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Electrolysis Explained

ELECTROLYSIS EXPLAINED

Electrolysis was introduced in 1875 by Dr. Charles Michel who reported that he had been able to remove ingrown eyelashes by inserting a needle charged with negative galvanic current into the hair follicle. As a result, using electricity to remove hair became known as "electrolysis". 

 

Electrolysis is performed by inserting a hair thin disposable, sterile probe into the hair follicle, which is a natural opening in the skin.  A small amount of energy is then discharged into the hair follicle. The sensation of heat passing down the probe to the base of the follicle is felt by the client.  The follicle destruction occurs and the hair is slid out.

Three methods of electrolysis are used in electrology. 

 

The Galvanic is the original method discovered by Dr. Michel.  When the current comes in contact with the salt and moisture within the follicle, it causes a chemical decomposition and rearrangement of the atoms . The salt and water are changed into sodium hydroxide also known as lye . The small amount of lye that is produced is caustic and destroys the hair germ cells.

The second method, Thermolysis, was invented in 1920s by Dr. Bordier of France who was the first to write an article on the use of high-frequency current for hair removal.  This method is sometimes referred to as short wave.  Thermolysis is the application of alternating current to living tissue.  It quickly excited the water molecules that results in the production of heat.  The result is the tissue destruction.

The third method called Blend.  It was invented in 1938 by Arthur Hinkel and Henri Saint-Pierre, a duo of an electrical engineer and a practicing electrologist.  Hinkel designed  and constructed the first blend epilator. Just like the name suggests, the method is a combination of Galvanic electrolysis and Thermolysis.  It is a a" technique" combined with properly balanced currents that produces better results than either current individually. With this modality, the regenerative ability of the hair follicle is permanently eliminated. The galvanic method is extremely effective but can be very slow and time consuming. Thermolysis is faster in that you can clear more hair in a session, but with a rate of higher re-growth there will be more sessions. 

 

In blended current, the thermolysis (HF) complements or enhances the galvanic action in three ways:

* the heat produced by the HF accelerates the lye's action

* HF's ability to coagulate the tissue, making it porous, allowing the lye to penetrate the target areas

* the heating pattern causes turbulence (a disturbance or agitation) within the follicle. As the tissue undergoes electro-coagulation (cooking) , the lye becomes agitated and is able to flow into all the crevices of the follicle. This can be very beneficial when dealing with curved follicles i.e. curly hair.

The treatment can be adapted to suit each client’s skin, hair and pain threshold.

During a course of treatments, there will be a constant, gradual decrease in the growth of the hair until it has all been permanently removed until there are no hairs left, as follicle destruction has been achieved. The number of treatments required will vary from person to person and will be discussed at the initial consultation.

Electrolysis can be performed on any body part. No hair type is too stubborn for treatments and no body part too embarrassing. We treat all facial areas, legs, bikini line, chest, nipples, back, abdomen, underarms, fingers, toes and eye brows.  The first sign that electrolysis treatment is working is that the hair growth becomes softer, finer and lighter in color. You will see and feel the difference throughout the course of treatment, so you do not have to wait until the end of your course to see a difference.

Following treatment, clients will be given aftercare instructions to follow to in order to support the electrolysis treatment.

How Hair Grows

ABOUT HAIR

To understand the hair growth cycle, you first need to understand the structure of a hair.

Hair Structure

hairfollicleA.jpg

Hair is simple in composition.  It has two distinct structures - first, the follicle itself, which resides in the skin, and second, the shaft, which is what is visible above the scalp.   At the base of the follicle is the papilla, which contains capillaries, or tiny blood vessels that nourish the cells. 

If you were to reach up and pull a hair out of your head, you'd see a little bump at the end.  That's a bulb which sits down at the bottom of the follicle. The bulb keeps your hair anchored into your skin stimulates growth.  In the hair bulb, living cells divide and multiply to build new shaft every 23 to 72 hours, remarkably faster than any other cell in the body.  Blood vessels nourish the cells in the hair bulb, and deliver hormones that modify hair growth and structure at different times of life.  Right now, the cells left in that empty follicle are getting to work to construct another bulb and strand of hair.  

Hair Growth Cycle

Now let's talk about the hair growth cycle. Hair grows in three phases, and all three phases are happening all over your body right now.  As each hair falls out, the hair growth cycle starts all over again. Since hair falls out individually, rather than all at  once, some hair is just starting, some is in the middle of the cycle, and some is getting ready to stop growing and leave you.

haircycle.jpg

Anagen

Anagen is the active phase of the hair. The cells in the root of the hair are dividing rapidly. A new hair is formed and pushes the club hair (a hair that has stopped growing or is no longer in the anagen phase) up the follicle and eventually out.  The hair on the arms, legs, eyelashes, and eyebrows have a very short active growth phase of about 30 to 45 days, explaining why they are so much shorter than scalp hair.

Catagen

The second phase of hair growth cycle is called catagen phase.  It is a transitional period for the hair follicle.  This is when cell productions begins to wind down, and the follicle starts to shrink.  As the follicle shrinks, it will detach from the dermis, which will cut off blood supple to the bulb, causing the bulb to shrink and eventually die.  This is the formation of what is known as a club hair.  Catagen is the shortest of the three phases. 

Telogen

The final phase of the hair growth cycle is the telogen phase. During this phase, the club hair is completely at rest while a new hair begins to grow beneath it.  Pulling out a hair in this phase will reveal a solid, hard, dry, white material at the root.  The hair shaft does not immediately fall out, as skin cells surrounding it still continuing to grow, giving it a little more time to stick around. At the end of this resting period, however, the follicle will wake up and begin burrowing back into the dermis to start all over again, which will soften the surrounding cells and push the hair strand out. The anagen phase will start again, a new strand will become visible in about two weeks.

Since hair has different phases of growth, you will require multiple electrolysis sessions and multiple methods to achieve the results you want. This is especially true when treating larger areas, such as the legs and arms. It is important to keep with your regular electrolysis schedule to achieve permanency.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hirsutism/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354941

Causes of Exessive Hair Growth

CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE HAIR GROWTH

 

It's often caused by genes, hormones, or medication.

Genes. Sometimes, hirsutism runs in families. If your mother or sisters have it, you're more likely to get it. It's also more common in people from the Middle East, South Asia, and the Mediterranean.

Hormones. Many times, the condition is linked to high levels of male hormones (called androgens). It's normal for women's bodies to make these, and low levels don't cause excess hair growth. But when these amounts are too high, they can cause hirsutism and other things, like acne, a deep voice, and small breasts.

High levels of male hormones and hirsutism are common in women who have:

  • Polycystic ovary syndrome , which causes small cysts, or fluid-filled sacs, to form on your ovaries.

  • Cushing's syndrome, which you get when you have high levels of the stress hormone cortisol for long periods of time.

  • Tumors in your adrenal glands (which make hormones like cortisol) or your ovaries.

 

Medication. Some drugs can change the hormone levels in your system, so you grow unwanted hair on your face or body. This can happen with:

Electrolysis is suitable for

Any Skin Color

Any Hair Color

Breasts

Sensitive Areas

Coarse, Wavy, Curly Hair

Hormonal Changes/PCOS
Men

Athletes
Teenagers
Transgender People

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