60 minutes
For bigger or thicker areas such as the underarms or bikini line.
- Treatment time
- 60 minutes
- Results
- Hairs treated are removed on the day; the area clears across a course
- Longevity
- Lasting, for follicles that have been treated
- Downtime
- None; redness fades within hours
- Price
- £120
About 60 minutes
60 minutes of electrolysis, for bigger or thicker areas like the whole chin and neck, the underarms, a line of body hair or the bikini line.
Electrolysis removes hair for the long term by treating follicles one at a time, using a very fine probe and a small, carefully controlled current. It doesn't depend on pigment, so hair colour and skin type don't limit it. An hour is used for larger areas or heavier growth, normally at the beginning of a course, and sessions usually get shorter as the area clears.
Key Benefits
- 01Long-term hair removal, treated follicle by follicle
- 02Works on any hair colour, blonde, grey, white and red included
- 03Safe for every skin type and tone
- 04Accurate enough for brows, the lip line and small patches
- 05Most people need no downtime
- 06What grows back gets finer and sparser through your course
Is this treatment right for me?
If you'd like a defined area cleared of hair for the long term, electrolysis is a strong option. It comes into its own for hairs laser can't see — fair, red, grey or white — for fiddly spots like the brows and upper lip, and for hormonal growth on the chin and neck. We don't normally treat during pregnancy, over skin that's broken or infected, or on raised moles. If you have a pacemaker or another implanted electrical device, diabetes, a history of keloid scars, or a skin condition where you want treatment, tell us at your consultation: the method can often be adjusted, or a different treatment recommended.
You may be suitable if…
- Your unwanted hair is any colour at all, blonde, grey, white and red included
- The area is a small or medium one, such as the face, neck, brows, underarms, bikini line or a line of hair on the body
- You're after a result that lasts and can come back for a course
- Laser didn't work for you, or isn't right for your hair or skin
Your consultation will consider…
- Your health history: pacemakers, diabetes, pregnancy and any medication
- How dark and dense the hair is, and what's likely driving the growth (hormones, for example)
- Your skin type, how you heal, and whether you're prone to pigment changes or keloid scars
- Which method suits you (galvanic, thermolysis or blend) and an honest course plan
What to expect
Before treatment
Your first step is a consultation, where Cinzia looks at the area and you agree a plan together. Leave the hairs alone for a few days before each visit so they're long enough to see and hold. For at least a fortnight beforehand, don't wax, thread or pluck, because that upsets the growth cycle. Come with the area clean and bare of make-up and creams.
During treatment
You'll be lying down and comfortable. Cinzia guides a sterile probe, finer than a hair, into each follicle following the direction the hair grows. A very small current runs for a split second to treat the root, then the freed hair is lifted away with tweezers, one hair at a time. Expect a short, warm prick or sting; how much you notice it depends on the area and where you are in your hormone cycle.
After treatment
For a few hours the skin can look pink and a little raised. Cinzia finishes with a calming antiseptic lotion, and you can carry on with your day as normal.
Results & longevity
Because every follicle is treated at the root, the results last. The catch is timing: a hair can only be destroyed while it's actively growing, and at any moment only some of your hairs are in that phase, which is why you need a course. As the follicles are treated, what grows back is finer and weaker, and there are fewer hairs to treat each visit. Most courses begin weekly or every two weeks, then the gaps lengthen as the area clears. Depending on how dense the hair is, the hair type and any hormonal influence, an area usually takes from several months to a year or longer. Hormonal conditions can switch on new hairs in time, and those can be treated when they show up.
Recovery, side effects & aftercare
You'll recover quickly. For a few hours, sometimes up to a day, the skin may feel warm and look pink and slightly bumpy. A day or two later, a few follicles can develop pinpoint scabs; let them drop off by themselves.
Side effects
Some redness, a little swelling and tiny scabs are normal and pass quickly. Occasionally the treated skin turns slightly darker or lighter, which is more likely with darker skin or sun exposure. In rare cases, over-treatment or picking at scabs leaves small pitted marks or causes ingrown hairs. Good technique and good aftercare keep these risks to a minimum.
Aftercare
For the first 48 hours, keep the area clean and try not to touch it. Leave off make-up there, and avoid exfoliating, skin acids (glycolic or salicylic, for example), scented products, saunas, steam rooms and swimming. Leave any pinpoint scabs alone. Throughout your course, protect treated skin with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or above and stay off sunbeds.
Get in touch with the clinic if the area gets more sore, hot or swollen rather than less, starts to weep or looks infected, or if a change in skin colour is still there after a few weeks.
- Downtime
- None; a little redness for a few hours
- Redness
- Usual, and gone within hours to a day
- Swelling
- Small raised bumps at the follicles, gone within a day
- Bruising
- Rare
- Normal activities
- Right away; skip the gym, sauna and swimming for 24–48 hours
Frequently Asked Questions
How long a session should I book?
A small area, like a few hairs on the chin or the upper lip, normally takes 15 minutes. Bigger or thicker areas need more time. Early sessions tend to be longer and shorten as the area clears, and Cinzia will suggest the right length at your consultation.
Is electrolysis permanent?
The treatment works on each follicle itself, so a follicle that has been treated successfully shouldn't produce that hair again. You'll need a course to reach every hair while it's growing, and now and then hormonal changes wake up new follicles later on.
Is electrolysis painful?
Most clients feel a fast, warm prick or sting with each hair. Some areas are more sensitive than others, and sensitivity changes through the menstrual cycle; Cinzia adjusts the current so you stay comfortable.
What's the difference between electrolysis and laser?
Laser covers lots of hairs in one go, but it needs dark pigment to work, so blonde, grey, white and red hair are out of reach. Electrolysis deals with hairs one by one and works whatever your hair colour or skin type, which is why it's the go-to for fine or pale hairs and small areas.
How many sessions does it take?
That comes down to the area, how thick the growth is and its cause. You'll usually start with weekly or fortnightly visits and space them out as the area clears. Cinzia will talk you through a realistic plan at your consultation.
Do I need to shave beforehand?
No, please don't. The hairs have to be visible to be treated, so let them grow for a few days, and stop waxing, threading and plucking at least two weeks before.
Your Practitioner
Cinzia Campigotto
Aesthetician & Skin Expert — Electrolysis & Skin Blemishes
Cinzia is a professional aesthetician and skin expert with more than 25 years in the advanced skin and beauty industry. She founded Beauti Skin Clinic in South London in 2017 and specialises in skin consultations and bespoke, results-driven treatment plans. At Banana Beauty Lab she carries out electrolysis hair removal, advanced electrolysis for thread veins, blood spots and skin tags, and skin lesion consultations.