Electrolysis
What is electrolysis?
Electrolysis is a permanent hair removal method that is suitable for people of all ages, hair colours, hair types and skin colours. It is suitable for women, men and transgender women, regardless of where it grows. This is because it directly targets the dermal papilla of the hair follicle, whereas laser hair removal and IPL target the pigment of the hair.
Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal method approved by the FDA. It is performed by inserting a tiny, thin needle into the hair follicle. This does not create any trauma, as it is a natural opening in the body. A current is released directly onto the dermal papilla, essentially destroying the hair follicle along with follicular stem cells in the dermal papilla and the bulge region, thus preventing any further growth.
What methods of electrolysis are offered?
ForeverME offers two modalities of electrolysis; thermolysis and blend method.
Thermolysis uses an alternating high frequency current that creates heat to destroy the hair follicle. Blend method is a combination of galvanic and thermolysis techniques.
The galvanic method is much slower than thermolysis, however it can be much more thorough. The patient holds the negative electrode while the positive electrode is introduced into the hair follicle via the needle. The current then passes through sodium chloride in the hair follicle, which then gets dissociated into sodium, hydroxide ions, chlorine and hydrogen. The chemical reaction that then takes place produces lye, a highly alkaline substance that destroys the hair follicle. The blending of heat accelerates the process. This blend combination method alleviates the shortcomings of each of the individual techniques, while strengthening their advantages.
A treatment plan designed especially for you Registered Nurse Belinda will tailor a treatment that is specifically suited to you. Thermolysis is suited for people who have shallow rooted, thin hairs with small follicles. It is great for facial areas like upper lip, chin, cheeks, sideburns and neck. It can simply and quickly remove peach fuzz. The blend method is better suited to deep, course hairs, pubic and other curly hairs, because it targets the entire hair shaft. It is common for people to transition from blend to thermolysis once their hair becomes finer and is growing slower and more sparsely.
Treatment plans are also tailored depending on your budget, your tolerance for discomfort (depending on the area to be treated), your hair type and how much of it there is, and your overall goals. The nature of electrolysis and these variables makes it very difficult to estimate how many treatments you may required. During the initial consultation we will discuss these issues, as well as well as the 3 stages of hair growth that will affect the time it may take to be hair-free.