From the very start in 1869, electrolysis has grown by leaps and bounds. It has evolved from pure electrolysis, to thermolysis, to a combination of the two currents (Blend) and finally to the use of ultrarapid and comfortable currents using the 27 MHz frequency. Thanks to a series of technological breakthroughs, the limits of this permanent hair removal method were pushed back further and further, thereby enabling electrologists to offer excellence to their clients. To refresh our memories and bring us up to date, here is a brief overview of the history of electrolysis and a summary of various electrolysis techniques, from then and now…
Electrolysis in the early days
In 1869, Charles E. Michel, an American ophtalmologist, discovered that by connecting a fine needle to the negative pole of a source of galvanic current and by inserting the needle in the follicle of an ingrown eyelash on one of his patients, he was able to destroy hair. The official birth of electrolysis as a hair removal technique took place in 1875, when his results were published.
Following experiments on human tissues in the early 1890s, the Frenchman Dr. Jacques d’Arsonval discovered that high-frequency current could produce heat and destroy hair roots. In 1916, professor Paul Kree developed an electrolysis technique (galvanic current) using multiple needles, which was used for many years. In 1923, a French doctor, Henri Bordier, wrote on the possibility of performing electroepilation using a high-frequency current. This theory was put to the test in 1938 by Dr. Peytoureau. He used a short wave radio emitter to perfect the thermolysis process, whereby hair albumin is coagulated to bring about its destruction.
In 1948, a patent was granted to Henri E. St-Pierre and Arthur Hinkel for the invention of the “Blend”, a combination of galvanic and high-frequency currents (also called “combined currents”). At the time, mixing the two currents offered a more effective solution to permanently eliminate hairs. With the advent of the “Blend”, pure electrolysis (technique using galvanic current alone) was set aside.
Combined currents (Blend)
Combined currents allow you to work with both galvanic and high-frequency currents simultaneously. The success of the technique is based on the right dosage of the two currents. While the galvanic current is used to generate lye in the hair follicle, the high-frequency current is added to enhance the destructive power of the lye by warming it. Various combinations are possible with these two currents; however, it is essentially the high-frequency current that varies from one technique to the other. The galvanic current is always delivered continuously.
What are the different Blend techniques available and how are they different from one another? First, the most widely known combined current technique is certainly Pulsing Blend™. This method combines a few high-frequency pulses with continuous galvanic current. In spite of its effectiveness, this technique may be perceived as complex since many parameters must be controlled simultaneously. OmniBlend™ on the other hand, combines galvanic current with a weak but continuous high-frequency current. This technique is very popular because it is simple to execute and comfortable for client. MultiBlend™ is very similar to OmniBlend™ as it also combines continuous galvanic and highfrequency currents, but it also adds a rapid thermolysis pulse at the end that is very effective for stubborn hairs. Finally, EvoluBlend™ is the simultaneous application of a gradually increasing galvanic current with 27 MHz high-frequency current, to provide added comfort for clients.
Combined currents are largely used to treat deeply rooted and distorted hairs, as the lye is able to reach the bulb of the follicle, even when the latter is distorted. However, it is critical to use this technique in the anagen phase, because if the moisture level or the depth is insufficient, as is the case in the telogen phase, then lye cannot be generated. Of course, when using all combined current techniques, we should also make sure that the client has no contra-indications to galvanic current (metallic inclusions, pregnancy, pacemaker, saltwater prosthesis, serious peripheral nervous problems, etc.).
High –frequency current (thermolysis)
With the arrival of powerful computerized epilators, today high-frequency current or thermolysis is extremely effective. Today’s technology enables us to work with very short treatment times, in thousandths of a second. Thermolysis can therefore be very convenient when compared to combined currents that require a treatment time of 4 to 15 seconds per hair.
As for combined currents (Blend), there are many different ways to use high-frequency current in electroepilation. The first is slow thermolysis. This type of thermolysis requires a treatment time of several seconds, which makes it obsolete in today’s hair removal market. Then there is conventional thermolysis. The current treatment time for this technique is measured in tenths of a second (0.1 s), which is not always comfortable for the client.
Fortunately, electrologists today have access to a number of other thermolysis methods that offer speed and comfort. A fairly widespread technique is known as Flash™ thermolysis. This type of thermolysis uses the 13.56 MHz frequency and works in hundredths of a second (0.01 s). Most epilators on the market, including the Apilus® Junior Plus™ and Cléo™, offer this technique. Next comes the MicroFlash™ technique in thousandths of a second (0.001 s). This method is quite popular and very well liked by our international clientele as it offers superior comfort (available on the Apilus® Senior II™ and SX-500™).
