Frequently asked questions

If you have been tweezing, waxing or threading the area, you need to stop at least a week beforehand so that there is hair to be treated. The hair does not need to be long, so you can trim or shave the hair a day or so before the treatment. We just need a short amount of stubble, at least 2mm in length.

You may shave with a razor, trim hairs with scissors or an electric trimmer in between electrolysis treatments, but any method that removes the hair from the follicle (tweezing, waxing, threading) needs to stop, because that will prevent us from treating those hairs. 

You will feel a sensation similar to a mosquito bite or bee sting. Some areas are more sensitive than others, such as the upper lip. Many clients find that is is perfectly tolerable, while others prefer to use a topical lidocaine to make the treatment more comfortable.

Topical lidocaine can be purchased in the office, online, or in any retail store with a first aid section (Walgreens, CVS, etc.) The lidocaine needs to be applied at least 15 minutes prior to the treatment to be effective. Some formulations require more time, so we recommend reading the labels prior to use. We recommend 4 or 5% lidocaine gel or cream (not ointment).

Apply a thick, visible coat the lidocaine before the treatment. We recommend applying a piece of plastic food wrap over the area so that the lidocaine cannot be wiped off or absorbed by clothing or masks.

Bring your lidocaine with you to your appointment, so that you can reapply as needed.

Everyone will require at least 1 full year to 18 months of consistent treatment to become clear. 

Some people need to come weekly for an hour or more, and others may only need to come once a month for 15 minutes. The amount of hair you have is what dictates how long  and how frequent your treatments should be. With all clients, treatments become shorter and less frequent as we destroy each cycle of hair growth. 

You may require more treatment  if you have hormonal conditions such as hypothyroidism, PCOS, excess testosterone, or are taking any medications that cause excess hair growth as a side effect (such as prednisone, and some forms of birth control). 

As you complete more and more treatments you will begin to have less ingrown hairs. This is because you will have less hair. Having less hair means your skin will be less irritated. As you skin becomes less irritated and rough, hairs can emerge from the skin more easily, also leading to less ingrown hairs.      

Laser is a form of hair removal that relies on amplified light to penetrate the skin, and destroy the hair follicles. This is a great method for people with coarse, dark hair and light skin. Light colored and thin hairs don't absorb enough light to be effectively destroyed. Dark skin absorbs too much of the light, which also prevents the follicles from being destroyed.

During an electrolysis treatment, a thin probe is inserted into each individual hair follicle, a very small pulse of electrical current creates heat to destroy the follicle. This allows electrolysis to effectively treat any color hair, any thickness of hair, on any skin color.      

In most cases, the answer is no. Insurance companies consider Electrolysis to be a cosmetic treatment. If you do have an pre-approval for electrolysis treatments from your insurance company, reach out to them to find out the full covered benefit, as they may only cover several treatments.  We are able provide you with invoices to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement, but we cannot communicate with your insurance company, you must handle all communications with your insurance.  Payment for all treatments are due at the time of the appointment regardless for potential of insurance reimbursement.