Is electrolysis right for you?
Fighting unwanted hair growth is a long-standing challenging that’s been met with countless beauty products and services for generations. People of all genders spend time each week removing hair whether it’s by shaving, tweezing, waxing, or other methods.
And all that effort results in hours and dollars we’d rather not be bothered to count.
When all we really want is to just stop dealing with the hair!
So now you’re thinking of embarking on something more permanent. Maybe a friend told you about electrolysis, or you stumbled upon it yourself when aimlessly scrolling one night when you couldn’t sleep.
But is electrolysis the hair removal option for you?
In today’s post we’re walking through 6 different questions you want to ask yourself to help determine if electrolysis is the right solution for your unwanted hair:
What level of permanence are you looking for?
What is your pain tolerance?
How long are you willing to commit for?
What skin and hair color combination do you have on the area you’d like to work on?
What is your budget?
So let’s jump right into it!
Is electrolysis the right hair removal treatment for you?
What is electrolysis?
First let’s cover the basics. Whether this is the first time you’ve heard of electrolysis, or the 50th, we’ll all be on the same page.
Electrolysis is the only FDA recognized method of truly permanent hair removal. This method uses a very small needle-like probe that follows a single hair into into the hair follicle (that means there is no piercing of the skin) and uses an electrical current, heat, or a combination to kill the cells that produce the hair, and therefore stop new hair from growing.
Electrolysis has been a long standing treatment for permanent hair removal since its discovery in the late 1800’s.
While we don’t have as long of a history in our salon in Cedar Rapids (who does!), Teresa does has decades of experience. She has been providing electrolysis since the 90’s and is an expert electrologist in the area.
Question 1: What level of permanence are you looking for?
We all know that our at-home hair removal methods are just temporary. And many opt for extending their results with waxing or tweezing. But that still gives you just a few weeks, max.
What about laser treatments? Whether at home or at a laser hair removal treatment clinic?
According to the FDA, laser hair removal equipment is categorized as “permanent reduction”. While electrolysis is categorized as “permanent removal”.
Anecdotally, individuals report a mixed bag of results when it comes to laser hair removal, largely depending on the provider. So if you’re looking for a laser provider, make sure to gather personal recommendations and read reviews.
So determine for yourself what level of permanence you’re looking for. Is a permanent reduction enough for the area you’re seeking to treat? Or do you want to be confident of complete hair eradication? If you prefer the latter, then electrolysis is the choice for you in the permanence category.
Question 2: What is your pain tolerance?
No pain, no gain, right?
This does unfortunately apply to electrolysis, at least to a point.
Clients report a range of pain, or simply discomfort, when undergoing electrolysis treatment.
The treatment itself consists mainly of 3 steps: 1) the probe insertion, 2) the heat or electricity application, 3) the hair extraction.
The probe insertion does not cause any pain as the probe is being inserted into the hair follicle, a hole that is already present in the skin, and is therefor not piercing the skin. The hair extraction is also painless with nothing more than a light tugging sensation. There may be just the occasional “pluck”. The application of the electricity or heat is the step that will provide the most sensation. Different people react to this sensation differently, but at best, it is uncomfortable.
If you typically have a high pain tolerance, you may not have much to worry about. But even if you have a lower pain tolerance, hope is not lost if you’re highly motivated. Treatment sessions are set based on your pain tolerance, so you don’t have to have an entire hour, or even half hour of treatment.
Ultimately, you won’t be able to find out how much you can tolerate electrolysis treatment without giving it a try yourself. At an electrolysis consultation, ask your provider if you can experience a sample of the treatment. Most will be happy to oblige.
Then you can confidently determine if the pain or discomfort from electrolysis is enough to eliminate it from your hair removal options.
Question 3: How long are you willing to commit for?
Electrolysis is a long game, and you need to be in it for the long-haul if you want the final result: no more hair.
But in exchange of a long-term commitment, you achieve truly permanent hair removal. (Although we hope that’s not the last time we see you! Be sure to come back for our skincare products and skincare treatments like our popular acne facials.)
How long of a commitment are we talking about?
This comes down to the size of the area you want to treat and the hair density of that area.
For example, working on eyebrows or separating a unibrow will take much less time than treating entire legs.
If you’re treating a large area like the leg or back, you will be visiting your electrolysis regularly for up to 1.5-2 years. Treating a small area like eyebrows can take just a number weeks to months. These time frames of course depend on each treatment duration and your treatment frequency.
Additionally, your hair density can be very different from the next person’s. So how long it will take to complete the treatment of one area will be different from how long it takes another client treating the same area. This is because electrolysis is done by treating each individual hair one at a time. While this means that it can take a long time to achieve a large area or if you have dense hair growth, it is also what ensures 100% hair removal of that area.
But regardless of what area you’re treating or how many treatments you ultimately will need, the point is that in order to achieve true complete permanent hair removal, you need to commit to the complete process. If you’re willing to do that, electrolysis could be for you!
