Tag Archives: Different

One Recurring Client Question, Let Me Explain

One Recurring Client Question, Let Me Explain…

It has come to my attention over the years of working in the field of permanent hair removal, my clients have one recurring question they desire an answer to. I would say during most of my consultations there is one question that comes up no matter what the area being examined for hair removal is. The consultee’s question to me is: “What will be the average time and cost for the area/areas I would like treated?”

No Simple Answer

Now that is not a question that can be answered in just a few words. As a matter of fact, I usually find I need to explain that there is no average and that the question needs a more lengthy explanation as there is no simple answer. Let me explain.

Different Areas Have Different Types of Hair Growth

Different areas of the body have different types of hair growing. Some hairs are coarse, some medium and some are fine. The hairs in different areas need specific treatment settings and timing depending on what type of hair is growing. If there is more than one type of hair growing, for example, coarse hair and fine hair in one area, then there will be different treatment settings and timing for each of these types of growing hairs.

The Long and Short of It

The coarser the hairs, the longer the timing and higher the setting will be to treat those hairs. The finer the hairs, the less timing, and lower settings to treat those types of hairs. There is also the consideration of whether the hairs have been tweezed, waxed, threaded, depilated, or shaved in the past. Really, the short of it is that each client’s hair growth treatments are so individualized. One client’s treatment protocol may be so different to another client’s treatment protocol. Therefore, the cost of treatments will vary.

Precise Treatment Protocol

The best way to outline the precise treatment protocol for your specific hair growth needs, is to book an appointment to come in for a consultation. The purpose is to see and examine the type of hair growing in the area and whether there have been temporary methods of hair removal used before. This will help determine the correct and individual hair removal schedule to obtain lasting results.

If this recurring client question is one you have considered asking, please give us a call to book your one-on-one consultation appointment.

My Electrologist Practice: Twenty-Nine Years and Counting...

My Electrologist Practice: Twenty-Nine Years and Counting…

Wow! It has been twenty-nine years and counting since I started my practice as an electrologist. I was just thinking the other day how time flies by. Where does the time go? There has been so much to learn and experience. This includes the technical aspects of my profession, as well as interpersonal interactions. Building warm and sustaining friendships and acquaintances over the years have been a blessing.

Meeting New Clients

It is a pleasure every day to meet new clients and revisit with present ones. Each client is so different and unique in their personality and their goals. Finding a specific and tailored plan for each client is essential to meet their goals.

Knowledge and Learning

Considerable knowledge has been acquired over the years. When I first began training in my profession, I found the process of hair growth was more complex than I thought it would be. I also believed brown spots and sun damage were untreatable. When I took my training in laser treatments, I learned that brown spots and sun damage are treatable. Skill in the use of laser technology gives me the ability to repair and improve the skin’s appearance.

Closely Working with Clients

It is important that my clients and I work closely together. Their complete confidence in me is ensured by my many years of training and experience. My clients put their trust in my ability to fulfill their specific needs in their treatment of choice, for this I am very grateful. I will do my utmost to live up to the trust they have placed in me.

The Journey Continues

As I continue my professional journey that I started twenty-nine years ago, my commitment is to make the experience of my clients genuine and positive. From the initial consultation to the end of treatment, it is vital that my clients have the full picture of their treatment process. I continue to educate and re-educate my clients, so keep those queries coming. Any questions that come to mind are welcome and encouraged.

The Hair Pathway: More Complex than You Think

The Hair Pathway: More Complex than You Think

There are different types of hair growth within a follicle pathway. Your electrologist will determine you may have one or more during electrolysis treatments.

Lanugo Hair (Pre-Natal Hair)

Lanugo Hair is very fine, soft, unpigmented hair and is only found on unborn babies. This hair is shed by the fetus in the seventh- or eighth month during pregnancy.

Vellus Hair (Peach Fuzz)

Vellus hair is very much downy, soft and has no pigment. It is usually all over the body. It looks mostly like white fuzz. It rarely grows longer than two centimetres. This hair does not have a medulla and the root is close to the surface of the skin.

‘Tombstone’ Hairs

Tombstone hairs from a follicle previously treated in the growing (anagen) stage of growth which remain in the skin as the electrologist will have removed a hair from the follicle when in the resting (telogen) stage, unaware that a new anagen hair was forming underneath. These hairs are thick, very dark, brittle, and look like a foreign body at the surface of the skin. They can be removed by exfoliation of the skin or by tweezing.

Distorted Hair

Distorted hair is a result of twisted or contorted configuration of the hair follicles in the skin. Each time a hair is plucked, waxed, tweezed, or threaded; it causes trauma to the base of the hair. This causes the follicle to distort and results in ingrown hairs.

Ingrown Hairs

Ingrown hairs can be identified by small bumps on the skin, inflammation, and erythema. Sometimes the hair can be visible under the skin. Causes of ingrown hairs are understood to be rubbing and chafing, irritation, and dry skin. A sterile needle can be used to release the hair from under the skin. However, the hair should be left alone if the skin is inflamed and infected until the skin has healed, prior to electrolysis treatment. This will allow the pathway from the ingrown hair to heal and ensures it doesn’t grow back.

Compound Hairs

Compound Hairs are also known as ‘Pili Multigemini’ hairs and occur where the follicle has two or more dermal papilla, which results in two or more hairs growing from the same follicle. The electrologist will identify the most conspicuous hair and treat with an electrolysis current – this may affect both hairs. The first hair will be removed and then see if the second hair will be removed without traction. If not, the second hair will be treated with slightly reduced intensity and time.

Curved Hairs

The growth cycle of a curved hair is the same as for a straight hair. Curved or oval follicles can be found in Caucasian skin, but predominantly occur in Black skin. In most cases, the lower quarter of the curved follicle turns at an obtuse (greater than 90°) angle from the follicle, which causes a flattening of the hair structure. This flattened shape is what causes the curling of the hair shaft.

The curve of the hair above the skin can be greater than the follicle curvature. When the hair slides out, your electrologist will check the depth, and use this as a guide for following electrolysis insertions.

Terminal Hair

Terminal hair is a complex hair structure. Each hair has a hair shaft and hair root. The hair shaft is the part you can see. The hair root extends deep into the layers of your skin. The hair follicle surrounds each hair root and is attached to a tiny muscle which makes your hair stand up. At the base of each hair, the root widens into a round hair bulb. At the bottom of the hair bulb is the hair papilla, which supplies the root of your hair with blood.

Terminal Hair Has Three Developmental Stages

    • Asexual hair: present at birth, influenced by growth hormones and is found on the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes and, to a lesser extent, on forearms and legs, in both sexes and at all ages.
    • Ambisexual hair: develops in both sexes at puberty, influenced by steroid hormone production and is found in the axilla (armpit), pubis, lower limbs, and abdomen. Density and rate of growth varies widely between sexes and within individuals of the same sex.
  • Sexual hair: Androgen hormone production influences sexual hair growth. Different areas have different levels of sensitivity to androgens; for example, the pubic area and armpits are particularly sensitive and develop axillary hair. Pubic and axillary hair develop on both men and women, although males develop more pronounced terminal hair and, in more areas, – nasal passage, ears, beard, upper lip, back and chest – as they have naturally higher levels of testosterone, the male hormone. This type of hair is longer, coarser, and pigmented, varies in shape, diameter, texture, length, and colour.

The Takeaway

Hair that is thicker will need a higher current intensity, compared to finer hair. Distorted follicles create a curved hair and are better treated with what is known as the ‘blend’ treatment. A different approach of treatment is required for different types of hair.

Contact me to customize your own personal hair removal treatment plan.