Electrolysis Questions, Answered In Full
Needles, pain, shaving, aftercare, ingrown hair and transgender treatment — the questions our clients actually ask.
Everything below comes from our own treatment room in downtown Chicago. If something you need is not here, bring it to your consultation and a licensed electrologist will walk you through it.
How Electrolysis Works, And What To Expect
Hygiene, comfort, coverage per hour and who is a candidate. Electrolysis is the only hair removal method recognized as permanent by both the FDA and the American Medical Association.
Absolutely. For the safety and hygiene of our clients, we use only sterile, single-use needles during each electrolysis treatment. A fresh needle is used for every session to minimize the risk of infection and ensure the most comfortable experience possible.
Unwanted hair can be caused by hormonal changes brought on by pregnancy. Electrolysis can be performed on any normal skin, and this includes pregnant women. We suggest that you seek the advice of your physician before beginning treatment.
Laser hair removal is less painful than electrolysis. It is a rubber-band snap compared with a bee sting, and some of the newer laser hair removal devices are less uncomfortable still.
A laser treatment covers larger areas at once, such as the legs and back. With electrolysis, your electrologist removes the individual hairs one by one with a very fine needle that is inserted into the natural opening of the hair follicle alongside the hair shaft.
Electrolysis can be performed on most moles where licensing regulations allow it. Your electrologist may require written approval from your physician.
No, it does not. That is a myth that has been around for a very long time. Your hair cycles stay the same, and in fact, when we begin electrolysis on a shaved area, your hairs die faster than if you had previously done anything else such as waxing, threading, laser or tweezing.
Areas of the face and body that have been shaved require less time for the electrolysis treatment. If you shave before and during the electrolysis process, the hairs will die faster.
Your electrologist removes individual hairs from the body one by one, approximately 200 to 800 hairs per hour. Laser covers large areas and can treat thousands of hairs.
There can be some side effects, such as redness, swelling, blisters and ingrown hairs, but the most common complication is skin edema. These side effects are temporary and typically clear up on their own within a few days.
Our clients come in once a week or every other week as needed. A treatment can last between 15 minutes and 7 hours, and it can take up to a year to complete all the sessions needed.
Electrolysis should never be done to remove hair from a mole or a birthmark. If you have a pacemaker, you should not have electrolysis on any part of your body.
It does, but the discomfort is not unbearable. Different parts of your body have different sensitivities, so if you are going to have electrolysis on the bikini area, keep that in mind. The pain level may not be the same as treatment on your legs.
We currently do not offer male Brazilian electrolysis or laser hair removal treatments. However, we do provide transgender electrolysis and laser hair removal services for the genital area. During a consultation we can discuss your specific needs and goals and create a personalized treatment plan.
Razor Bumps, Folliculitis And Ingrown Hair
Electrolysis was originally developed to remove ingrown hair. It remains one of the most effective ways to stop it coming back for good.
Irritating and sometimes painful ingrown hair can occur after waxing, laser treatments or even shaving, and it can show up in the bikini area, inner thigh, upper leg front or back, knee, lower leg, chin and neck.
What types of skin are prone to ingrown hair?
Some skin types are more likely to get ingrown hair than others. These include:
- African American
- Olive skin or darker
- Indian
What areas are more likely to have ingrown hair?
Though ingrown hair can happen anywhere, it is more likely to occur on:
- Male beard
- Male jaw line
- Male neck
- Female chin
- Female neck
- Female jaw line
- Female bikini area
- Female inner thigh
- Female upper or lower legs
Irritating and sometimes painful ingrown hair can occur after waxing, laser treatments or even shaving, and it can show up in the bikini area, inner thigh, upper leg front or back, knee, lower leg, chin and neck.
How to prepare for the best results
Electrolysis treatment remains one of the most effective ways to eliminate irritating ingrown hair. To achieve optimal results, you should:
- Tend your skin right before the electrolysis session
- Loofah the area twice during the week before the electrolysis session
- Use a facial or body scrub two to three times during the week before the electrolysis session
Ingrown hair sometimes goes away without treatment, but it has the potential to be a serious health hazard. If it is not properly treated or removed, ingrown hair can become infected and may require medical care. Without proper attention, ingrown hair can lead to scarring or razor bumps.
