reaction’. Thermolysis creates ‘heat’.

Thermolysis (1.5-2 seconds per hair) is faster than galvanic (around 10 seconds per hair) but not quite as thorough, so a ‘Blend’ of both thermolysis and galvanic electrolysis (5 seconds per hair) can be recommended for the right candidate and is 40% more successful that the two currents when workings alone.

Does Electrolysis hurt?

One of the most commonly ask questions about Electrolysis is ‘Does it hurt?’

Many people hesitate about beginning their electrolysis journey due to the unknown, however once you conquer this initial step you will be on the way to removing your unwanted hair permanently and achieving great improvements for skin blemishes.

Electrolysis can feel uncomfortable depending on the area being treated and your sensitivity to it but you will be guided through this and there are ways to control any discomfort. If this is a major concern for you, and a reason you are unsure if Electrolysis is for you, please mention it at the time of your consultation so you can be reassured.

Simply knowing you are on a path that will slow, and eventually stop, the agony of constantly feeling the need to check and see if you need to shave, tweeze, wax or cover up with make up can be the best motivation to start, and stick to your treatment plan.

Know before you go…

Electrolysis is very effective, however treating each hair follicle, understandably, takes its time. Each session can last anything from five minutes to two hours.

As your hairs (annoyingly!) don’t all grow at the same time, it’ll usually take a few treatments before you notice significant results. Hang on in there, it’s worth it!

Having sessions on a weekly or fortnightly basis is advised. Once you get in the swing of it, each electrolysis session will become quicker and less frequent.

What to do before your hair removal appointment:

Gently exfoliating your skin before your treatment opens up the follicles and lets the unwanted hair slide out more easily.

For a more comfortable treatment, avoid caffeine for a few hours before your appointment.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drinking plenty of water helps unwanted hair slide right out.

It’s okay to ‘lightly’ shave or cut hairs between treatments, but never, ever tweeze!

Once your initial appointment has been performed taking paracetamol 30 minutes before your future appointments can be very beneficial for those with a lower pain threshold.

Did you know… The hair you see is not all the hair you have. Hair grows in cycles. That’s why it takes more than one appointment to permanently clear an area.