Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is electrolysis?

A: Electrolysis is a safe and proven method of permanent hair removal. It works by sending a tiny amount of current into the hair follicle using a very fine probe. This current destroys the root of the hair, which prevents it from growing back. Unlike other methods like waxing or laser, electrolysis treats each hair individually and is the only FDA-approved method for permanent hair removal. It can be used on almost any part of the body and works for all skin tones and hair types.

Q: What’s the difference between Galvanic, Thermolysis, Flash Thermolysis, and Blend modalities?

A: Great question, Babe! Each works a little differently. Here's a simple breakdown:

Galvanic Electrolysis: Galvanic uses a tiny electric current to create a chemical reaction within the hair follicle that destroys that follicle’s ability to grow a new hair. It’s very effective for permanence, especially for coarse and deep hairs. It works especially well for sensitive skin, and skin prone to hyper/hyop-pigmentation.
Thermolysis/High-Frequency and Flash Thermolysis: Thermolysis uses heat instead of a chemical reaction to destroy the follicle. A small amount of heat is delivered to the hair follicle to damage it. Flash thermolysis is a faster version of thermolysis that uses a very quick burst of high-intensity heat. Thermolysis can be helpful for tackling large areas, however it has a higher rate of regrowth than the other modalities and may require additional treatments. It is most appropriate for clients with fine to medium hairs and less sensitive skin.
The Blend Method: As the name suggests, this combines both galvanic and low-level thermolysis currents. You get the chemical reaction and the heat for a powerful, thorough treatment. It’s especially useful for coarse hair and distorted hair follicles (like those from curly hair, tweezing, or waxing).

Each method has its benefits, and is chosen based on your skin, hair type, and comfort. We will identify the best one—or a mix—to suit your needs.

Q: Will all my hair be gone after one treatment?

A: No, and here’s why—not all of your hair is "active" at the same time. Hair grows in cycles with three phases ((active, shedding and rest) several times throughout the year. Electrolysis works best on hairs that are in their active growth stage. At any given moment, some hairs are resting or shedding, and those can’t be treated until they come back into the growth phase. Also, each hair may need more than one treatment to fully destroy the follicle, especially if it’s very coarse or curly, has been tweezed or waxed in the past, or if hormonal imbalances are a factor.

So, while you’ll see progress after each session, permanent results take multiple treatments over time. Keeping a regular schedule is essential for progress, and it is recommended to schedule weekly sessions for at least the first several months. This will help to make sure that as many follicles as possible are treated during their active growing stage, and also helps to get your unwanted hair problem under more manageable control.

Other factors such as how much hair you need removed, and how often you are able to come in for treatment also play a role in how long your treatment lasts. Despite these varying factors, most clients can plan to be in treatment for 1-2 years, with sessions decreasing in frequency and duration over time. Think of electrolysis as a gradual hair reduction process until there are no hairs in the area left to treat!

Q: What can I expect at my first appointment?

A: At your first electrolysis appointment, our main goal is to make you feel comfortable and informed. We’ll start with a brief consultation to get to know one another, discuss your hair removal goals, and go over your health history to make sure electrolysis is a good fit for you.

We'll explain how the process works, answer any questions you have, and do a short test treatment so you can see what it feels like. Most people describe it as a heating or pinching sensation. If everything feels good, we’ll continue with a full session focused on the area you want treated, or schedule a first session at a time that works for us both.

At minimum, you’ll leave with a better understanding of how electrolysis works, what kind of results to expect, and a plan for future treatments!

Q: Is electrolysis painful?

A: Most people describe electrolysis as a brief stinging or heating sensation —like a zap or tiny pinch. How it feels depends on the area being treated, your personal sensitivity, and the technique used.

That said, many people who come in for electrolysis are very motivated to get rid of unwanted hair for good, and that mindset really helps. Trust us, when you've been struggling with hair that affects your confidence, the idea of a permanent solution makes a little short-term discomfort much easier to handle!

We use strategies to desensitize your nerves as we go, like adjusting the settings to suit your needs and working in a methodical pattern. This helps make the experience as comfortable as possible. Some people actually fall asleep during treatments, while others listen to music or podcasts to help distract themselves. Any combination of these strategies can make the process feel more manageable, especially in more sensitive areas.

Everyone’s experience is unique, and we're here to support you every step of the way so you feel safe, heard, and comfortable.

Q: Laser hair removal sounds faster, isn’t it a more effective option?

A: Although laser may seem quicker, and an attractive option based on its popularity, it’s not necessarily more effective—especially if you're looking for permanent results.

Here’s the key difference:

Laser works by targeting the pigment (color) in the hair. It can significantly reduce hair growth over time, but it usually requires maintenance because it doesn’t destroy the follicle completely (think of it like putting your follicles to sleep for a few years). This is especially for lighter, finer hairs or people with hormonal hair growth. It tends to work best on light skin with dark hair. Laser may cause hyper or hypo-pigmentation, leading to additional skin treatments that start to really add up. Additionally, in approximately 5-10% of cases, laser hair removal causes paradoxical hypertrichosis, a condition where, instead of reducing hair, the treatment stimulates new growth, often in the form of thicker, darker hairs. In electrolysis, we sometimes see people who started with a very manageable problem end up needing years of electrolysis to fix the additional problem laser hair removal caused.

Electrolysis, on the other hand, treats each hair follicle individually and doesn’t rely on hair color or skin tone. It’s the only method approved by the FDA for permanent hair removal. Unlike laser, there is no evidence that electrolysis can lead to paradoxical hypertrichosis. When treated by a skilled electrologist, electrolysis won’t cause damage to the surface of your skin. Once a follicle is properly treated with electrolysis, a hair can never grow from it again!!

So, while laser may seem quicker in the short term, electrolysis is often the more thorough and permanent solution—especially for areas where laser struggles (like the face, fine hairs, or light/gray hairs), or for people who want to make sure the hair is gone for good.

Q: What do I do to manage my unwanted hair in between sessions?

A: This is a really important question and your adherence to this guidance is imperative to successfully treating your unwanted hair. If you are waxing or plucking, you will need to stop prior to starting treatment. This is because in electrolysis, we are doing our work under the surface of the skin. In order to do this, we need the hair to be exposed so that we can use it to guide our probe down into the base of each follicle to destroy the root of the hair. The best thing to do to manage your hair is shave, and to stop shaving 3-5 days before each appointment. This ensures all of your actively growing hairs will be long enough to treat!

Q: Won’t managing my unwanted hair by shaving make my problem worse?

A: Luckily for us, this is a complete myth. When we don’t shave, the ends of our hair come to a gentle point at the end, making the hair feel soft. When we shave, we cut the hair at its coarsest point and at a sharp angle, making it feel coarse or prickly. The feeling of “more hair” after shaving is because all of the hair that previously felt soft to the touch now feels rough and coarse, not because more hair has grown in the area.

Plucking and waxing however, rip the hair out from the base of the follicle, causing increased blood flow to the area in the body’s effort to heal. However, this blood supply also delivers nutrients to the follicle, causing that hair to grow mack coarser and more deeply rooted. Plucking and waxing also often distort the hair follicle, causing it to curve from its natural straight shape. Distorted follicles are harder to treat because we cannot see what direction they curve from the surface of the skin (we’re working blind!). Because of this distorted follicles often require additional treatments to achieve permanence.