An electrolysis treatment involves the insertion of a sterile probe, the same size as the hair, into the hair follicle opening down to the dermal papilla. The dermal papilla is the electrologist’s target. It’s the part of the follicle that contains blood and nerves and feeds the growing hair. If the papilla and the regenerative cells surrounding it are destroyed, the hair will die.
When the probe is in place, a low-level electrical current is applied that will destroy the papilla and the surrounding cells and loosen the hair in the follicle. The hair is then removed. Many hairs will be eliminated with only one treatment, but some will need two or more treatments to achieve permanency.
Electrolysis involves a series of treatments over a period of time. The length of time depends on the amount of hair, its coarseness, the cause of the excess hair and many other factors. But once the dermal papilla has been eliminated, the hair is dead and will not regrow.