electrolysis

The battle of the bulge

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During a consultation for hair removal, the practitioner will likely talk about how destroying the papilla is the key to permanently removing a hair. For a long time, that was the limit of our scientific understanding of how hair grows.

Advancements in medical research and technology now indicate there is a second structure in the follicle we should be concerned about, called the bulge. This is an area near the arrector pili muscle (the muscle that makes a hair stand up when you get goosebumps), which houses stems cells that can cause the entire follicle structure to regrow. Destroying the papilla can result in the destruction of the current hair, but, over time, the stem cells can regrow a new papilla, causing that follicle to resume hair growth, which is one of the reasons why it can take multiple treatments to kill a hair.

With this knowledge in mind, we know why treating hair during the early anagen and telogen stages are more likely to completely kill the follicle, as, during these times, the papilla, located at the terminus of the follicle, is very near to the arrector pili muscle and, thus, the bulge. There are techniques which allow a knowledgeable electrologist to treat both areas at the same time, increasing the likelihood of permanently destroying the follicle in a single treatment, regardless of the stage of growth a hair is currently in.

Although the principles of electrolysis are more than a century old, it is important for an electrologist to stay up to date with the latest advancements in their field if they want to be as efficient as possible. For more information about permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Start getting ready for the holidays

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Halloween happens later this week and it’s a reminder that the holiday season will soon be upon us.

We often think of Thanksgiving as the time we really begin to get busy as we start shopping for Christmas, Hanukkah, etc and then roll into New Years, but the reality is, we still have to get ready for Thanksgiving. For some people, that might mean stopping at the store a day or two beforehand to buy a turkey, but for others, it might mean a couple busy weeks of shopping, preparing pies from scratch, etc. It’s easy to get caught up in the rush and wonder where all the time went.

In the middle of all of the craziness, people still have to deal with their unwanted hair issues. Often, being busy with all of the other things means having less time to shave, getting brows done, etc, so things get stretched out and people quickly find themselves looking their worst when they want to look their best, so they panic.

Instead of waiting until the last minute, many people opt to start having electrolysis instead. In fact, it can be one of the busiest times of the year for most electrologists. Depending on the area you’re considering having done, appointments can take as little as 15 minutes every 2-4 weeks, leaving you plenty of time to deal with your other pressures during the holiday crunch, while still looking your best. Even better, the treated hair is permanently removed, meaning that, for the few minutes spent today, you could go the rest of your life with one less thing to worry about.

Consider treating yourself or your loved one to electrolysis. It is a simple and permanent solution to a lifetime of hassle.

For more information about permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

 

Skin tags and spider veins

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Electrolysis equipment is not only capable of getting rid of your unwanted hair, it can also be used to treat skin tags and spider veins.

Telangiectasias, or spider veins, not to be mistaken with varicose veins, are small veins less than 1mm in diameter that are retaining blood in the upper layers of the skin. They can appear as red or purple dots or lines. some of which may branch out like a spider web, most frequently on the face, arms or legs. These veins can be treated by placing the electrolysis probe against them on the skin and emitting a weak burst of high frequency radio waves, exciting the water molecules to cause heat, which in turn causes the trapped blood to dry up and dissipate. Sometimes, there can be some minor bruising afterward until the body carries the blood away. Larger spider veins may take multiple treatments to full resolve.

Acrochorda, or skin tags, are small benign skin tumors that protrude from the skin, most frequently in crease areas like the neck, underarms or eyelids. To treat these, an electrologist will turn the power up and use the blunt side of a probe to effectively cauterize the skin, “burning” the tag off.

Both cases are relatively painless procedures and can typically be completed in just a few minutes as part of a regular electrolysis appointment or on their own. For more information about removal of skin tags and spider veins, permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Menopausal hair growth

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As women enter menopause, many find themselves sprouting new hair in some rather unwanted places. The most common area is on the chin, but this new hair can appear anywhere, including on the breasts, shoulders or back.

The reason why this happens, is not a new supply of testosterone, but because of the body’s decline in estrogen production during and after menopause. The existing testosterone that all women naturally have binds to the receptors on the follicles that used to be occupied by estrogen, which in turn, triggers androgenic hair growth. If a woman chooses to undergo hormone replacement therapy (consult your doctor), body hair can diminish to the pre-menopausal state, but, once facial hair starts growing, the only way to get rid of that facial hair permanently is through electrolysis.

