Techniques & Methods
By Rita Reckas
Registered Electrologist
© 1995 Rita Reckas & Transgender Forum
Electrolysis and related techniques depend on the insertion of a very fine needle or probe into the hair follicle and the application of a very low level electrical current, the purpose of which is to kill the hair at its root and to destroy its source of nourishment. The hair is withdrawn with a tweezer.
While this basic procedure is used in all forms of electrolysis, there are differences in technique and in methods.
Traditional electrolysis uses galvanic, or direct current (DC). This is the oldest form of treatment, and it is still useful for some people.
A probe is used and the current triggers a chemical reaction in the follicle which contains salt and water. The galvanic current causes the salt and water to form lye, or sodium hydroxide. The lye generated through this process attacks the papilla of the hair and the surrounding germinative cell to prevent regrowth of the hair.
Galvanic is a slow process and treatment time per follicle can vary from less than a minute to several minutes, depending on the level of current used, the tolerance of the client, and whether hair is fine or coarse. Some operators use multiple needles at the same time to kill more hairs and speed things up.
Another needle method, thermolysis, uses alternating current (AC), a high frequency current, to epilate hair by heat rather than chemical means. In the flash technique, one form of thermolysis, the operator uses short, high intensity bursts of current to epilate the hair.
This is usually done automatically with a machine that has a built in computer or timer that turns current on and off at intervals that can be as short as one hundredth of a second. Manual thermolysis is slower and uses a current of lower intensity. The electrologist uses a device such as a foot switch to apply the current for as long as she feels is necessary, typically in the range of several seconds to under one minute.
Next month we'll discuss the Blend, a third method of electrolysis that combines features of both thermolysis and galvanic.
D. James wrote: "How long does it take to get rid of leg hair and does it get rid of all leg hair?"
Rita answers: "Getting rid of leg hair can take a long time because it is such a large area. But how long will depent on you do it. If you put many hours in the beginning and space your appointments no more than eight days apart the results will be much faster. Clearing legs can take up to three years, which regular treatments, or more if the hair is very strong."
Petra wrote and wondered about the effectiveness of a novel form of hair removal: "My cosmetics physician has replaced conventional needle electrolysis by a new method with the trade name Epilscan HFD. A special gel is messaged into the skin with a HF electrode. It is said that the gel will destroy the follicle while it is brought in by the HF current. The advantage is that all parts of the face are treated in one session."
Rita answers: "I am not familiar with this procedure but it sounds something like the technique used here with the electric tweezer. Because the skin is not broken operators don't need an electrologist license to use the machine. The machine is not approved by the electrologist association (in the U.S.) as effective.''
