How to Prepare For Electrolysis
I wrote a post on how to prepare for electrolysis. The two main things to do are to stop any other hair removal methods like waxing, threading or tweezing and to exfoliate your skin. Clients who have never shaved, tweezed, waxed, or threaded see the fastest results.
Exfoliation is very important to prep your skin for electrolysis because it removes all the debris that can clog the hair follicle and make insertions difficult. Exfoliation will also help lift out ingrown hairs, which saves me the time of doing it during the treatment.
When you prepare for electrolysis you should also consider pain management. You may want to take a pain reliever beforehand or you may want to apply a numbing cream like EMLA or Maxilene to alleviate the discomfort. Make certain you take your pain reliever or apply the numbing cream several hours before your treatment.
Prepare For Electrolysis Aftercare
Electrolysis is a wound, and as such, you do have to take some precautions to avoid infection after you’ve had electrolysis treatment.
Electrolysis Post-Treatment Care
Effective electrolysis treatment can leave the skin irritated immediately following treatment. Redness, mild swelling and a warm sensation are all very common side effects of a good treatment. To ensure proper healing of the skin it is very important you follow the guidelines below.
• Do not apply makeup, creams or lotions to area for 12-24 hours following electrolysis treatment. You can use Polysporin but you don’t have to use anything on your skin if you don’t think it needs it.
• Avoid direct sunlight for 48 hours following treatment (ideally for the whole healing period).
• Do not exercise vigorously following electrolysis treatment. Sweat can irritate treated skin and cause tiny little white pimples for a day or two. Use an epsom salt compress to clear this up.
• Do not touch, pick, or scratch treated skin.
• Avoid tight fitting clothing over treated areas (bikini line will be irritated by high-cut underwear, stomach can be irritated by belt buckles or the waistlines of pants).
While the facial area rarely displays obvious signs of electrolysis treatment when treated only for the recommended 15-30 minutes, the body often develops red dots or scabbing at the follicle opening. This does not indicate any permanent damage to the skin. The skin will heal within a few weeks. Do not interfere with the natural healing process in any way.
Some skin types are prone to hyperpigmentation, which means that a discolouration may appear at the follicle opening. The colour can range from pink to dark brown depending on your skin tone. This side effect is temporary and will clear up within 3 months to one year.
Once you begin electrolysis treatments it is very important that you stop all other forms of temporary hair removal, except trimming and, only when absolutely necessary, shaving. If you continue to wax, tweeze or thread then you are wasting your money and undoing the benefit of electrolysis treatments.