January 9, 2008 2:57 PM GMT
Hi Peony-
Thank you for reviving this post, I had forgotten that I said I would check with the gal who does my electrolysis and get her opinion on it. Of course, this was months ago now and being old, I have forgotten some of what she said, but here's the gist of it as best I can recall. As pretty much everyone knows, electrolysis machines used by pros have a hair thin needle that is slid down along the shaft of the hair follicle until it reaches the base of the hair where growth actually occurs. Then an electric current is applied that can be varied in strength and duration. The electric current causes three things to happen, first off all, of course is the electric current itself, this also causes heat at the hair root and also, which I had no idea of, a chemical reaction. It's a combination of these three, the current itself, the heat generated and the chemical reaction, that kills the hair root and allows the hair to be slid (tweezed) out. Too light a current and either no reaction will occur or the hair root will only be slightly damaged and either way the hair will just regrow.
Her feeling about a system that applies a current to the hair shaft is that hair itself is not all that conductive and that it wouldn't get enough current to the hair root to really be effective. Of course, you may say that this is something anybody who gets paid to do it would say about a system that might cut into profits. It's what I thought, too, cynic that I am, even though I like and trust her and as far as I know she has always been upfront with me. So anyway, for what it's worth, that's what I was told as best I can remember it. Myself, I would save the money and use it toward a couple of treatments from a pro or maybe some new shoes. Can't have too many shoes.
Hugs...Joni Marie