ELECTROLYSIS

Electrolysis

What The Laser Cannot Treat, Your Electrologist Can!

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Electrolysis is the ideal method for hairs that are blonde, gray, and red, or for clients whose skin tone is too dark to safely treat with laser.

Permanent Choice was established over 30 years ago when electrolysis was the only method that had received FDA-approval for hair removal. All Permanent Choice facilities use the Apilus xCell and the ClareBlend UltraBlend machines. Two methods most commonly performed are blend and thermolysis. Your Electrologist will decide the most effective method for your skin and hair type.

Electrolysis does require a series of treatments over a period of time. The goal of electrolysis is to damage the follicle to the point that it will no longer be able to produce a hair. This requires each hair being treated multiple times using either heat, chemical reaction or both.

Deciding between laser hair removal and electrolysis? Contact us and we can ask a few questions over the phone to determine which treatment will be best for you. We also offer a free consultation where your technician can decide which treatment option, or a combination of both methods, will be best.

PRE-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS (click here)

How Electrolysis Works.

Electrolysis works by breaking down the follicle and the blood supply which feeds the follicle to permanently kill hairs.

A probe is inserted into the opening of the follicle, and an electrical burst is applied to break down the follicle. After treating the hair your technician will test the hair by removing it with a tweezers. If the hair comes out with ease we know the hair has been successfully treated. (NOTE: Please have at least ¼ inch growth on all hairs being treated, it is important that our technicians can see the hairs as well as grab them with a tweezers to remove them).

After each treatment, the hair will either not grow back or if it does, it grows back finer and lighter until the follicle is no longer able to reproduce a hair. The follicle needs to be broken down ⅔ of the way before it cannot produce another hair, this can happen on the first treatment or over time, depending on how strong the hair follicle is.

How many treatments will I need?

Determining the number of treatments required will differ from client to client. There are many factors that control how well your hair responds to treatment and we are unable to give exact quotes on how long and how many treatments you will need. Factors such as hormones, medications, medical conditions, genetics and much more will play a role in your hair removal journey.

The duration of an electrolysis treatment is determined by a few factors: How many hairs are needing to be removed, how resistant the hairs are, and the client's ability to manage discomfort. Each client is different and in order to determine session length and frequency your technician will start with 15-20 minutes of electrolysis at your first visit and will base your treatment plan on those factors.

Electrolysis is an effective and permanent solution to unwanted body hair, however, it is important to understand electrolysis requires time and patience to achieve results. Because this treatment is performed one hair at a time it takes longer to cover treatment areas than laser would. With many hidden layers of hair under the surface of the skin, it may appear that the same hairs are growing back however it is more likely that those are untreated hairs that were not present at the time of treatment. Because of this, it can take 5-10 treatments before you begin to see the results of electrolysis.

Does Electrolysis hurt?

Electrolysis can be an uncomfortable or even painful process for some people, the electrical burst we use for the treatment can feel like a sharp zap or sting. Clients are welcome to utilize numbing cream for their treatments. We ask that clients using numbing cream for pain management please come with numbing cream previously applied. Talk to your Electrologist about additional tips for the best pain management results.

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There are 3 stages of hair growth: Anagen, Catagen, and Telogen.

Anagen is the active growth phase, where the hair is attached to a blood supply.

Catagen is the transition phase where the hair stops growing and detaches from the follicle and blood supply.

Telogen represents a resting period. These hairs rest in the follicle until a new Anagen hair begins to grow and pushes the hair out. This is what we would call shedding.

At any given time, an unknown number of hairs will be in 1 of these 3 stages.

Hairs appear the same at the surface, so all must be treated. Only the ones connected to their blood source (Anagen) can be cauterized and permanently disabled. If you are able to keep to a steady routine we are able to treat most hairs in the anagen stage.

Methods of Electrolysis – Blend and Thermolysis.

Blend is the most widely used method of electrolysis. It is a combination of the methods of Galvanic and Thermolysis. The heat of Thermolysis paired with the chemical reaction of Galvanic is considered the most effective method for permanent hair removal. This type of electrolysis is effective on thick, coarse hairs.

Thermolysis (Flash) is actually what most people are thinking of when they hear the word electrolysis. Thermolysis works by using a small alternating current that cauterizes the follicle. This type of electrolysis is effective on thin, fine hairs.

Electrologists at the Permanent Choice have a variety of certifications including but not limited to:

C.P.E. – Certified Professional Electrologist

C.C.E. – Certified Clinical Electrologist

C.M.E. – Certified Medical Electrologist

Electrolysis treatments are not recommended for individuals with a tendency to keloid. If you have had cosmetic injections within 48 hours in the area we will be treating please let us know. If you have a history of cold sores please notify us when you call so we can prescribe an antiviral, such as Acyclovir, for you.

All of our offices use sterile, disposable needles (gold probes are used when appropriate).