How to Choose an Electrolysis?
Choosing an electrologist will be the most important factor in how
long completion takes, how much it costs, how comfortable treatment is,
and how your skin fares. Choose carefully!
General
Electrologists are salespeople, too.
They
are trying to sell you treatments that can cost you a lot of money.
They have to make payments on equipment and office space. That's a lot
of sales they have to make.
Can you afford it if you have no long-term results?
Clinical
studies suggest that 7% to 10% of clients don't respond to treatment.
If you cannot afford to risk your time or money if results aren't
satisfactory, you should stick with a cheaper method.
Initial research
Get personal recommendations
This is the most reliable way to find someone. Try asking:
your friends and relatives. They might go or might know someone who goes.
your doctor. Ask if she or he knows any clients who are done and are happy.
Find advertised practices
It's much better to get a personal recommendation from a satisfied consumer, but
Yellow pages: Look under "electrolysis" and under "hair removal"
Internet: type in "electrolysis" and the the name of towns near you
Trade associations (see the list under Qualifications below.
Calling for information
Get some information over the phone
Most
places will not give much information over the phone, especially
prices. This is not because they're evasive, but because they want to
see you before discussing treatment options. Take notes. Get the name
of anyone you talk to and note the date. You should get the following
information over the phone:
Make sure they do needle electrolysis. Some places claiming to use electrolysis really use electric tweezers or photoepilators.
Which
of the three types of electrolysis are available (galvanic,
thermolysis, or blend) and how long they've used each at their practice
Brand and model of equipment, and how long they've had it
Number of clients they've treated and number of years in business
Their electrolysis training and qualifications (see below)
Qualifications
Over
one-third of the US states have no certification requirement for
electrologists, and states that do regulate electrolysis each have
widely varying standards for certification. Electrologists should have
a current, dated certificate on display where required.
State license
They should have one if the state where they practice regulates electrolysis (see State regulations)
Training
They should have a certification from an accredited electrology school. Instructors are even better.
Professional associations
Many belong to a professional trade group. The largest trade groups include:
AEA (American Electrology Association)
IGPE (International Guild of Professional Electrologists)
SCME (Society of Clinical and Medical Electrologists)
ESNE (Electrolysis Society of the Northeast)
IBE (International Board of Electrologists)
COPE (Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists)
Common national certifications include:
CPE (Certified Professional Electrologist) a certification governed by the AEA
CME (Certified Clinical Electrologist), a certification governed by SCME
RE (Registered Electrologist)
Set up a consultation
Ask if a consultation and test patch are free. They usually are.
During the consultation
Check out the office
Is
it clean and organized? Most places have a waiting room and private
booths or offices in the back. Are the workers clean, too? Is everyone
there professional and courteous? If not, you should look elsewhere.
Make sure they are sanitary
Unsterile
conditions can lead to spread of infection and warts, and possibly
blood-borne disease (although there are no documented cases of
blood-borne disease transmission via electrolysis).
Electrologist should wash hands before and after each treatment.
The
Center for Disease Control recommends electrologists use disposable
gloves during treatments. Many also use masks, which also help protect
you against infection and the possibility of disease.
Treatment tables should be sanitized or appropriately redraped with paper or linen before each treatment.
Do they sterilize equipment in an autoclave?
Do they use disposable probes? If not, why?
How does the treatment feel?
You should never have the feeling that a hair is being plucked or tweezed during treatment.
Do you like the practitioner?
You
should get along. It can help to think that you are a team working
together toward a common goal, since it's very important to have a good
rapport and an atmosphere of trust. If you don't feel you can express
your concerns about treatment to him or her, you might try someone else.
Talk to clients (if possible)
Ask
to talk with clients who used the same practitioner who are done and
happy. Clients should be at least 6 and preferably 12 months past their
final treatment. Note: This option is not always available, as many
clients of hair removal want to keep their visits private. That's why
it's best to get a personal recommendation from a friend or loved one--
most practitioners do not have clients on hand who are willing to speak
about their satisfaction, and no reputable practitioner will divulge
any information about clients without first getting client permission.
Meet the person who will give you treatment
If
more han one electrologist works there, will you always be seeing one
person? If not, find out the credentials of others who may be working
on you. Get all the answers you require from the person who will be
performing the procedure if possible. At the very least, meet them in
person.
Check on pain relief
If
you are concerned about pain or especially sensitive to it, ask them if
they have pain relief available if you need it. If they try to tell you
it's painless, be very suspicious.
Discuss costs
Usually,
electrolysis costs are calculated by the minute. Many places offer
15-minute increments, and the longer the session, the less it is per
minute. For instance, 15 minutes might cost $25, a half hour might cost
$40, and an hour might be $60. Some places allow you to pay up front
for a block of treatment time that you can use as needed. These blocks
can offer additional savings.
Discuss treatment schedule
You should find out:
How often you'll need to come in
About how long each treatment will take (subsequent treatments may require less time)
Roughly
how many treatments in total you might need before you won't need to
come in any more. They will probably give you a range, since it's hard
to predict.
Ask about office policies
You should also find out:
Office days and hours (especially weekend and evening options if your schedule requires)
Policy for missed appointments
Ask about post-treatment
Find out what to expect after you've been treated:
Ask if you will need to do anything special to your skin after treatment.
Get a written list of possible side effects and the doctor's assessment of your skin type.
Ask how long it will be before you can clear any new growth or regrowth.
Get it in writing
In
addition to getting answers on your Electrolysis consultation form, get
a written guarantee of any results they promise. If they are willing to
promise permanent results in writing, you may be able to get a refund
if you aren't satisfied.
Take your time
Don't
let them rush you. If you don't get all your questions answered to your
complete satisfaction, they don't deserve your trust or your money.
Get more than one consultation
Every electrologist is different. If you have more than one option near you, you should check all of themout before committing.
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