Hi ladies!
I’ve been looking into permanent methods of hair removal and Electrolysis seems to be the most effective (as per FDA). The cost is higher and the process is tedious but seems like it’s worth the hassle. Laser isn’t as effective and teherfore not approved by FDA as a permanament solution to hair removal.
Anyone had expereince with Electrolysis…what are the results like? Any side-effects…eg. scars, pigmentation? What area did you tackle and how long did it take?
If anyone can recommend a reputable salon in the Greater Toronto Area that performs Electrolysis , that would be great!
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
I've had/am having electrolysis and it is great. It is the only method that can tackle all kinds of hair growth/colours on all colours of skin.
It is time and money intensive but providing you go to a properly qualified, skilled electrologist, with good practices and equipment there should be no side effects bar the area being a little red for an hour or so. You should not get spots, scars or any pigmentation if it's carried out properly and it carries much, much less risk than laser (i would like to say 'no risk').
An area first needs to be cleared, which can take a few sessions (for something like the upper lip. whole face is whole different scenario). After this, you just need to go back as and when you see growth pop up (basically like you'd go get it waxed or threaded every few weeks) but the hair will be finer and sparser and touch-up sessions will be short. As time goes on, you will find time between going back for touch-ups will reduce. However, to catch all the stages of hair growth and destroy all the follicles, it can take anything from 9months to 18months. but as i mentioned, after the first few months, you may only be going back once a month or so.
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Thanks Stoppit! Is it wise to tackle the entire face/neck at once or should one start is small patches?
Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal method there is. At the moment I'm using laser, once I have finished a course of 8 treatments I will start getting Electrolysis done for the hair that remains. I would of started of with Electrolysis had it not been for the pain.
At the moment I'm getting Electrolysis to remove my thread veins, and am very happy with the results. Yes it is much more painful then laser. the only way I can explain the pain is needles being pushes into ur skin very slowly and back out again.
I think the marks depend on what place u go to, where I get my Electrolysis done, I am only left with slight scarring for a day or two. which is literally the size of the head of the needle. My Auntie on the other hand, had scarring for a few months. so where ever u decide to go make sure u have a patch test done b4.
- good luck
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
No probs :)
It really depends on the method the electrologist uses (and equipment) and his/her skill. I know a few in the States that could tackle the whole face/neck at once - would get you full clearance very quickly - then you need to go back to tackle what comes up again as and when. But unfortunately, that's not the norm.
If you can find someone that is very good with a computerised machine, then you can tackle a few areas (upper lip, sideburns, chin) at once. Otherwise, maybe start with the upper lip and when you start seeing reduction and are spending less time on it (just short treatments to clear a handful of hairs), add the next area.
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
CE :D
CE was persuaded to go to my Electro - sounds like it's going well!
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Yes and to the same laser place u recommended, actually I'm beginning to think u get paid to talk about hair removal :D
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
^ Thanks for the info. ladies. Now I'm more confident about getting this done. Just have to find a decent place in the GTA.
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
lol, i wish - maybe i should start accepting paypal donations :)
i just know all the stress i went through researching about laser and electrolysis and finding good places for both kinds of treatments, so anything i can do to help others...
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Bless u stoppit, I wouldn’t know what I would do if it wasn’t for u 
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
I know electrolysis is completely safe, but I was wondering if anyone knew whether laser hair removal can cause birth defects and also aging of your skin?
I was told by someone that birth defects and skin aging are side effects of laser.
hello there!!
i’ve been doing electrolysis on my eyebrows 5 months ago…and i still have indented scars…mine are a little bit bigger than head of the needle…they look like this: http://i32.tinypic.com/1239sll.jpg do you think that it is permanent? 
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
^ivmi - did you not ask the same question on a hair removal forum in their electro section?
any advice the pro's there gave/could give would be better than any guesses here.
i have to say that i had some hairs in approx the same area treated and i didn't have any scarring whatsoever, so it's not something i can comment on.
^ivmi - did you not ask the same question on a hair removal forum in their electro section?
any advice the pro's there gave/could give would be better than any guesses here.
i have to say that i had some hairs in approx the same area treated and i didn't have any scarring whatsoever, so it's not something i can comment on.
yes i did...but no one didn't expirienced something similar on their own skin...so i was hoping that i will find someone who had/have this problem and can tell me from it's own expirience... sorry...i didn't want to disturb anyone, i'm searching on forums enything that may help...
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
i understand, i'm sorry it's happened :(
as you know j & d and others treat hundreds of patients, a lot who have had bad electo elsewhere, so i would have thought if anyone knew, it would be them.
the closest i've ever come to this kind of indentation is when i had a milia treated on my lower brow bone area. only heat is used and she had to zap a few times. an indent developed after 2 days but then it was also gone after 2 weeks.
are yours improving? if they are, it might just be a matter of time.
i understand, i'm sorry it's happened :(
as you know j & d and others treat hundreds of patients, a lot who have had bad electo elsewhere, so i would have thought if anyone knew, it would be them.
the closest i've ever come to this kind of indentation is when i had a milia treated on my lower brow bone area. only heat is used and she had to zap a few times. an indent developed after 2 days but then it was also gone after 2 weeks.
are yours improving? if they are, it might just be a matter of time.
well my boyfriend says they are...but i look at them every day all the time :( so I don't see anything....dee said that I should wait till year has passed...but I don't know...when i stretch the skin i can see that tissue is missing deep under...I suppose it is dermal layer...i hope that it will disappear..i'm so confused and sad...
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Stoppit, CE,
Ive read a few messages in this thread where you have mentioned that you have had electrolysis done and from what I understand you're happy with the results. It would be much appreciated if you could recommend a good place for getting electrolysis done in London...
Many thanks
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
London Rose, I will pm you.
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Another one here with a question for you stoppit (hope you don't mind)
You say you had your eyebrows done, I think I would like to do this as my eyebrows have a great natural shape and I tend to just clean up under the brow with tweezing every 6 weeks. How long did your eyebrows take to be completely hairfree (minus touch ups) and how was the treatment kept equal on both sides, so one side didn't look cleaner than the other..
Re: Experience with Electrolysis?
Well, first off, you need to be really careful with the eyebrows and be 100% about the person who is doing them. Which means you might need to have some treatment elsewhere on the face first. Doing something like the eyebrows imo requires a lot of trust and a good relationship with your electrologist.
Then, many people have found that the best way is to get the electrologist to let you hold a mirror and you direct them to each hair you want treated. What I did was pluck the hairs I wanted treated and when they started growing back in and were very short (and obvious that they had been previously plucked), I had them removed with electrolysis. This shouldn't take longer than 15mins.. if the electrologist is using the Blend method, 3-6 hairs/min is typical.. so you can estimate how long it would take based on how many hairs you can see.
However, you need to bear in mind that a few weeks later, the next cycle will come through that will need treating. Anything from that initial treated cycle that's not killed, will come back about 8 weeks later and usually finer.
So basically, you just need short appointments every few weeks in the beginning.. which will get shorter and more spaced out as time progresses.
In my opinion, you can never make both eyebrows exactly the same and doing so it what causes people to end up removing most of them. You need to respect what either eyebrow wants to be. But by directing your electrologist, you can be sure that he/she is doing what makes them appear equal to you. If you let him/her do it from his/her perspective, you might not be happy with the results.