Electrical hair removal
Electrical hair removal is used for people with unwanted hair growth in the face, on the body or for example on a skin transplant. Electrical hair removal is suitable for with, grey, blond and red hairs. Due to the shortage of pigment, these hairs are not suitable for laser treatment. For dark hairs laser hair removal is the treatment of preference because this method is much faster. Electrical hair removal on dark hairs is used exceptionally when the laser cannot reach the area to be treated, for example hair growth underneath the eyebrows. We speak of excessive hair growth when hairs become stiffer and appear on places when normally there is only peach fuzz. Often the underlying cause is a hypersensitivity to male hormones, even if you only have an average amount of it. Excessive hair growth is often seen in women, especially after menopause. Sometimes it is caused by the use of some medicine or a disruption in the hormonal balance. Excessive hair growth is often seen as cosmetically disturbing and can cause a feeling of shame and insecurity. With electrical hair removal the hairs will be destroyed one by one by means of heat with a very tiny needle. we usually treat with the “Flash” method. This is a super fast method that lasts about 1 second per hair. This is far less painful and the time of the treatment is much shorter.
Which indications can be treated?
- White, blond, red or grey hairs
- Dark (or light) hairs underneath the eyebrows
- Hairs on a transplant
How does electrical hair removal work?
We usually treat by using the “flash” method. This is a very fast (thermolysis) technique that works in a hundredth of a second. By using this method, no skin damage is observed, so that you can hardly see anything on the skin after the treatment. Just a temporary redness. When the hairs are more thick we apply the “Blend” method. This is a combination of two different ways of heating the hair (thermolysis and electrolysis), and is a bit slower than the Flash method. This treatment gives the thicker hair a little more time to warm up and be destroyed properly. With both techniques a very thin isolated needle is being brought in the skin through the hair, after which 1 or 2 small pulses are given. This will feel like a short sting. The hair is then released and removed with tweezers. All in all, the treatment itself goes quite smoothly. Each time only one hair is being destroyed. Because of this multiple treatments are necessary. In addition, every hair needs to be treated several times with a few weeks in between each treatment. This makes electrical hair removal a time consuming method.
During the first intake the skin therapist will determine which hair removal method is most suitable for you. It is important that your hairs will be clearly visible for the skintherapist to see and assess. She will then discuss what you can expect from the treatment and the result. In addition we will discuss the possible side affects, the costs and the possible reimbursement by your health insurer. There are a few conditions:
- 4 to 6 weeks prior to the treatment you may not wax, pluck or remove the hairs using the string method.
- You can shave or cut the hairs. However, you are not allowed to shave or cut the hairs 4 days before the treatment. The hairs need to be visible for the skintherapist in order to insert the needle into the skin and pluck them with tweezers.
In some cases during the treatment we may ask you to hold an elektrode in your hand. The reason why you have to hold this is because we work with electricity and the circuit must always be round. The skintherapist will treat the hairs separately. The treatment may be sensitive, but in most cases well tolerated. When you find the treatment sensitive, it is possible to numb the skin with ELMA-cream prior to the treatment. You need a prescription from your GP. The cream needs to be applied thickly 45 minutes before the treatment. You can cover the cream with fling film for an optimal effect.
After the treatment the skin can be red and slightly swollen, this lasts 1 to 2 days. In most cases the redness will disappear within several hours. In between the treatments you may shave or cut the hairs. 4 days before the next treatment you are not allowed to shave or cut the hairs. You should avoid the sun for two days after the treatment, because of the risk of spots developing and it is important to protect the skin against the sun for a while with a minimum factor of 30.
At first the hairs will grow less fast en become thinner. Over time most hairs will not come back. The final result of the treatment depends on the degree of excess hair growth and the cause. Sometimes it is necessary to undergo an occasional after-treatment to maintain the result.
The number of required treatments depends on the amount of hairs and the size of the area to be treated. The skintherapist will make an estimation of the number of required treatments during the first intake.
The treatment frequency depends on the amount of hairs and the size of the area to be treated. The treatment frequency varies between 1 to 4 weeks, in the longer terms even 2 to 3 months. In principle, electric epilation can take place once a week if there are many hairs or if there is a large treatment area. If fewer hairs are present, the treatment frequency may vary.
In general electrical hair removal in the face is reimbursed by your health insurer from the supplementary insurance. You can obtain information about this from your own health insurer. Huidkliniek Twente is affiliated with the "Nederlandse Vereniging van Huidtherapeuten" and all of our skin therapists are registered in the "Kwaliteitsregister Paramedici". You will always receive a quote in advance during the intake. Click here for more information about reimbursements.
BEFORE AND AFTER RESULTS ELEKTRISCHE EPILATIE
