If you’ve booked your first electrolysis appointment — or you’re seriously thinking about it — you probably have questions. What should you do beforehand? What should you avoid? Is there anything I need to know about your medications or your skin?
I’ve been doing this for over 40 years. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to get the most out of your session. Some of it will sound counterintuitive at first, but trust me — these small adjustments make a real difference in your results.
Let the Hair Grow
This is the biggest one, and it’s the step most new clients struggle with: stop tweezing, plucking, waxing, and threading well before your appointment.
Here’s why. Electrolysis treats hair at the bulb of follicle. To do that, I need to physically grab the shaft of the hair after treating it with a fine probe. If you’ve plucked or waxed in the days leading up to your appointment, there’s literally nothing there for me to work with.
What to do:
Stop tweezing and plucking at least one to two weeks before your appointment. Longer is better. No waxing or threading in the weeks leading up to your session. Shaving is completely fine — it’s actually the only hair removal method I recommend before your appointment. It doesn’t disturb the follicle. Shaving a few days before can help hair grow in evenly, which makes your session more productive.
I know that letting it grow is hard, especially if you’ve been managing unwanted hair for years. But this short period of patience is exactly what makes the long-term results possible.
A Note on Tweezing Between Sessions
Any time you pull hair out — tweezing, waxing, threading — you’re stimulating the follicle. Over the years I’ve watched clients closely, sometimes over decades, and the pattern is consistent: clients who continue to tweeze between sessions experience more persistent hair growth, more ingrown hairs, and a longer road to permanent results.
My recommendation is simple. Put the tweezers away. Trust the process. I’ve seen it work thousands of times.
Medications and Health Conditions
Please tell me about any medications you’re taking before we begin. Also mention recent bloodwork — I may ask about this specifically if PCOS, thyroid issues, or hormonal imbalances are part of your history. These conditions can affect hair growth patterns and help me tailor your treatment plan appropriately.
Sessions typically run anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the treatment area and your individual needs.
What to Expect:
Pain and SensationElectrolysis involves a tiny amount of current delivered to each follicle. Most clients describe the sensation as a brief pinch or sting — tolerable, and something you adjust to quickly. If you’re anxious about it, just tell me. I’ll walk you through the first few treatments at whatever pace you need to feel comfortable. There’s no rush.
After Your Appointment
A few things to expect after your session:
Mild redness or slight swelling is completely normal and usually fades within a few hours. Avoid touching, scratching, or picking at the treated area. I’ll give you specific aftercare instructions tailored to your treatment before you leave.
Start With a Free Consultation
If you haven’t booked your first consultation yet, that’s where we start. I’ll evaluate your hair, your skin, and your goals, ask about your medical history, and put together a treatment plan built specifically for you — not a generic one-size-fits-all approach. That’s not how I work.
Free consultations are available for new clients throughout Rochester, Oakland County, and Macomb County.
Call LHR Skin and Vein Center today. Let’s get started.
~Diana ❤️
