What it is
A probe about the size of an eyelash is slid into the hair follicle, and a small burst of energy is delivered at the root. That energy disrupts the blood supply feeding the hair, so it grows back weaker and finer each time until it stops growing at all.
We offer three methods: galvanic, diathermy, and blend, which combines the two. Your therapist chooses based on your hair and skin at the first consultation.
For grey, white, red and fair hair
IPL hair removal needs pigment in the hair to work, which is why it struggles with grey, white, red and very fair hair: there is nothing for the light to target. Electrolysis does not have that problem. It works mechanically at the follicle rather than optically, so hair colour and skin tone make no difference to the result.
That is also why electrolysis is the only method recognised as permanent hair removal for all hair colours, though results vary, rather than the long-term reduction IPL gives you. The trade-off is time: each hair is treated individually, which makes it ideal for small, defined areas like brows, chin and upper lip, and impractical for full legs.
How many sessions
Each hair has its own blood supply and its own growth cycle, so the same follicle needs treating more than once. Progress is genuinely gradual, and anyone promising you a single-session fix is not being straight with you.
Between appointments, do not pluck or wax the hair that is being treated. Tweezing pulls the whole hair and root out, which resets that follicle’s growth cycle and undoes the work already done on it. If you need to deal with regrowth in the meantime, trimming or shaving is fine; plucking is the one thing that sets you back.
Sessions are usually booked in 10, 20 or 30 minute blocks depending on how much hair there is. Buy six sessions and you get one free, which is the realistic way to book a course rather than paying per visit as you go.
Your therapist will give you a rough sense of how many sessions your area is likely to need at the first consultation, but it genuinely varies person to person. Hormonal hair in particular usually takes longer to clear than hair with a simpler growth pattern.
Hygiene
We use disposable Sterex probes, and a brand new sterile probe is used for every client. The sealed pack is opened in front of you, which is how it should be done everywhere and is not always.
Your treatment is carried out by an NVQ Level 3 qualified therapist.
Electrolysis at Westbury on Trym
Electrolysis runs at our Westbury on Trym salon only, starting with a consultation so your therapist can look at the area, discuss which method suits your hair and skin, and talk through realistic timelines before you book a course. Book online or get in touch with any questions first.