Electrolysis, one of the most popular methods of hair removal, is a procedure performed by licensed professionals called electrologists. Hair is removed permanently, as opposed to temporary methods of hair removal like shaving, waxing, and epilation. An electric current (with or without high heat) destroys each hair down to its roots. Most commonly, a blend of heat and electric current is used.Although results are excellent, electrolysis is a painful and time-consuming process. The electrologist first needs to find the root of each hair follicle with a magnifying glass before burning it. Often, only twenty-five to seventy-five hairs can be treated in one visit. Multiple visits to the electrologist's office are therefore necessary in order to complete hair removal in one area. Preferred areas of treatment are bikini lines,
underarms, eyebrows, and chin and upper lip areas. In order to relieve some, but not all, of the pain from electrolysis, electrologists often have dermatologists prescribe topical anesthetic creams for their clients to apply just prior to treatment. Sometimes dermatologists and electrologists work directly together. The dermatologist injects an anesthetic into the area treated. Then the electrologist painlessly removes hair from the numbed area. After a number of treatments, the vast majority of hairs removed with electrolysis are permanently eliminated. However, there is a small percentage of hairs that can regrow. Laser hair removal is now the chief competition for electrolysis because it can cover large areas more quickly.
