Does electrolysis hurt?

This is a difficult question to answer; each individual will experience the sensation of electrolysis differently, and that sensation may even differ from treatment to treatment.

A network of nerves exists under the skin, surrounding the hair follicles. Some follicles will have a more extensive network of nerves than others; sometimes one hair feels more painful then another in the same area.

Some people report that the sensations begin to decrease in intensity as the treatment session progresses. This can be explained by a process known as ‘synapse fatigue’. The nerves serving the area eventually begin to ‘tire’ of sending pain messages to the brain, much in the same way the skin acclimatises to sitting in a hot bath. Most therapists will use this to their (and their clients’) advantage by treating all the hair follicles within a small area, before moving on to the next area.

It is also worth nothing that technology has improved over the years, and many electrolysis devices are able to deliver the current in a fraction of a second, lessening the sensation. In some cases, the current can be discharged within the follicle before the nerves have even had the chance to realise something is happening!