Our Approach to Electrolysis Treatment

Most clinics run electrolysis as one fixed routine; you can ask us about any of these five before you book.

How We Train and Equip the Team

Electrolysis treats one follicle at a time: a fine probe goes into the follicle, the current creates a barrier between the blood supply and the hair seed, and the hair cannot keep regenerating. Whether the session works depends on accurate insertion: angle, depth, and current. Most top-rated clinics rely on a magnifying glass, which distorts the follicle and reduces the precision the treatment depends on.

Every Electrologist on our team works under a surgical microscope, the same kind used in hospital procedures, so they can see the follicle clearly enough to spot micro-damage that is invisible to the naked eye. Every probe is single-use and sterile, opened in front of the client at the start of each session.

The device matters too. Our standard is the AR Hinkel UC-3 with the air feature. Jennifer tested most of the alternatives on the market over the years and kept coming back to Hinkel because the current flows more smoothly, which is both more comfortable for the client and more effective at the follicle. The manufacturer is no longer in business, which is why we maintain our existing units carefully.

Training matters as much as the equipment. Jennifer started practising electrolysis in 1989 and began training other Electrologists in 1996 through a government-approved Alberta vocational school. Jennifer pursued every professional certification available to Electrologists in Canada (CE, RE, CCE, CPE), plus the US-based Registered Dermal Therapist (RDT). When the federal associations stopped raising their standards, she designed our in-house training program so every Electrologist who joins us learns what we do today, not what Jennifer was taught decades ago.

Jennifer’s insight: How we do it today is very different than what I trained to do. Today’s standard mixes techniques we brought in from other professions (surgical microscopes from operating rooms for accurate insertion, local anesthesia from dental practice for sensitive areas), with treatment intervals designed around each hair’s active growth phase.

How We Choose the Electrolysis Treatment Method

Three electrolysis treatment modalities are in clinical use today. Galvanic electrolysis uses direct current. Thermolysis electrolysis uses high-frequency current. Blend electrolysis combines the two. Each modality creates the same barrier inside the follicle, just by a different route, so the right choice depends on the area and the client’s skin.

Thermolysis is faster, easier to learn, but traumatizes the skin more. Blend is gentler, slower, and demands more patience to keep accurate insertions; without that precision, it gets painful very quickly. Many clinics only offer thermolysis.

Our standard varies by area. On the face and any other visible areas, like the hands, we use blend because the healing shows and blend is the gentler of the two. On the body, where healing happens under clothing, we use thermolysis (flash technique) because it works faster on larger areas. Every Electrologist on our team is trained in both, so the modality is matched to the area.

How We Sterilize Between Clients

Electrolysis creates trauma, so we sterilize the way a medical office does. During every load, our medical-grade autoclave is checked with a TST (temperature, steam, time) indicator to confirm the cycle reached sterilization conditions, and every one of our locations sends biological samples to a third-party Sporetest service every two months, so the autoclaves are independently verified. Between clients, the treatment room is wiped down with hospital-grade disinfectant that achieves a one-minute broad-spectrum kill against bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Sterilization practices vary across electrolysis clinics, and the level of detail above is not universal. Before booking anywhere, ask the clinic to walk you through their cleaning and sterilization procedures; a clinic with strong standards explains them clearly and openly.

How an Electrolysis Treatment Feels

Is electrolysis painful? Yes, briefly. Each follicle is a short pinch that should feel uncomfortable, not unbearable. Jennifer trained every Electrologist on our team to work to three parameters a client can feel for themselves:

• You should not feel the probe go in.
• You should feel the current as uncomfortable, not unbearable.
• You should not feel the hair coming out. If you do, the follicle was not treated correctly, and the hair will undoubtedly return.

There are several comfort options for before and during the session. Topical anesthetic applied 30 minutes to two hours before the appointment is the most common choice. Tylenol or Advil 20 minutes before reduces the pain; Arnica can be taken right before or during the session to help the client relax. For sensitive areas, we were one of the first clinics to introduce local anesthesia for electrolysis, the same numbing used in dental procedures, delivered by a nurse practitioner or doctor just before the session, so clients with low pain tolerance have a real option.

Timing and Aftercare

Electrolysis treatments can be performed on any visible hair, and it works best when the hair is in active growth. Only about 20 to 30 percent of the hair in any area is in that phase at one time, so we build our scheduling around that cycle: face sessions every 2 to 3 weeks, body sessions every 6 to 8 weeks, so each hair is treated while in active growth. Missing a session, or getting off schedule will affect results that treatment plan timeframes, which is why timing is so important.

The 48 hours after a session matter as much as the session itself, because the follicle is briefly open and the skin is healing from an electrical, not thermal, reaction. Electrolysis aftercare rules differ by area; one to know up front is never to ice the face after a blend session, because the blend chemistry leaves lye that crystallizes when chilled.

What we see in the clinic: Two clients came in with very similar growth on similar areas. One was treated on schedule; the other was not. The single variable that differed was when each was booking in relative to her growth cycle. Once we tightened the timing on the second client, she started achieving the same results.

Next Step

To see how an electrolysis treatment would look for you, and to learn more about our approach to electrolysis treatment care, book a free consultation at one of our locations. We will look at the area, talk through which modality fits, and (depending on the area) run a short sample treatment so you can check Jennifer’s three parameters yourself.

Common Questions About Electrolysis Treatment

What Are the Main Types of Electrolysis?

There are three: galvanic (direct current), thermolysis (high-frequency current), and blend (a combination of the two). Each creates a barrier between the blood supply and the hair seed; the difference is how the current gets there and how the skin tolerates each one.

Which Electrolysis Method Is Best?

No single modality is best in every case. We use blend on the face and other visible areas and thermolysis on the body, because each option fits the skin and the healing context for that area. Either way, the Electrologist’s skill matters more than the modality itself.

Are All Electrolysis Hair Removal Methods Permanent?

Yes, when an electrolysis treatment is performed correctly. Electrolysis is recognized as the only method for permanent hair removal, while laser hair removal is cleared only for permanent hair reduction. The permanence depends on consistent intervals and accurate technique.

How Long Until I See Results?

A full treatment plan usually runs 12 to 18 months of regular sessions, with the area visibly clearer well before that. Coarse hair often reacts faster than fine hair.

Can the Same Electrologist Do Both Blend and Thermolysis?

Yes. Every Electrologist is trained in both modalities, so the choice is matched to the area you are treating, not to which modality the Electrologist happens to be comfortable with.