The Methods: Galvanic, Thermolysis, Blend

Galvanic, Thermolysis, or Blend?

I think it’s relevant to help provide you with a little bit of the history of electrolysis and how it has evolved before we dive into the question.

A summary of Galvanic, Thermolysis, and Blend:

Electrolysis was born in 1875 by an American ophthalmologist from St. Louis, MO. Dr. Charles E. Michel documented the successful treatment of an ingrown eyelash in a patient. He found that electricity produced a physiochemical reaction at the hair root, destroying regenerative cells.

Twelve years later, Dan Mahler opened a beauty salon in Providence, RI, where he performed electrolysis for cosmetic reasons.

In 1916, Paul N. Kree, a professor, American inventor, and engineer, developed the first multi-needle epilator (to this day, very few electrologists remain faithful to galvanic multi-needle epilators, which contain up to 40 needles).

In 1890, Jacques d’Arsonval, a doctor, French physicist, and inventor, fathered thermolysis by demonstrating that heat is created when frequency is increased.

Henry E. St. Pierre and Arthur Hinkel developed a device that combined both currents and received a patent in 1948.

Time Efficiency: galvanic and blend need at least 5 seconds of application to treat a hair follicle successfully. On the other hand, thermolysis works in 1-2 seconds, 100’s or 1000’s of a second, depending on the modality.

Efficacy: While thermolysis is the most time-efficient and will work on most hairs, only some hair you have requires the same treatment. I prefer to leave those problem hairs behind and, at the end of the session, make all the necessary adjustments I need. That may be changing the method, modality, or probe.

Comfort: Sensitivity varies from person to person, and in my personal experience, thermolysis offers better comfort. Electrolysis is not what it used to be. It has come a long way. There are days when you are more sensitive, and you will find that treating a hair follicle might feel different from one day to the next. The same holds true for hairs within proximity to sensitive areas; it’s all about nerve sensitivity. 

Generally, vellus hair and superficial hair need less energy. The opposite is also true: deeply rooted terminal hair needs more energy. 

When to use each method?

Thermolysis is effective on most hair types, from vellus hair to deeply rooted terminal hair. It offers a broader range of applications, from slow thermolysis (at least 1 second) to thermolysis (hundreds of a second) to flash thermolysis (thousands of a second). Or a combination of the two in one application. 

Slow thermolysis is highly effective by itself. It offers a good comfort level and is ideal when skin hydration is not optimal. Combined with other modalities or methods, it helps create porosity, facilitating better heat penetration. It can also be combined with Galvanic current. Slow thermolysis is applied, followed by a second.

Regular and flash thermolysis suit most individuals, hair types, and colors. Both can also be utilized with the blend method.

When to use Galvanic or Blend?

We want to use those methods to treat stubborn, deeply rooted, coarse hairs and those with distorted follicles.

Should you prefer one method over the other? 

I hope I have established that each method has a time and place. Your electrologist should ensure that each hair has been successfully treated. 

How can you establish that your treatment is working?  

When the hair is extracted, it should slide out easily without resistance. If you feel a pluck, let your electrologist know. If the hair breaks during extraction, it’s also a clear sign that treatment is ineffective, and adjustments should be made.

Andres Mejia

Ethereal Electrolysis