Electrolysis & Hair Removal Services

Electrolysis is a common term used to describe hair removal with electrical current. 

Dr. Charles Michel, a St. Louis, Missouri opthamologist devised a method of using battery current to cause a chemical transformation in the hair follicle, based on the principle of electrolysis for metal plating. He needed to find a procedure to ablate ingrown eyelashes without significant scarring. 

This method today is called Electrolysis, Galvanic or Multiple Needle Galvanic.  

Subsequent modalities such as Thermolysis and the Blend are also referred to as “electrolysis.”

Professional electrologists usually work within a fee structure much like attorneys or accountants. 

You must first know how long the individual treatments will be, then multiply the number of treatment hours by the rate per hour to determine the estimated total cost. 

Cost is predicated on the skin type, temporary removal methods used in the past, and the number of hairs to be removed.

A needle-sized electrode is inserted into the hair follicle or tiny tube in the skin where the hair is growing. Current is then delivered to the bottom of the follicle to destroy the vascular tissue that supports the hair. The hair is removed with sterile forceps and the area is left to heal.

Yes, but it is not instantaneous. 

The electrologist can’t see into the bottom of the follicle, therefore great care is taken not to over-treat the area. Just enough current is administered to disengage the hair for easy removal. 

If the follicle later produces another hair, then the process is repeated until the follicle no longer produces a hair. 

This process of elimination is necessary to allow the skin to appear as if it has never been treated once treatment is finished.

There is some discomfort, but usually no more than tweezing. Modern equipment allows the electrologist to accurately treat without massive trauma to the skin. 

The skin is equipped with tiny sensors that will warn you if treatment is too intense. If the skin is being traumatized, it may begin to feel too warm, or you may feel nauseous or jittery.  

We value open communication with our clients, so please let us know if you are feeling these signs of discomfort so we can discuss making adjustments. 

Most of the time spent on electrolysis is waiting between treatments for re-growth.

If the area being treated does not respond as described in the consultation, please bring up your concerns to the electrologist. 

Also, if you notice symptoms of other potential health issues (for instance, irregular periods or weight gain) be sure to discuss this with the electrologist. If necessary, adjustments can be made, and a medical treatment plan can be implemented.

Hair covers most of the human body. Most hair growth patterns are hereditary and pose no problem. However, some areas can become unsightly after temporary hair removal, with age, or with hormonal changes. 

Many females experience facial hair growth at puberty, during pregnancy and childbirth, or at menopause. A sudden growth of hair on the face of a female may indicate a medical problem that needs to be discussed with a physician. 

Many males experience hair growth on their shoulders and back that they deem unsightly. 

It is normal for both females and males to lose hair on their lower extremities and grow more hair on their upper bodies (except at the top of their head) as they grow older.

Laser hair removal is used for mass hair removal from large areas of the body. The hair must be dark because lasers target pigment in the hair follicles rather than the moisture targeted by conventional treatment. Laser hair removal does not work on blonde, red, or white hairs. 

Several types of lasers have been granted clearance by the United States Food and Drug Administration to advertise “permanent reduction.” These lasers are proving to be very effective for removing hair from areas that have been considered impractical by conventional methods. 

Fewer treatments are required for laser hair removal than conventional electrolysis.

With conventional electrolysis, no matter what modality is being used, the target tissue in the hair follicle is the moist dermal papilla. The current, whether direct or alternating, either causes a chemical reaction or heats up the moist tissue and destroys it. 

The Electrologist takes great care to avoid administering too much current that would affect the moist ground tissue of the dermis surrounding the lower portion of the hair follicle. This layer of skin contains the collagen and elastin layers and can be irreparably damaged to being too aggressive with conventional treatment. 

The laser is different, because its light is absorbed by the dark pigment producing cells at the bottom of the hair follicle. These are called melanocytes, which means they produce melanin. The heat from the melanocytes is then transferred to the adjacent vascular cells, and destroys the cells of the dermal papilla. 

There are no pigment cells in the adjacent dermis and no chance of damage, so the laser can be turned higher than conventional devices.  

The cost per treatment for laser is greater than for electrolysis per treatment. However, fewer laser treatments are required. 

In most cases, laser will prove to be less costly than other treatments. 

Genitals can be treated with either laser or electrolysis methods. 

It is wise to limit the amount of electrolysis because of the risk of invasion of pathogenic bacteria. 

Laser has proven to be fast and easy for even the most sensitive genital areas in both men and women.

If you choose to have electrolysis, then you must discontinue any temporary hair removal for about a week before treatment.  You can clip hairs up until two days before treatment.

For electrolysis, the hairs must be long enough to be removed to prevent the risk of infection. Closely spaced electrolysis treatments are necessary to treat the emerging hairs. As the hair growth slows, the treatments get shorter and farther apart until the hairs are no longer  growing.

For laser treatment, it is important that all the hairs be present in the follicle for the laser to be successful. We advise not using any method of hair removal except shaving or clipping for 6-8 weeks prior to treatment.  

We also strongly advise to avoid putting chemicals on the skin (such as depilatories or bleach) for at least 4-6 weeks prior to treatment.

There is always a risk of scarring when any invasive procedure is done; however with electrolysis, the risks are very small as long as the electrologist is trained. Our electrologists are very well trained. 

Immediately after electrolysis treatment, you should experience a tiny red lesion at each treated follicle, much like an insect bite. This lesion will disappear shortly after treatment and the area will return to normal. 

If there is continued redness for several days or visible scabbing, especially on the face, please report this to the electrologist right away.  The solution could be as simple as changing the type of electrode if you are allergic to metal.

Scarring from laser is not common, since it is not an invasive procedure. 

Although our laser operators are trained, please ask as many questions as you want, to determine that the operator is using the correct hair removal laser.  It is important that you are comfortable and assured that you are receiving the best care before you proceed. 

Electrolysis is safe and even recommended because laser will not affect blonde, white, or red hairs. Many people have hairs of almost every color in areas of skin that grow hair. 

If you find you do not have the time or it is inconvenient to continue with electrolysis on dark hairs, you may choose to have laser treatments to shorten the treatment time.

With conventional electrolysis, it is advisable not to treat the mucous membranes inside the nose and ears because of high risk of infection. The right kind of laser can be used safely to treat these areas however, since laser is non-invasive. The nostrils are lased from the outside and the ears are safely plugged before laser treatment.