What happens to your follicle during electrolysis

What Happens to Your Follicle During Electrolysis?

For individuals interested in permanent hair removal for their faces or bodies, electrolysis is the only truly permanent option. Unlike shaving, waxing, creams, or even laser hair removal, it is unique in that it prevents hair from returning in the future. Here’s how electrolysis works and how it affects your hair follicles.

What Is Electrolysis?

Electrolysis is an in-office procedure designed to provide permanent hair removal. A technician will insert a metal probe, or a needle, into every individual hair follicle in the area being treated. Once the needle is in place, the technician causes a pulse of electricity to flow through the probe and directly into the follicle. This is designed to prevent the hair from growing back in the future, but there are a number of different factors that may affect the permanence of electrolysis.

This may include everything from the skill of the technician to the growth phase of the follicle itself.

Does Electrolysis Kill the Follicle?

When the pulse of electricity is sent through the probe and into your hair follicle, it essentially cauterizes, or burns, the follicle. This renders it unable to produce hair in the future, but only when the electrical pulse reaches the follicle while it is in an active growth phase. Otherwise, if the follicle is in a dormant phase, or even in a transitional phase, the electrical current will have little to no effect. This is why most patients must return several times for procedures. Though the current can kill the follicle and render it useless, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether a certain follicle is in its growth phase.

What to Expect as Far as Regrowth Because most of the follicles treated during a session will be in a growth phase, most of them will never regrow.

Nonetheless, there will always be some “stubborn” hairs that seem to continue to return, even after two or three sessions. Everyone is different, and the hairs you see following your electrolysis treatment could be brand-new hairs or hairs that are only now emerging from a dormant cycle. Further treatments should take care of these.

Does Electrolysis Work for All Hair Follicles?

Unlike many other options for hair removal, electrolysis works for every hair follicle on your body. Each of these follicles has one purpose – to produce hair. By cauterizing them, whether they are the follicles on your face, your body, or even your scalp, electrolysis renders them useless. However, it is important to note that electrolysis is more effective on finer, lighter-colored hairs than on darker, coarser hairs. In fact, the only place that should not be treated with electrolysis is the insides of your ears and nose.

Electrolysis is the only form of hair removal that effectively and permanently removes hair. While it can take several sessions to achieve the results you want, it can provide freedom unlike any other form of hair removal. Once complete, you will no longer need to shave, wax, or use creams to achieve the silky smooth look you want.