treatment / Electrolysis

What’s involved?

Sticking a needle down the hole the hair comes out and, when the point of the needle reaches the hair follicle, giving it a jolt of electricity. This should damage the follicle and so prevent future hair growth. The trick is to insert the needle correctly; if it is at the wrong angle or wrong depth or wrong place it will not work and may cause side effects.

Pros:

• It is actually permanent - for some people.

• You don’t have to wait for the hair to grow before getting repeat treatments (the gap between treatments is designed to catch all hairs at the right stage in their growth cycle).
• Cheaper per session than IPL or laser (but probably not by the time all hair is permanently removed).

Cons:

• Requires a highly skilled practitioner for it to work properly (and many are not!).

• Can take a lot of sessions to clear an area (I did 15+ sessions on my bikini line before I gave up, and there was no noticeable improvement - meaning that either the practitioner I went to wasn’t doing it right, it was never going to work for me, or I would have to suffer through many, many more hours of being jabbed with a needle for it to work!)
• Can damage skin if not done correctly.

Pain rating:

High - it depends on the skill of the person treating you. It’s not so bad when the needle goes in, but it stings when they electrify the hair follicle.