The ultimate in terms of speed and comfort is indisputably the new PicoFlash™ technique. This technique is now possible thanks to the ultrarapid 27 MHz frequency, available on the Apilus® Platinum™.Thus, since this frequency is 56 times more rapid than in the first epilators and twice as rapid as that used by most devices on the market today, it is able to coagulate in a very targeted fashion the cells responsible for hair growth and avoid heat diffusion in nearby tissues. The PicoFlash™ 27 MHz technique thereby offers effectiveness and comfort never before seen in permanent hair removal!
The most appropriate thermolysis technique for stubborn, deeply rooted hair is certainly the MultiPlex™. This “hybrid” technique is a mixture of slow thermolysis (from 0.5 to 2.5 s) and rapid thermolysis in thousandths of a second (0.001 s). The slow thermolysis current starts by generating heat in the internal structure of the entire hair follicle, which is then more effectively destroyed with a pulse of rapid thermolysis (MicroFlash™ or PicoFlash™ with 27 MHz technology).
Since the MicroFlash™, PicoFlash™ and MultiPlex™ techniques are extremely quick, many electrologists now use the “dual-pulse” technique. This technique consists in sending a first pulse in the bulb area then a second pulse in the bulge area, the two target areas that contain cells responsible for hair growth. Thanks to the proportional pulsing function of superior Apilus® epilators, the device automatically reduces parameters when using this method to avoid generating excess energy in the hair follicle.
And last but certainly not least comes the Synchro™. This technique, available on the new Apilus® Platinum™ 27 MHz system, is a truly revolutionary method (patent pending). The 27 MHz technology allows us today not only to offer treatments with unrivalled comfort, but also deliver extremely quick results. This method develops a significant amount of energy in the hair follicle, yet always keeps the skin surface protected since it is used exclusively with insulated probes. Of course, given its strong destruction potential, the Synchro™ is used only on deeply rooted hair in the anagen phase and calls for a specific technique that requires extra vigilance from the electrologist. his new working method consists in delivering up to one hundred ultrarapid picopulses in the hair follicle. Pre-defined parameters set according to the body area, the depth and size of the hair guarantee safe and effective results. The 27 MHz technology encompasses components that enable us to work with currents in milliseconds, at a very high intensity and allowing for a rest period between each pulse. This system therefore ensures healthy tissues around the hair follicle will not be destroyed. Pulses are concentrated exclusively in the target areas.
Unfortunately, in trying to destroy hair as quickly as possible, certain electrologists use personalized methods that are often too powerful, unaware of all the consequences related to this practice. Let’s not forget that a germinative cell dies when the temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius, and that collagen can be damaged starting at 55 degrees Celsius. We must therefore be very careful so as not to destroy collagen and elastin fibres, create pigment spots, cutaneous depressions or other permanent damage. Quite often, the skin initially seems to react very well, but there may nevertheless be strong inflammation inside the hair follicle or the skin surface may become whiter. All epilators are not necessarily designed to apply a multiple pulse technique such as the Synchro™. Don’t forget that the 27 MHz technology in the Apilus® Platinum™ is ultrarapid, highly concentrated, can deliver 0.001 s picopulses, AND can insert a resting period between each pulse to let adjacent cells cool down. Isn’t it wonderful!
Of course, the success of these techniques also lies in the quality and accuracy of the electrologist’s insertions, since the idea is to directly target cells in the germinative zone, the dermal papilla and the bulge. It thus becomes necessary to learn a new technique specifically developed for the Synchro™. We must be able to meet the requirements of our esteemed clients and stay at the leading edge of technology. We must be able to face head on the ever-growing competition in our field.
Another avenue for electrologists who wish to offer effectiveness, comfort and safety to their clients is to use insulated probes. The latter can concentrate energy at the tip and thus shorten treatment time while protecting the skin surface from any reaction. Thus, the risk of burns, pigment spots and scarring is nil. Electrologists who seek quality in their work should therefore use only this type of probe. Pro-Tec® offers two types of insulated probes, namely IsoGard™ and IsoBlend™ probes. IsoGard™ probes are recommended for shallow insertions; to treat either hair in the telogen phase, lanugo facial hair or near the end of a course of treatment, when hair is not as deeply rooted in the skin layers. We use this type of probe in thermolysis only. IsoBlend™probes, on the other hand, are recommended for all types of hair on all areas of the body with minimal depth, and are used in both thermolysis or Blend.
For more than 135 years, electrolysis has never ceased to evolve. We have now reached a high level of effectiveness with the new 27 MHz technology; it’s now up to us electrologists to rise to the occasion. Let’s not forget that our clients are much better informed today than they were in the past, thanks namely to the American Electrology Association (AEA), the Association des électrolystes du Québec (AEQ), the Internet and many magazines of various interests. Let’s stay updated on our techniques, and above all, let’s be professional, ladies. It is in our best interest and especially in our clientele’s best interest. Let’s do our best to give our best!