At Emancipated Electrolysis LLC, we understand the insecurity this new hair brings women and we are here to help you with it. Often it can be discretely dealt with in just a few 15 minute long sessions if someone is undergoing hormone replacement, or with a regularly monthly session to treat new hair as they start to grow if they have opted not to. For more information about permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Non-facial trans hair removal issues

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While trans women are concerned about their hair appearing too masculine, particularly their facial hair, and it triggering their own dysphoria or having to deal with it in social situations or rejection from strangers, there are two other areas to consider as well.

The first is the breast area, particularly for trans women that haven’t started hormone treatment yet. Once the breast buds start to develop, this area can become particularly sensitive and, while HRT will likely reduce body hair, there’s no guarantee that it will reduce body hair to the cis female norm, particularly the heavier, terminal hairs. Some of the hair in this area is very androgen sensitive and HRT will likely reduce a lot of it, but hair around the areola tends to be driven by adrenal production rather than androgen production. While these hairs can be targeted at any point, you may wish to consider having them done prior to starting HRT if you haven’t done so already, as the pain will be greatly less.

The other area is the genitals. At least 6 months prior to SRS/GRS, most vaginoplasty surgeons recommend removing hair from the shaft and base of the penis, as well as the scrotum and perineum. They will scrape the skin during surgery, but the likelihood of removing all of the follicles is small. If all of the follicles are not destroyed, when the skin is reused in the neovagina, the result can be internal hair, causing pain, discomfort, bleeding, an increased risk of infection, and general unhappiness with the results for the patient and her partners.

At Emancipated Electrolysis LLC, taking care of our trans clients needs in an affirming way is one of our primary missions. For more information about permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Hypertrichosis versus hirsutism

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Both hypertrichosis and hirsutism are forms of excessive hair growth and either can be congenital or acquired later in life.

Extreme cases of hypertrichosis can be seen in people with “werewolf syndrome,” where they exhibit the type of hair growth we see on animals. This effect can be localized to one part of the body, such as the face, or generalized and spread all over. It is driven primarily by the adrenal glands of the body.

Hirsutism is a specific type of excessive hair growth seen in women, seen in places dominated by androgen induced hair growth, like the face. As such, it is primarily driven by how much androgen the body produces.

How do you know which type of excessive hair growth that you have?

Hypertrichosis – sideburns, upper lip, chin, nipples, arms and legs
Hirsutism – cheeks, neck/under the chin, on or between the breasts, stomach or lower back, and inner thighs and possibly some receding hairline

Both can be indicative of a medical condition and we believe it would be wise to consult a doctor about your concerns.

In any event, if you are looking to have your excessive hair removed, electrolysis is the only method able to permanently remove any hair anywhere on the body regardless of the cause, your gender, skin or hair color. For more information or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

The root causes of hair growth

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There are three major categories that determine how much hair you have, congenital factors, topical issues and hormonal factors.

Congenital factors are the things we are born with… they include our genes, genetic ancestry, chromosomal malfunctions and similar issues that we inherit or are caused during our gestational development. Normal congenital hair include the areas where everyone has hair – our scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows, nostrils and ear canals, underarms and pubic region. How much hair you have depends on your racial or ethnic background and the amount of hair typical found on members from them.

Topical issues include anything that might cause irritation to the skin and hair follicles. This can include temporary removal measures like shaving or waxing, as well as friction caused by clothing. With some measures, you will find less hair growth and, with other measures, you can find that the friction stimulates more blood flow to an area, stimulating more growth.

Systemic factors are created through the basic aging and metabolic properties of the body. These can include menopausal hair growth, endocrine gland dysfunction or abnormalities like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT – either as part of treatment for menopause or for transgendered individuals undergoing therapy).

Sometimes, medical treatments are available to help remedy some of the systemic issues, such as thyroid medication to correct a malfunction or a DHT blocker to prevent a certain type of testosterone from causing male pattern baldness. How well one responds to medical intervention depends on the individual themselves and can vary greatly. Likewise, the desire to have an ideal image of one’s own hair varies from person to person.

Unfortunately, medicine alone usually cannot grant us with the image of ourselves that we would like to project. For those with more hair than they would like to have, electrolysis provides the only method that is capable of permanently removing any hair anywhere on the body. This allows us to permanently create the image that reflects what our clients want to project about themselves. If you have a systemic issue causing hair growth, we encourage you to see your doctor to ensure your health, as they can sometimes have effects far deeper than simply hair growth. In conjunction with that, we are here to help create your ideal self-image.

