It is a process that involves inserting a very fine probe into the hair follicle and dehydrating the blood supply to kill that hair and 100s of other hair cells which may come in a new cycle. Check out this quick overview of the history of electrolysis.

Because electrolysis is the only method the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and similar agencies worldwide have approved for permanent hair removal. It has been scientifically proven and time tested, having been a permanent hair removal method since 1875. Both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the FDA recognize electrolysis as a safe and permanent method of hair removal.

Yes, they are very different. Laser uses light to penetrate the skin and works on black hair only! Electrolysis has different modality choices, which are chosen based on the individual; galvanic (electricity only), heat/thermolysis (heat only – great for those with pacemakers and sensitive areas like the upper lip), or the Blend (both methods used together). The Blend was patented in 1948. Laser hair removal is approved by the FDA for permanent hair “reduction” and not permanent hair “removal.” It has shown great results for large parts of the body such as the legs but some clients will still need electrolysis for those ‘hard to kill’ hairs.

Electrologists use a variety of methods. The three most commonly used are:
Galvanic An electrical current that interacts with moisture in the follicle.

Thermolysis A process in which only heat is used. This method is perfect for people with pacemakers and electrical devices in the body.

Blend The most recent and popular method, a combination of Galvanic and Thermolysis. This method combines Galvanic/electrical with Thermolysis/heat which causes a natural chemical reaction called lye. Lye is a caustic mixture that desiccates the bulb permanently.

The type of modality used by your electrologist is dependent on skin and hair type.

To perform electrolysis, the electrologist uses a tiny probe about the diameter of the hair being treated. With the right time and intensity for the individual, the probe will destroy hundreds of the germ cells (hair cells) along with the visible hair being treated. To put that into perspective, our face has 500 to 1000 germ cells per square inch with a hair growth cycle of 6–8 weeks. The growth cycle of these hairs is not uniform; a new hair cycle can come through every day. When a visible hair is treated, the probe dehydrates the blood supply to that hair while destroying hundreds of germ cells at the same time. Will the hair ever come back? Absolutely not. Once a hair is destroyed it is gone forever!

 There are many factors involved with unwanted facial hair for women. First, there are more androgen hormones, such as testosterone, on our face than any other part of our body. It is the hormone that causes men to grow facial hair. People with Middle Eastern ethnicity tend to grow the most hair whereas people with Eastern Asian ethnicity grow the least amount of hair. It’s just the way things are. There are a few things, though, that have been proven to stimulate the androgen hormone thereby producing unwanted hair on a woman’s face:
– STRESS! (calm down and try to balance your life – it will save your life and give you more pleasure)
– UV Rays (wear sunscreen)
– Medications (there are some that are known to cause hair growth)
– Steroids
– Antibiotics
– Anesthesia
– Trauma
– Grief

It is different for everyone. Hair on the face grows in 6-8 week cycles. If you have been shaving any unwanted thick and whisker-like hair growing on your face, after a week of inactivity I can look under magnification and see how many different lengths of hair have grown. Each length would be a new hair growth cycle.

Just to clarify, the follicle is an opening in the skin where the hair grows. The answer to the question is that it depends on many variables:
– How thick, how curly, etc. the hair is
– How dense the hair is (how many hairs per square inch need treating)
– How hot the person can tolerate the probe (everyone has a different pain tolerance)
– How hot the skin can tolerate the probe (I pay attention to the skin’s tolerance during treatment because I want the least amount of skin alterations possible after healing)
– How often a person comes for treatment (We will talk about budgeting that works for you)
– How long the sessions are (we can compare our calendars for availability)
There are other variables, but these are the most common.

Electrolysis can be performed literally anywhere on the body, but I currently only work on areas above the waist.

Electrolysis will make you Hairfree, but it’s not totally pain-free. I will find the best setting for the individual while also eliminating hairs as quickly as possible. I want my clients relaxed during each session for the best possible outcome. Bring your earbuds to listen to a podcast or your favorite music if that helps you relax. I can also suggest a couple of numbing products I know you will find helpful and I can give you instructions on how best to apply them.

As your electrologist, my goal is that every time I treat a hair, I will never need to go into that follicle again. The reality, though, is more complicated than that. When I treat a hair (destroy it from the blood supply that has produced it), the temperature of the probe determines how many microscopic cells are destroyed at the same time. After 6–8 weeks (normal growth cycle for facial hair) we will be able to see if that follicle was able to produce another hair. If it did, it likely will be much thinner and quicker to release. If it didn’t – Yay, no more hair growth! Basically, the hotter the probe, the greater the number of microscopic cells destroyed. The more hairs treated per session, the fewer (hopefully none!)  hairs that will come back in a new growth cycle. This can mean fewer sessions are needed, but other factors such as how long your sessions are and how often you come can affect this. The bottom line is that I want to destroy as many hairs as possible in each session within your pain tolerance and within your skin’s tolerance. Thinking long term, when you’re Hairfree we want you to also have a beautiful and smooth complexion.

 Possibly, but not always. Our hormones determine what hairs grow where on our body, and we experience hormone changes on and off throughout our lives. The follicles that have been destroyed with electrolysis will never produce another hair, but we have millions of follicles on our body, and hormones can stimulate other hair to grow later in life. Some need a few sessions 10 – 15 years later, yet others will never need another session for the duration of their life.

If you’re plucking (tweezing), threading, or waxing now, STOP! I can’t zap what I can’t see. Shaving and depilatory creams, such as Nair, are fine. I need a 1/8” to 1/4″ of hair growth to grip with my tweezers. Water is your friend! Drinking plenty of water hydrates the skin, which can lessen pain and improve the experience. Low to no caffeine 24 hours before your appointment also helps to reduce pain.

The treated area should be kept clean. Avoid contact with either ocean or lake water. Don’t do anything that may collect dust in the fresh openings for 3–5 days after, such as cleaning your garage. Keep the treated area clean and be gentle with it (No picking, squeezing, or harsh chemicals). Use SPF sunscreen and avoid using a tanning bed or spending a long time out in the sun, as UV rays can cause dark spots and scarring.

Call or text for a FREE consultation! During your consultation, I will provide you with a health history form to fill out. This assists me in understanding your unwanted hair needs. We’ll then have a conversation to discuss a customized treatment schedule that works best for you. During your consultation hour, if you wish, I can offer a 15-min sample appointment for $25. This is helpful for me to find a good setting, and it gives you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with how a typical session works. Don’t be worried! There is nothing shocking or scary and no reason to be nervous.

Absolutely! All of my supplies are disposable except for the several tweezers (forceps) and the test tubes in which they are sterilized. Once a tweezer is used on a client, it is put into an ultrasound machine with an enzymatic solution. Once a day I run the ultrasound machine, which uses vibration and heat to cause the proteins from the client’s skin to drop off the tweezers. The tweezer is then rinsed, air-dried, put into a test tube, and placed in a dry heat sterilizer. I have the sterilizer tested monthly at a lab to ensure it functions properly.

I offer several session lengths to best suit your schedule as well as meet your Hairfree goals. I currently offer 15, 30, 45, and 60 minute sessions. If you would like more time per session, I can easily accommodate you!

I accept cash, check, PayPal, & Venmo. Unfortunately, I do not take credit cards at this time.

If you are unable to make your appointment, please call or text and let me know as soon as possible so that I may offer that time to another client. If you do not notify me within 24 hours of a cancellation, a $25 fee will be charged.