Recurring incidents of ingrown hair are often called folliculitis. This condition occurs when new hair fails repeatedly to grow straight out of the follicle and instead grows curly or crooked just under the skin before it emerges. Though ingrown hair could affect anyone, people with coarse or curly hair are more likely to suffer from ingrown hair or folliculitis.
Though it has since been used to treat all unwanted hair, electrolysis was originally developed to remove ingrown hair and is a very effective solution. In fact, electrolysis is the only hair removal technique approved by both the Food and Drug Administration and the American Medical Association.
Electrolysis for ingrown hair is completely safe and effective for all hair and skin types. During the treatments, electrolysis restricts the follicle from growing another unwanted hair. Electrolysis should not be confused with laser hair removal, which is not a permanent removal treatment for ingrown hair.
Alison wants you to experience the freedom that comes from permanently removing ingrown hair, to help you maintain good health and feel more confident about your appearance. For more information about how electrolysis can help with your ingrown hair, schedule a free initial consultation for first-time electrolysis clients.
Shaving, Washing And The First 24 Hours
Small habits before and after a session change how fast the hair dies and how quickly your skin settles. Full instructions are in our care guides.
You should stop shaving for at least two days before your appointment. For more information, please read our Pre-Electrolysis Care Instructions.
Please do not shave for at least 24 hours, or more, prior to treatment. This provides just enough hair growth for effective removal. Shaving is completely acceptable for the untreated areas after your electrolysis treatment.
We recommend that our clients avoid scratching or over-touching the treated area within the first 24 hours after the treatment. We also recommend not using perfume products immediately after the treatment.
Once the redness and crusts are gone, which is approximately five days. We recommend using an exfoliation scrub cream every two weeks, and staying hydrated the day before, the day of, and the day after your electrolysis treatment.
You will be advised not to apply soap to the treated areas, and to avoid swimming or coming into contact with salt or chlorinated water for a 24-hour period. You can apply alcohol to keep the skin clean. After the 24-hour period it is fine to use a gentle liquid cleanser such as Dove, Cetaphil or Neutrogena.
Avoid touching the treated area, direct sunlight, warm baths or showers, humid air, or anything else that could irritate the skin for 24 hours. If you touch the treated area by mistake, we recommend washing it with a mild soap and then drying it to prevent infection.
A warm compress should be applied as soon as you get home after an electrolysis treatment to help prevent pimples. You can use salicylic acid sparingly to dry out a pustule if one appears.
Electrolysis During Transition
Timelines, hours and cost for facial and pre-surgical clearing. We are TG-friendly verified by Laura’s Playground.
Electrolysis is the most reliable option available today and has been proven to remove trans women’s facial hair permanently. Laser can be an acceptable option, but it is usually not enough by itself to remove trans women’s facial hair permanently.
You can start electrolysis whenever it feels right for you, whether you are at the start of your transition journey or further along. Some clients have electrolysis early on to remove male pattern hair growth and feel more feminine.
If you have increased or abnormal hair growth from hormonal changes, electrolysis can help you manage it.
To fully clear your facial hair permanently it can take anything from 8 months up to 2 years in some cases. The number of sessions needed varies from 8 to 15, and the number of hours needed varies from 90 to 300.
Electrolysis costs $50 to $150 per hour. Expect about a dollar a minute; most transgender women find rates between roughly $50 and $150 an hour.
Electrolysis hair removal is the best solution for unwanted hair during your transition. Go with confidence, save time, and stop worrying about shaving or tweezing before leaving the house. You are always ready to go.
Ask A Licensed Electrologist
Anything we have not covered here, bring it to your consultation. We will look at your hair, your skin and the area you want treated, then give you a clear plan and a realistic number of hours. By appointment only, no walk-ins. We speak English, Romanian and Russian.
TG-Friendly by
Laura’s Playground
American Electrology
Association
Electrologists Association
of Illinois
By appointment only. No walk-ins. We speak English, Romanian and Russian.