Electrolysis is the only permanent form of hair removal, at least so far, but it requires repeated treatments that can take up to a year and it can be pricey, especially when you take into consideration the time commitment. The biggest hurdle is finding an extremely skilled technician to achieve satisfactory results. Before you see someone, check out the clients who have had permanent success with this tricky, but effective, method of hair removal.
There are two types of devices that use electric current to remove hair: the needle epilator and the tweezer epilator. (Tweezer epilators are discussed in the next section.) Needle epilators introduce a very fine wire under the skin and into the hair follicle. An electric current travels down the wire and destroys the hair root at the bottom of the follicle. The loosened hair is then removed with regular tweezers. Every hair is treated individually. Needle epilators are used in electrolysis because this technique destroys the hair follicle. Thus, this is considered a permanent hair-removal method. The hair root may persist, however, if the needle misses the mark or if insufficient electricity is delivered to destroy it. However, the intrinsic stimulus for hair growth can never be permanently removed. For instance, you can’t control hormonal changes that may cause new growth (Source: FDA Consumer magazine, September 1996).
The major risks of using electrolysis include electrical shock, which can occur if the needle is not properly insulated; infection from a nonsterile needle; and scarring resulting from improper technique. In addition, there are no uniform licensing standards regulating the practice of electrolysis. Only 31 states require electrologists to be licensed, and among those the license requirements vary from as few as 120 hours to 1,100 hours of study, which means that to set up shop many electrologists only need a machine and very little else.
The American Electrology Association and the Society of Clinical and Medical Electrologists have certification programs based on a written exam. A list of licensed and certified electrologists is available from the International Guild of Professional Electrologists, 202 Boulevard Street, Suite B, High Point, NC 27262; (800) 830-3247 or on the Web at www. igpe. org/.