While electrolysis is highly effective, some hair might still regrow, especially during the early sessions. However, this regrowth is usually finer, lighter, and softer than the original hair.
Electrolysis Cons
It's a time-consuming procedure requiring multiple sessions. Skin discoloration is a possibility. The electricity in the device can actually destroy the capillaries in the surrounding areas. It can be very painful.
Some hairs will grow back after electrolysis. However, as you undergo more and more sessions, the number of hairs that grow back each time decreases. If the hair doesn't regrow after more than three months, it will never come back again.
Is it really permanent? Yes. Unlike other hair removal methods that offer a temporary solution, Electrolysis is permanent and is the only FDA approved method of permanent hair removal.
Electrolysis has been approved by the FDA and has a proven track record of being a safe and effective procedure for permanent hair removal. However, electrolysis carried out by inexperienced individuals and using uncertified equipment is unsafe and carries risks of permanent skin damage, including scarring.
Expect to go through around eight to twelve sessions for a permanent result. That may seem like a lot. However, it's important to remember – the results last forever. Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) consider electrolysis the only permanent hair removal method.
According to consultant dermatologist Dr. Nick Lowe 'this is a big problem with electrolysis. We [dermatologists] often see tiny little punched out scars, medically called pinhead atrophic scars, which may occur early on or sometimes years later. Although they are small, they can be quite deep.
Electrolysis is not as popular as laser hair removal for a few reasons: Longer Treatment Time: As mentioned, treating each hair follicle individually makes electrolysis take much longer. Laser hair removal often takes 10 minutes or less for smaller areas.
While electrolysis is highly effective, some hair might still regrow, especially during the early sessions. However, this regrowth is usually finer, lighter, and softer than the original hair.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments: If you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, electrolysis is not recommended. These treatments weaken the immune system and increase the risk of infection. Pregnant women: Electrolysis is not recommended during pregnancy.
Electrolysis, in which an electrical current is used to destroy hair follicles, “is the one true permanent way to remove hair,” Davis says. Like lasers, it requires several treatments; unlike lasers, it requires no maintenance visits and works on light hair, according to the dermatology academy.
Meaning that the hair follicle can no longer produce any other hairs after this phase. Because of this, hair growth will become thinner and finer, and eventually will stop growing.
In order to be effective a big enough current has to be passed into the client. The problem is that it also coagulates the lovely soft collagen. This is why you sometimes see women who have had electrolysis with upper lips that look horrible with thick lines that can be read by a barcoder.
Weak electrolytes are electrolytes that do not fully dissociate into ions in solution and only partially ionize in solution (roughly 1-10%).
Electrolysis Cost
For a full body treatment, you're looking at roughly $35 to $100 per hour. Because each hair is treated one at a time, it takes many sessions. You might spend 15 to 30 hours in total. This means the full cost could be anywhere from $525 to $3,000.
Is electrolysis permanent? Yes, electrolysis safely and permanently removes hair from all skin tones. It is the only FDA-approved permanent hair removal treatment. Because electrolysis permanently destroys the growth cells in the hair follicles, the hair will not grow back.
Any method that requires to pull the hair from the root will slow down your progress. The hair may not be visible on your next visit for the electrologist to treat it so it will take longer to finish, plus pulling will also stimulate more hair growth in that area and will therefore be a step back in your treatment.
About 93% of electrolysis procedures yield permanent success, an excellent number for hair removal procedures. Remember, electrolysis does not work for everyone, and the chance for regrowth is still there, though very slight. Fortunately, this myth is true!
Common Electrolysis Treatment Areas
Electrolysis works on all skin and hair types. It can be applied to most facial and body parts, including eyebrows, chin, upper and lower lip, jaw line and sides of the face, breast, underarms, abdomen, bikini line, feet, legs, and back.
Refrain from short-term hair removal methods leading up to your appointment. Avoid plucking or waxing for 2-3 weeks before, and avoid shaving for 3-5 days before your electrolysis appointment.
A very fine needle (usually thinner than the hair being treated) is inserted into the natural opening of the hair follicle alongside the hair shaft. A tiny amount of electrical current is then applied to destroy the hair growth cells. It's a more complex than laser hair removal and that's why it's more painful.
In fact, electrolysis treatment can help to improve the texture and appearance of skin since it involves galvanic needling, which is a process that stimulates skin collagen production.