Electrolysis Kill Rate
In previous posts I’ve used the phrase electrolysis kill rate and I think it’s time to explain exactly what I mean with the phrases “electrolysis kill rate” or “electrolysis success rate”. When I talk about the electrolysis kill rate I mean the percentage of hair follicles treated that are permanently disabled, that is, no hair will ever sprout from that follicle again. No electrologist can know for certain what their electrolysis kill rate is but the good ones can give a fair estimate. An electrologist’s success rate is crucial information for a prospective client to have because it gives you a sense of their effectiveness, and it also allows you to receive an estimate of the investment of time and money it will take for you to achieve your hair removal goal.
Unfortunately, the electrolysis profession does not have a widely accepted set of professional standards, therefore, electrolysis kill rates vary dramatically from electrologist to electrologist. Some electrologists have a zero per cent kill rate. Yep, I said zero. You will know these electrologists because they often tell you that it takes years for electrolysis to work because it gradually breaks down the hair until it stops growing. This is incorrect. A hair follicle can be killed the first time you treat it and that is the goal of a good electrologist.
Although many electrologists strive for a 100% kill rate there will always be the odd hair that that can’t be treated properly because the follicle lacks moisture, it grows in an odd direction or perhaps it was just a difficult insertion.
In my opinion, the minimum the electrolysis kill rate should be is 75%. That means that out of 100 hairs treated by an electrologist, 75 will not grow back. This is a realistic goal for any electrologist with the proper training and appropriate tools (proper visual aids being THE most important tool of all). If you are seeking professional and permanent hair removal then finding out an electrologist’s kill rate should definitely be on your list of questions. If the electrologist cannot provide that information then my advice is to keep up your search until you find someone who will.
Further Reading:
https://www.follikill.com/2014/01/20/an-electrolysis-outdated-old-fashioned/