HairFire: Electrolysis At It’s Hottest

There are many different ways an Electrologist can go about treating hairs. There is not just one method.

In general, electrolysis is the use of an electric current to remove hair roots.

These are the three main modalities of electrolysis:

1. Thermolysis, which uses alternating current (AC)

2. Galvanic, which uses direct current (DC)

3. Blend, which combines both thermolysis and galvanic methods (AC and DC)

Common alternative names for thermolysis are high-frequency or short-wave. This current travels down the probe and interacts with the moisture from the cells that make up the hair follicle. The current causes the water molecules to vibrate and produce heat. If there is more moisture, this causes more vibrations, and then more heat is created. Typically, an insulated probe will be used so the heat will be concentrated only at the base of the hair follicle. This is a quick method to damage hair follicles. On average, thermolysis takes about 1 second to treat each hair.

Galvanic and electrolysis are words that can be sometimes interchangable. Galvanic current creates a chemical reaction within the hair follicle. The salt (NaCl) and moisture (H2O) from your hair follicle cells, along with the current, creates a rearrangement of these 2 molecules. The most obvious product from this reaction is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), or lye. It is a visible substance created that is known to effectively decompose the soft tissue of the hair follicle. (Chlorine gas and Hydrogen gas are also released…in case you are interested.) This is the least used method of permanent hair removal, which is hard to believe since this was the originial way to do electrolysis. But, it is not as quick as thermolysis and not as effective as the blend.

The blend is a combination of the two methods. The most common way I’ve used the blend is to first use galvanic (DC) and then follow it by thermolysis (AC). This is the best method to use to treat and damage the hair follicle. It unfortunately takes the longest time to treat per hair. On average, it takes about 6-7 seconds to use the blend method on each hair.

My opinion:

Thermolysis is more painful than galvanic because heat is involved. But, because it’s so quick, it’s not too bad. Galvanic is not painful, it’s just time-consuming. The blend is a bit painful and time-consuming. Therefore, if I had the choice, I would pick thermolysis.

With thermolysis, the electrologist is able to cover a greater area of hair in a shorter amount of time. Thermolysis may not be as effective as the blend, so in the long run, it could create a few more appointments . But, I would rather leave a single, less expensive appointment, having less visible hair, than go to a longer, more expensive appointment with not all my unwanted hair gone. I, personally, don’t have the patience for the blend on myself.

There may be instances where your hairs may release easier using one type of method over another. Your electrologist will determine this as they start treating your individual hairs.

During my consultation, I will go over these methods. My clients are free to tell me which method they would prefer, if they do have a preference. I am happy to do what they would like. If they don’t have a preference, I’m all about speed!