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FAQ's about Permanent Hair Removal
What is electrolysis; is it a new fad? What is electrolysis; is it a new fad? "Electrolysis" is a term that has become synonymous with permanent hair removal since 1875. Originally it was a process involving the insertion of a wire filament into the hair follicle (the pocket from which the hair grows), while the patient held onto an electrode. A weak current, generated by a battery, was passed from the electrode, through the patient's body to the wire filament and back to the battery. When the current passed through the follicle, the sodium ions from the salt molecules present in the tissue would combine with the hydroxyl ions from the water in the tissue to form sodium hydroxide, commonly called "lye." Lye is a caustic substance that dissolves protein, like the protein in the hair and the lining of the hair follicle. Thus the "electrolysis" method chemically destroys the structures inside the follicle that produce the hair. Has electrolysis been improved? About 55 years later, a newer modality of destruction was introduced known as short-wave thermolysis. In this newer method, a wire filament was still incorporated, but instead of the current passing through the patient's body, the wire acted as an antenna and broadcast a short-wave radio wave into the hair follicle. A radio sound wave is a vibration. The short wave vibration produced, excites the water molecules in the follicle to create friction between them to produce an amount of heat sufficient to cauterize tissue, in this case, the lining of the follicle, (germinative layer of tissue) and the source of growth of the hair, the hair papilla. Newer technology has improved electrolysis dramatically. Check out the information below on Multipulse/Multiphase/Thermolysis electrolysis! A hair must be actively growing for its follicle to be moist enough for the process to be effective. A certain percentage of follicles are in this stage at any given time. Some follicles are also dormant. These follicles are going through a natural growth cycle and hair will resurface within a few weeks or months. When the hairs are actively growing once again, their follicles can be effectively treated. For this reason, a series of treatments is required. The length of the series and the length of each appointment are highly individual and must be determined by close examination of the area. Can you help with ingrown hair removal? Using a sterile lancet and surgical gloves, we can remove the ingrown hair. Tell me more about Multipulse/Microflash Thermolysis Thermolysis is a procedure that uses alternating current to produce a short wave radio wave. Radio waves are sound waves, thus they vibrate. When we insert a tiny probe into a hair follicle that is actively growing, it will be moist and have water molecules that are vibrated by the release of the radio wave. The vibration of the molecules produces heat from the friction and this heat is enough to cauterize (burn) the inside of the hair follicle, permanently destroying it. The treatment is most effective on actively, growing, follicles which is why it is important to treat the new hairs as they emerge. The "Multipulse" is a delivery system controlled by a computer in the epilation machine we use. Distorted follicles used to be a problem, but with the new, flexible, rounded tip Ballet needles, the follicle is straightened so that the entire length can be treated at once. The "Microflash" refers to the speed of the pulse. The older machines delivered thermolysis current measured in tenths of seconds. The new machines deliver current in 10,000ths of a second. This means that every level of the hair follicle receives the ideal intensity in the correct little pulses, so that the treatment is as comfortable as can be while delivering a lethal dose of current to the hair follicle. There is no sensation afterward either. After your initial interview to determine that electrolysis will be beneficial, the skin is prepped with an antiseptic solution to make sure it will not become infected. Then we apply a topical anesthetic for comfort. Some areas of the body are more sensitive than others. Prescription anesthetic is available. However, in our practice, we notice that 98% of our patients are comfortable with the range of topical anesthetics that we routinely provide. How will my skin look after the treatment? Skin reaction ranges from slight pinkness and swelling to small scabs covering the follicle opening (we have only seen one case of this using the Apilus machine and that was on a body area, not the face). Reaction is usually gone by the time you reach your next destination. When performed by a Certified Professional Electrologist who has experience and is knowledgeable about the use of her equipment, this is extremely rare. How soon can I wash the treated area? The night of your treatment, wash the area with an antibacterial soap. Do this morning and evening for two days following the treatment or as long as any skin reaction remains. What about makeup, how soon can I wear it again? You can generally begin wearing makeup 24 hours after your treatment. However if you have a makeup container that is not contaminated, you can try a small amount on an inconspicuous area first and if it doesn't break out, then it is probably OK to use makeup sooner. Do I have to avoid the sun for months like with LASER/LAZER hair removal? No, just don't come in for a treatment with a sunburn. Don't go into any source of heat or direct sunlight for the first 24 hours following the treatment. After the first 24 hours, and as long as any reaction is showing, always use a sun screen with an SPF of 30 or higher. We follow the American Electrology Association’s Infection Control Standards as well as the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines for administering treatments. The skin is cleaned with a germicidal foam prep solution prior to treatment, a topical anesthetic is applied and the treatment is performed with a sterile disposable needle, sterilized forceps and needle cap, and we wear surgical gloves while performing the procedure. If any ingrown hairs are removed, we use a sterile disposable lancet. Who gets electrolysis treatments? Unlike most lasers, our methods provide permanent hair removal on all skin types and all shades of skin pigmentation. