About Laser - Electrolysis

Very specific wavelengths of light are used to penetrate the skin without causing skin damage.

Melanin (color) in the hair follicle absorbs the laser light. This causes very brief, high temperatures in the hair follicle but not the surrounding skin.

The high temperature in the hair follicle damages the structures responsible for hair growth (the papilla).

Treatment consists of placing a small hand piece near the skin and administering laser pulses over the area to be treated. The laser light is pulsed for a fraction of a second - just long enough to disable the hair follicle.

Unlike electrolysis, practically any area of the body can be treated. For men, it is also possible to treat the face to retard the growth of a beard.

All lasers are not the same. At Strauman Associates, we use the Gentlelase Plus, manufactured by Candela - a leading corporation in the production of aesthetic and medical lasers. The Gentlelase Plus is the industry’s only hair removal laser with the Dynamic Cooling Device which allows for epidermal protection and faster treatment.

No one can determine if laser services would be right for you without having a consultation. At Strauman Associates, in order to serve you best, we only do laser hair removal after a free-of-charge consultation.
Now let’s look at electrology.

Electrology

Because hair grows in cycles (anagen or growing phase, catagen or shedding phase, and telogen or resting phase) and can best be eliminated during its growth cycle (anagen), successful electrology requires a series of scheduled treatments. These treatment sessions typically last from fifteen minutes to an hour.

Electrologists treat unwanted hair by applying a small amount of electrical current to the base of the hair follicle by means of a very fine sterile probe. The energy from this hair-fine probe destroys the growth center of the hair follicle, called the papilla. The probe never punctures the skin. Rather, it is inserted directly into the hair follicle.

There are three medically recognized techniques used by electrologists today. The original method invented in the 1800s is called electrolysis. It uses direct current (DC, also called galvanic current) to produce a chemical reaction that destroys the papilla. The second technique, called short wave or thermolysis, uses alternating current (AC) to generate heat which cauterizes the follicle. The third technique, known as blend, combines direct current and alternating current (DC + AC) to eliminate hair growth cells.

The device that regulates the type and amount of energy delivered to the probe is called an epilator. After each follicle is treated, the hair is removed with sterile forceps.