For more information or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Permanent eyebrow shaping

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Ladies, are you sick of constantly having to pluck, wax or thread your eyebrows? Over the years, how many hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars have you spent going to the salon every few weeks to make sure your eyebrows stay the shape that looks best on you? Have you looked in the mirror to do your makeup before an important event, only to find your brows coming back when just as you want to look your best?

With electrolysis, we can make this problem a thing of the past. In as little as 15 minutes per session, we can clean up your eyebrows and give you the sharp, defined shape you’re looking for, free from strays. Every week or two, as new hair starts to come in, we can remove those in another brief session. After several sessions, once all of your hair has gone through a dormant cycle and emerges to be treated, you will never have to worry about your eyebrows again. We can also take care of those stray hairs on your eyelids and, if you are brave enough, even remove ingrown eyelashes (in fact, electrolysis was originally invented to treat an ingrown eyelash).

Guys, if you have a unibrow or bushy eyebrows, we can permanently take care of that for you too, using a staggered technique to create a natural, fuzzy hairline, so that nobody but you will ever know you had any work done.

If you are interested in safe, permanent hair removal for your eyebrows or any other part of your body, email us at HairInfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 to schedule your free consultation with complimentary trial hair removal and finally be freed from unwanted hair.

Transgender beard removal

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Perhaps the most difficult job in electrolysis, is the removal of an androgenic beard, whether caused by PCOS in cisgender females, or the testosterone in a trans person or cisgender male.

Unlike menopausal facial hair growth that many women experience, a true beard is very resilient, with a firm follicle structure and coarse, dense hair.

Proper settings and insertions are vitally critical in such a situation, and androgenic beards are best handled by people that already have experience in doing them. They simply aren’t the same as when grandma wants to have a few hairs on her chin removed and you aren’t going to get very far if the electrologist treats them as such. Many electrologists simply aren’t aggressive enough in their treatment and are content to routinely treat the same hair over and over again, becoming comfortable with the idea that their job is some sort of ongoing maintenance, rather than something to finish. Most electrologists don’t like to work longer sessions as the dirty little secret is, they make more money off shorter ones.

Many people seek to have laser first, and that is fine, if all you are looking to do is reduce your hair. Sometimes, it is recommended to start with laser and then finish with electrolysis as a means of saving money. At best, that approach may save some time, but it isn’t likely to save much money, as the remaining hair will be thinner and more frail, with a deeper and more traumatized follicle that takes a longer time to individually treat than if laser had never been done. We feel that, given the price of laser and the costly contracts many salons try to hook people on, we can help people more effectively for less than what it would cost to have laser first and then finish with electrolysis.

At Emancipated Electrolysis LLC, the proper treatment of androgenic beard hair is so important to us, it is what we specialize in. Yes, we are more than happy to work on grandma too, but we get the most enjoyment out of helping those with the most serious hair removal needs. While most electrologists shy away from such projects, we thrive on them. Whether you are trans, have PCOS, or are a cisgender male, we are your safe, supportive, private resource to put a permanent end to your beard problems.

Email us at HairInfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 to schedule a free consultation, and finally be freed from your unwanted hair.

Ingrown hair

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Lots of people have a problem with ingrown hairs. Many people get them after shaving, plucking or waxing, particularly if they have very curly or coarse hair, although anyone can get them. You can also get them in areas where clothing constantly rubs across the skin, if you are prone to clogged pores or if you have certain medical conditions.

What exactly is an ingrown hair? It is when a hair curls back on itself and remains buried underneath the skin instead of emerging from a follicle. Sometimes, they can appear as a simple pimple while, other times, you can see a fully formed hair buried underneath the skin. Ingrown hairs can frequently form infected pustules or scarring if someone has a severe, chronic condition. Some people will pluck them, use a needle to lift them out of the skin or use a topical solution to try to prevent them, but these are all temporary solutions.

There are two main conditions associated with ingrown hairs, folliculitis, or inflammation of the hair follicle, and pseudofolliculitis barbae, otherwise known as razor bumps. The good news, is that electrolysis can be used to treat either condition. In fact, electrolysis was originally devised for treating folliculitis of an eyelash. Further, as medical conditions, your treatment may even be tax deductable (talk to your tax specialist for details).

Email us at HairInfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call all us at 585-270-5230 to get a free consultation on how to permanently resolve your hair removal problems.