Most cost-effective gap between electrolysis sessions for facial hair?

cashferret

I've been having 15-minute sessions to remove some facial hair about every 10 days at about £19 a go. I understand that electrolysis is only effective when the hair is in the anagen (growth) phase and because I'm not very clear on how long that lasts for facial hair I thought I'd better have reasonably frequent sessions (also, I don't want to look too stubbly for too long!).

The treatments have already got rid of the finer hairs and are slowly helping the coarser ones which I had previously plucked but I'd expect to need at least another 10-15 sessions to solve the problem entirely.

Am I making it more expensive for myself by having such frequent sessions or am I just accelerating the treatment so that it will cost the same in the end as if I had spaced the sessions apart more?

Is there any basis on how to decide how far apart to have these sessions?

Pity there isn't a "hairy face" icon to put at the end of this! :eek:

chanie

I can't really answer your question about spacing appointments, but when I had it, I didn't see much in the way of results. I found that I had to have appointments every other week because of the regrowth. Nobody ever mentioned the growth phase to me - it may well be true, but given the electrolysis destroys the root using electric current, I could be wrong, but I don't thing the phase is the be all and end all.

Have you thought about laser instead. I have that done. Its costs £50 and a session lasts me about 2-3 months. The hair does need to be in the growth phase, but you get around that by shaving the area before the appointment. Unlike electrolysis, the can zap a larger area in one go so I found that the hair grows at the same time rather than at different rates with electrolysis (where i am, you pay for time blocks, so if they can't get it all in one go, you have to have another session)

cashferret

Hi chanie - I decided to go for electrolysis because it's permanent, whereas laser treatment isn't. The electric current (or laser) destroys the hair root but if the hair isn't in its growth phase, the root will grow back just as strong the next time.

I'm glad you're pleased with your laser results, though! I've read that some people don't have success with electrolysis so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll keep seeing progress. It's a pity it's all so expensive!