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Will electrolysis help me? Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a relatively common condition in women, affecting about one in ten according to the womenshealth.gov website. Electrolysis can be effective in reducing the hair. Can a pregnant woman have electrolysis? While electrolysis is generally contraindicated during pregnancy, short wave thermolysis has not been found to be a problem. A pregnant woman should check with her physician and follow his/her orders. Always inform your electrologist if you think you might be pregnant. Children can be very sensitive to unsightly hair growth. While electrolysis is safe for almost any age, it is only recommended for children who have entered puberty. On rare occasions, younger children have been treated with the pediatrician's permission. Treatment can be very successful because often children haven't plucked the hairs or used other techniques that may lengthen the course of electrolysis. Is electrolysis recommended for mature skin? Yes, it is safe and effective for mature skin. The only complaint we hear from our older patients is that they wish that they had started treatment earlier to have more years to enjoy their attractive, hairless skin! How will I know that my hairs are being permanently removed? We track the progress of the treatments by a Hair Density/Hair Growth Rate system. In most of our cases, every six treatments, the progress is checked and discussed with the patient. There is no extra charge for this service, it is included in your fee. It is not uncommon to be a little concerned that you will like electrolysis. For that reason, we offer a free consultation and free trial treatment. During your first appointment, we will take a detailed health history and explain the process. Next we will perform the free sample treatment. A few hairs from each area that you want treated will be removed. This trial treatment allows you to see how the process feels and allows us to assess your skin's reaction to treatment. Following the trial treatment, we will provide you with a time/cost estimate for your treatment schedule based on our observations. What can I expect in my free consultation and trial treatment? First you will complete a form providing basic information such as name, address, phone numbers, email address, etc. We also will have you provide basic health information that is pertinent to our evaluation and your treatment.
We will discuss your specific needs and concerns and explain the procedure to you. Finally, you will have the trial treatment to give you an idea how electrolysis feels. A few hairs will be removed from each area that you indicate. This allows you to experience the treatment of each area, and allows us to evaluate the reaction of your skin to the treatment. You will be instructed in the care of your skin for the next few days, and will be given a time/cost estimate of your treatment schedule after we have completed the sample treatment.
You can expect to spend about one hour for the free consultation and trial treatment. I have had electrolysis before, do I have to go through the consultation and trial treatment? We are required to obtain a health history on all new patients. It is for your protection as well as that of the clinic. It is also required of our insurance company. If you would like to have a regular treatment in addition to the trial treatment at the same visit, please let us know and we will be happy to schedule enough time to take care of your needs. Do you keep my information confidential? We respect your privacy. We rarely will contact you by phone, but when it is necessary, we avoid saying we are an electrolysis clinic in the message. We simply leave the name of the electrologist without the business name.
I heard that it takes a long time, is that true? It used to take a couple of years of dedicated appointments but with the newest equipment, the area is usually finished in less than a year, with the major portion of the work finished in 6 months! Generally, if a person takes treatments according to recommendation, does not have a hormone imbalance, is not taking a medication which would affect hair growth, and has no medical condition or tumor which would affect hair growth, the treatment series could range from six months to a year. I've heard it is expensive, is it? Most treatments are less expensive than hair appointments. And almost all cost far less than a facial or routine visit to the dermatologist. The cost depends on the length of the visit and the experience of the technician. While some electrologists charge for the entire time you are in the treatment room, Austin Medical Electrolysis Clinics only charge for the actual treatment time . . . time spent "prepping" (cleaning the skin, applying the disinfectant, anesthetic, inserting the sterile disposable needle and setting the machine) or post procedure treatment (treating the skin after the treatment) are not included in your treatment time. When we quote a rate for a 15 minute treatment, you are getting a FULL 15 minute treatment and are not charged for the prep/finish work.
How can I get more information? Call us at (512) 997-7700 for a free consultation and trial treatment or email us for more information. See how we can help you! The following information is available by Email, or Ground Mail:
Serving Austin, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Manor, Lakeway, |
