HOME, SWEET HOME . . .
Each hair grows out of a follicle, which
is like a tiny pocket in the skin.
Each follicle has its own life cycle, which varies according to genetics
and
location on the body. Generally, a hair on the head lives
anywhere from
two to seven years, four to five months on the upper lip,
and only five to
six weeks for eyebrows.
At any given moment, your follicles are in all
different stages of the
life cycle; if you think of it in
terms of real estate, some of the
follicles are "occupied," others are posting "eviction
notices," while
the rest are vacant and waiting for their next "tenant" hair.
GETTING THE HAIR WHERE IT LIVES
During the electrolysis treatment, a very
slender probe is inserted into
each follicle, and a tiny electric
current is applied, creating thermal
and chemical changes which in turn destroy the
follicle. The hair is
then removed with tweezers. The probe never actually pierces the skin,
because the follicle is merely an extension of
the skin's surface. The
wire is not heated, and nothing is ever injected into the skin.
WHEN IT 'S ALL OVER . . .
After the treatment, it is normal for your skin
to be slightly reddened and
swollen for an hour or two. You might occasionally get some
pinpoint red
spots, but they are harmless and will vanish without a trace.
It’s a good
idea to keep your fingers from walking on the treated area for
at least a
day or so. Even if washed frequently, hands are often loaded with bacteria.
Be gentle when washing - don’t scrub -
and take the time to apply a
soothing lotion, preferably one with aloe vera.
