The main side effect of electrolysis, which we are very happy to share first, is that it’s permanent! However, before getting to the permanent hair free state, you might experience some small less desirable side effects. This is a list of some common and uncommon side effects clients may or may not experience after treatment. What you need to know is that this will very much depend on the health and type of your skin, as well as your compliance to our before and after treatment do’s and don’ts.
The most common and minor side effect clients may experience is redness on the area treated due to the dilation or swelling of the capillaries. This is most likely the case of clients with sensitive to very sensitive skin. Regardless, our after treatment “facial” reduces the redness significantly after a few minutes, restoring the skin’s pH, allowing clients to walk out of our center with clear skin.
Another side effect could also be blistering or the appearance of an infection. This is less common but can also happen if the client does not follow our after treatment instructions. In any case, cataphoresis helps here as well. As it closes the pores, it prevents any bacterial infection from happening and thus any appearance of blisters, pustule etc. The skin care products we offer out clients are also meant to protect the skin from any bacterial infection.
Scabs, swelling (similar to mosquito bites) and skin dryness may also occur, they will not last longer than a few days and may most likely be the result of lack of pre- and post-treatment care. It is very important to take care of your skin and nourish it properly throughout the whole process to minimize these risks.
Other uncommon side effects might also occur if the treatment is not done properly or in case of over-treatment. Example: scarring and change in pigmentation of the skin.
Some cases of hyper pigmentation or loss of pigmentation may be caused by over-treatment on the area. The pigmentation may also change during the healing process, (after treatment) yet will return to normal after a while. Generally, this side effect is unrelated to electrolysis but may be more noticeable after removing the hair. In any case, we advise our clients to always follow our do’s and don’ts list to avoid any pigmentation or minimize the risk.
Scarring is very rare. Electrolysis may generally cause minor lesions, these however do not result in scars. Scars may occur if the skin is disrupted and worn out from previous hair removal methods and improper aftercare.
Truth be told, every hair removal method (laser, razor, threading etc.) has its side effects. Properly practiced electrolysis, does not leave any major side effects on the skin. However, If you are choosing to use temporary hair removal methods you will have to experience these each and every time you will shave, thread or wax etc.
So no need to be alarmed, clients following our pre- and post-treatment instructions and taking care of their skin, never had any uncommon side effects to complain about.