There are many men & women that believe that we can solve our unwanted hair problems by attempting to remove these unsightly, out of place hairs particularly on the eyebrows, face, & chin by plucking them out by the roots via tweezing, waxing, & sugaring. Surely, this will solve our despicable, unwanted, current hair-growing problem forevermore!

Alas, to the utter dismay and horror of the individual they mistakenly in time realize that they have now an even bigger hair problem than the hair growth they originally had in the beginning. Granted, when we remove unwanted hair say by tweezing, it does take longer to grow back than if we were to shave it off at the skin level.

However, what we don’t realize is the fact that “repeated epilations eventually cause most hairs to regrow more quickly and to become darker, coarser and more firmly rooted.”* Only a fraction of all tweezed hairs are ever permanently eliminated. Thus those who tweeze are in for a greater hair problem than what they had before they originally tweezed; rather than solving the problem, we are in fact worsening it!

The reason for this is that the body treats these epilations as an injury and hence increases blood supply that flows to the area causing the accelerated growth of the tweezed hair. Each time a hair is tweezed out of its follicle, a good portion of the bottom half of the follicle is torn out. The damage does not sufficiently prohibit future growth of the hair but instead causes the follicle to reconstruct itself more robust & sturdier with a better-developed capillary network system. Over time what may have been a few annoying hairs will have become a vast patch of thriving, darker, coarser hairs bristling in defiance of our attempts to eradicate them.

Now that you are armed with this new knowledge of hair growth, let this information motivate you to make the solemn obligation to never pluck another chin hair ever again! Always remember my mantra, if you pluck one hair, two will arrive for the funeral.

* HINKELM, A. R. Electrolysis Thermolysis and the Blend the Principles and Practice of Permanent Hair Removal. 1968.

This is a topic that I feel should be addressed more frequently in the electrolysis world.  When life’s stressful events occur whether it be a hormonal, physical, or emotional manifestation, these forms of stress really can influence skin sensitivity!

Living in the fast lane of life scenario seems typical to many of us.  Our lives tend to get very busy with all the juggling of every day life events that are constantly taking place. When exceptionally stressful life situations are occurring whether you realize it or not, many times we are realizing the effects it’s having on our bodies during our electrolysis treatments. Our pain thresholds tend to decrease & skin sensitivity increases! 

Speaking on a personal note, I would always find that my level of pain tolerance decreased and my skin sensitivity always increased whenever I found myself in less than ideal circumstances in life.  Most of the time I felt that it was out of my control, but there were times when I could and did take control of the situation and adjusted my electrolysis appointments accordingly. I’ve listed a few common examples:

1.  If you’re female and you can predict your monthly menstruation, avoid electrolysis appointments a few days prior and during your monthly menstrual cycle.

2.  If deciding to try a new medication that influences hormonal levels, start medicine right after your electrolysis appointment, not prior. This will give your body time to adjust to changing hormone levels as well as building up a tolerance to nuances of the new medication.

3.  If you’ve had a stressful event happen such as the death of a loved one or are going to have a predicted exceptionally stressful event take place in the near future such as your final school examinations, it may be wise to schedule your electrolysis appointments after these events have concluded or you feel that your health has recovered sufficiently for electrolysis appointments to resume.

I truly care about your comfort and want each and every electrolysis appointment to be as predictable, comfortable, and as pleasant as it can possibly be. When we have a lot of “stress” in our lives advertently or inadvertently we end up “feeling” it in the electrolysis chair! I would like to express these insights to all those who are receiving or considering electrolysis treatments so they will not be caught off guard if and when it happens. I’m not a fan of pain as well as being the biggest baby I know when it comes to sensitivity and pain. I hope these insights are helpful for you and will be taken into consideration in your permanent hair removal efforts!

FACT Versus FICTION

Usually the first or second question I encounter after I tell someone that I perform electrolysis: What’s the difference between laser and electrolysis? Can you get permanent results with laser treatments? With big business hair removal lasers in our day, many times laser spas neglect to mention in their radio advertisements and on their websites that laser is still currently not FDA approved for permanent hair removal.  Laser assisted hair removal is considered a temporary method.

Lasers work by pigment targeting the chromophore, which is the melanin in the hair shaft in attempts to kill the dermal papillae. Subsequent laser treatments result in weaker, smaller, and decreased density and thickness of hair. Modern laser technology claims to deliver customized results on all skin types. However, those clients with fine vellus, gray, white, blonde, and red hair or those with light hair on light skin or dark hair on dark skin may not see as much of a benefit when compared to those clients that have dark course hair on lighter skin.  

Granted, electrolysis treatments are not as quickly administered as laser hair removal treatments, yet the electrolysis method and technique is what has proven successful to permanently eliminate hair removal regrowth. For some areas such as legs, underarms, and Brazilians that cover a large surface area of the body or that have a dense area of hair growth, prior or concurrent laser treatments with electrolysis is a great way to speed up the permanent hair removal process.  Personally, I have used both laser and electrolysis in order to gain the advantages of each to achieve quicker hair removal with permanent results.  

Laser is a great tool that we can use in our progressive efforts in assisting us to achieve our overall goal of becoming clear in the areas desired. Laser treatments help to reduce hair density and thickness. When they are followed by electrolysis treatments, it can guarantee permanent hair removal results. Laser is FDA approved for hair reduction only and is not permanent, so remember, if we are seeking long-term permanent hair removal, we must always seal the permanent hair free deal with electrolysis.