Getting the Best Results from your Appointment
Are you ready to feel more joyful in the skin you’re in? To help put your mind at ease, here are a few suggestions that will help you get the best results from your upcoming electrolysis appointment.
HYDRATE! We can’t stress enough the importance of drinking water and avoiding alcohol & sodium in the 24-hours leading up to your appointment. Electrolysis relies on water and salt in your skin to help conduct the radio frequency that destroys the tissues responsible for hair growth. If you are dehydrated, it may reduce the effectiveness of your treatment.
AVOID SHAVING, TRIMMING, AND DEPILATORIES AT LEAST 2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR APPOINTMENT. And, please do not pluck, tweeze, wax or otherwise pull out your unwanted hair EVER while undergoing electrolysis (click here to read our blog post on the dangers of plucking). This can be terrifying at first, but we promise it will be ok. We need 1 to 3mm of hair growth to successfully treat your unwanted hair (a good test is to see if you can use the nails on your thumb and index fingers to pull on the air - if you can, it’s long enough). Please know you are beautiful and amazing, and no amount of hair will ever change that!
LIMIT CAFFEINE AND SUGAR THE DAY OF YOUR SESSION. If you’re sensitive, both caffeine and sugar are stimulants that may make you more sensitive during treatment. If you love to drink coffee in the morning, consider booking your appointment in the late afternoon — so the caffeine has time to wear off! If you’re not super sensitive, feel free to consume at will, however; this suggestion is totally optional depending on your tolerance.
STOP HARSH TOPICAL SKIN TREATMENTS AT LEAST 2-3 DAYS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT. This includes use of Retinoids and retinoid-like products and as well as powerful chemical exfoliants including glycolic & salicylic acid peels, and even microdermabrasion, etc. Use your best judgement — your goal should be to avoid having dry, irritated skin at the time of treatment. It is okay, however, to lightly exfoliate, and we recommend you do so with a gentle scrub of a washcloth or skincare product of your choice n the 24 hours leading up to your appointment; this can help open your pores making hair removal easier.
AVOID SUN EXPOSURE. The days before and after your appointment, you’ll want to avoid the sun, which can can dilate your blood vessels and cause your skin to be scaly, red, and irritated; immediately after electrolysis, your skin may also be more photo-sensitive and prone to hyperpigmentation. A hat and/or unscreen will definitely help you avoid any of these complications!
HAVE A SHOWER THE DAY OF YOUR APPOINTMENT! Clean, fresh, hydrated skin makes the electrolysis process the easiest. If you wear make-up or deodorant to your appointment, and we are treating your face or underarms, we will clean the area before we treat you (although it’s recommended you show up with just naked, fresh skin with and a little light moisturizer). Electrolysis opens your pores, so it is best to go make-up and/or deodorant free after your appointment too, for at least a few hours. If you are planning to immediately return to work or another social outing, you may wish to bring your make-up, etc. with you to reapply, but really we hope you can just let your skin breath for a little bit.
AVOID EXERCISE & SWIMMING! Yes, you finally have a legit excuse to not go! The gym and similar activities that get your heart pumping the day of your appointment should be avoided. Excessive sweating and even swimming can be the source of bacteria entering the hair follicles we have opened with electrolysis, which may cause a minor infection or breakout. You can resume your cardio the next day, however, as the follicles will close again given at least few hours to rest and recover!
Additional Considerations:
If you are particularly sensitive, consider taking a pain reliever of your choice (acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) one hour prior to your appointment. We also have OTC tattoo numbing cream available (see video) and are partnered with a local Physician Assistant who can administer a lidocaine injection (highly recommended if we’re doing bikini or underarm work). If you’re interested in lidocaine injections, please ask us how to make arrangements prior to coming to your appointment.
If we are treating your bikini, please trim your hair, but not too short (1-3 mm is ideal). If it’s specifically bikini area work, you’ll also likely need to apply a topical anesthetic a 90 minutes before you arrive (or you visit our physician assistant for a lidocaine injection). We recommend you book a free new client consultation with us before beginning bikini work.
If we are treating a benign skin lesion like a mole or a keratosis, please be certain you have seen your dermatologist in the 12 months prior to the appointment and there are no recent changes in the appearance of your skin. We are electrologists and will leave the “diagnosing” up to the medical professionals; if anything looks suspicious or out of the ordinary, we will likely refer you to see your doctor first anyway.
Reasons to Delay/Reschedule your Appointment:
If you've been exposed to or personally have COVID-19 — you must be symptom free for 5 days before you come to see us.
If you have a sunburn — please wait 3 days before having electrolysis.
If you’ve recently gotten fillers (Botox or Juvederm, etc.) — please wait 3 days before having electrolysis in the same area that you had the fillers done.
Laser — please wait 1 week before having electrolysis in the area; laser is drying to the skin and we need hydrated skin for the electrolysis to be effective.
You feel a fever blister or cold sore coming on or have one in an active state — please wait until you’re symptom free to come see us!
Have more questions? Feel free to send us an email at hello@pricklynomore.com or text us at 214-893-2471