Question 4: What area of skin do you want to work on?
some areas are more sensitive than others, some electrologists only work on certain areas (like our salon)
As eluded to in the previous section, you can perform electrolysis on a variety of areas: legs, back, underarm, eyebrows, beard line, hairline, knuckles, chin, and face.
What you want to keep in mind is that some areas are more sensitive to work on than others. For example, you may be able to tolerate longer electrolysis sessions on the leg better than on your knuckles. So talk with your electrologist about the area you want to treat and how sensitive it may be to treat. This is a great conversation to have during your initial consultation.
Secondly, not all electrologists work on all areas. In our Cedar Rapids salon, we do not work on private areas or bikini lines. This is a personal preference of the treatment provider, so you may need to shop around if you’re seeking treatment on a particularly intimate area.
Question 5: What skin and hair color combination do you have on the area you’d like to work on?
Do you have light skin with dark hair? Dark skin and dark hair? Light skin and light hair?
Electrology is good fit for any skin/hair color combination. It even works for those hair or skin color which laser does not.
Laser hair removal targets the hair by targeting the melanin, the compound that gives hair and skin its color, present inside the hair. If your hair doesn’t have much melanin to target, like with grey, blond, or red hair, the laser will have a very hard time targeting those hairs.
If your skin is darker, then the opposite problem occurs. Due to the additional melanin present in the skin, the laser will target the skin itself which can be damaging.
In either case, laser isn’t a good option for you.
Electrolysis, however, is more precise as it targets one single specific hair at a time. It works on any color of hair, and there is no difference in treatment results whether you have darker or lighter skin. So regardless of your color of hair or skin, electrolysis can work for you.
Question 6: What is your budget?
How much electrolysis costs will depend on your number of treatments and length of those treatments. And as discussed under question 3, this is based on the size of the area you want to treat, and your specific density of hair.
For example, working on a small area like eyebrows or knuckles will cost much less than treating your entire back.
And when considering hair density, your cost of treating one area will be different from another client’s cost from treating the same area.
For a rough idea, electrolysis is charged by the duration of a treatment session. And in our salon, we offer treatments in 5 minute increments (15 minutes, 20 minutes, 25 minutes, and so on). At the time of this writing, sessions average $1.30-$2.00 a minute, with the lower rates corresponding to longer sessions (kind of like getting a bulk discount).
One thing to consider when thinking about your budget, is how much you’re spending on your hair removal now. Shaving, waxing, etc., aren’t free and come with a cost of their own. Moreover, it’s a cost that will only end when you decide to live with the hair that comes back.
In contrast, electrolysis is a cost that ends when all the hair is gone and then does not return. You will not incur that cost repeatedly, unlike with temporary hair removal options. So when you pay for electrolysis, you’re exchanging not only what you’re spending now for your hair removal, but what you will continue to spend for the years to come using temporary methods.
SO Who is a good candidate for electrolysis?
In summary of our questions and discussions above, who is a good fit for electrolysis?
If you have unwanted hair on your face or body
If you’re looking for permanent removal over permanent reduction of hair
You have a decent pain tolerance, or are willing to exchange the discomfort for permanent results
If you are committed to the treatment process for the long-term in order to achieve completed results
If you have any color of skin or hair
If you are willing to trade the expense of repeated temporary hair removal for the finite cost of permanent removal
If you answered yes to all of these statements, then you are a great candidate for electrolysis!
If you’re located in Eastern Iowa and ready to get started, then give us a call or schedule your first appointment online to get started.
And Who isn’t a good candidate for electrolysis?
And conversely, who isn’t the best fit for electrolysis and may want to consider other methods of hair removal?
You value treatment speed over 100% permanent hair removal
If you’re very pain sensitive
If you’re looking for a quick hair removal solution
If you prefer the lower cost of temporary solutions repeated as long as you want to remove the hair
If you have certain medical conditions or are undergoing certain medical treatments
If any of the statements above apply to you, you may not be the best candidate for electrolysis. But it’s not a guarantee, so consider speaking directly with an electrologist to see if your situation is a good fit for electrolysis. Our electrolysis consultations in Cedar Rapids are completely free and come with no further booking obligations.
Conclusion
How did you do with our questions? Were you able to determine if electrolysis is right for you?
If you need some more personal insight, then as a next step, we’d recommend setting up a 1-on-1 consultation with an electrologist to further answer your questions and perhaps provide a sample of treatment. Then you can decide once and for all if electrolysis is the end-all-be-all treatment for you.
Meet your Cedar Rapids Skincare & Electrolysis Specialist:
Teresa Dove
Teresa is the proud owner and operator of Professional Image Enhancement. She is a Licensed Cosmetologist (L.C.) and Licensed Electrologist (L.E.) based in Cedar Rapids and has been providing professional skin care and permanent hair removal to her clients from all over Eastern Iowa for over 25 years. She regularly attends the International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference for continuing education and to stay on top of the industry.
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