Electrolysis Treatment Faults and Preventing Skin Damage Paper Example

Introduction

The human skin is the largest body organ and comprises three primary layers namely the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat. The epidermis is responsible for a person's skin colour through the production of melanin, protecting the body and creating new cells. The dermis plays a more significant role since it supplies blood to the entire skin through the vessels found on it, produces sweat via the sweat glands, has nerve endings that play a sensory role and is responsible for hair growth (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008). There are two types of hair visible on the human skin namely vellus and terminal. The former is thin, translucent, is not easily recognised from a distance and is essential in helping the body to maintain an average temperature. The latter, however, is dark, thick, long and grows on areas such the head, beard and pubic regions. The vellus hair on parts of the body such as the chest, legs and arms change into the terminal category when an individual gets to puberty. This essay discusses various treatment faults that cause damage to the skin tissue, determines correct probing techniques that give best results, and explains effects of varying time applications, intensities, probe depth and moisture gradients on the skin.

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Treatment Faults

Unwanted hair on the skin can successfully be eliminated through electrolysis, a process which encompasses the use of electric current through a metal probe to kill the root of the hair. Also, it is the only permanent hair removal technique approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are three forms of electrolysis namely galvanic, thermolysis and blend. Galvanic electrolysis has an 80% efficacy and works by using an electric current to stimulate the salt water solution at the base of the hair follicle thus resulting in decomposition (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008). Thermolysis, however, utilizes alternating current with a low voltage to heat the cells at the root of the hair till they are permanently destroyed and has a 10-15% success rate (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008). Blend electrolysis is a combination of galvanic and thermolysis. The permanent hair removal technique is time-consuming since it requires each follicle to be removed individually thus the more hair concentration, the longer it takes. Various electrolysis treatment faults cause damage to tissues such as overtreatment, shallow and deep probing, needlepoint movement, probing into the follicle wall and sebaceous gland.

Overtreatment

The time taken to conduct an electrolysis treatment is dependent on the surface area and the level of hair concentration on the affected region. Removing a large amount of hair on a single visit may cause permanent scarring of the skin due to prolonged exposure to the electric current and pricking (Vakharia, 2018). Therefore, an electrologist should schedule multiple sessions if the patient has a sizeable amount of hair that needs removal. Undertaking the procedure on different dates gives the skin time to recover from the previous epilation thus preventing scars and other effects that may arise from soreness and redness on the area under review.

Shallow Probing

When the metal probe is inserted superficially into the hair follicle, the electric current is spread to the epidermis thus resulting in the burning of the tissue. Blisters appear on the probed area and may stick to the needle thereby forming erythema. The pustules form a slight scar which in turn causes a red-brown scab to appear on the skin. Shallow probing hinders the electric current from reaching the root of the hair follicle thus minimal result is achieved since the hair will most likely grow after complete healing of the affected area (Ismail, 2012).

Deep Probing

Electrolysis is only carried out at the root of the hair and probing deeper past the follicle base results in severe burning of the epidermis and dermis layers thus causing tissue damage (Vakharia, 2018). The situation causes pain to the patient and prevents the growth of new cells. Also, micro hemorrhaging may be experienced, and permanent scars are formed on the surface of the skin due to the impact of the heat on the tissues. The therapist attending to a client must exercise care and precision to ensure that the probing tool only targets the root of the hair and does not go beyond.

Needlepoint Movement

This fault takes place when the tip of the probe is placed non-objectively on the skin without targeting any hair follicle. Tissue damage is imminent as a result, since the dispersed electric current causes burning and scarring of the skin. It is essential to note that the situation may cause discomfort and pain to the patient. An electrologist can prevent the occurrence of such faults by ensuring that there is minimal movement of the probe on the client's skin.

Follicle Wall Probing

When a superficial probe goes into the follicle wall, it causes tissue damage due to the burning experienced from the heat and also results in scarring on the skin surface. The situation, in turn, culminates to ineffective treatment since the electric current does not reach the matrix papilla area to kill the hair root (Vakharia, 2018). Patients who experience probing into the follicle wall are likely to have hair growth on the treated area.

Sebaceous Gland Probing

When a probe goes into the sebaceous gland, the skin tissue is damaged since the electric current causes a burn to the surface. The sebum produced by the affected organ is wasted thereby resulting in dry skin. An electrologist must ensure that utmost care and accuracy is considered when probing to avoid damaging skin tissues.

Correct Probe Choice

The type of needle used for probing during hair removal contributes significantly to the success of the procedure. Various electrolysis faults can be prevented by choosing the right probe. The needle utilised for hair removal is inserted through the skin and conducts electric current to the root of the follicle. Therefore, it is essential to use a probe without a sharp end to avoid damaging tissues such as the follicle wall and sebaceous gland. The filament should have a round-point that allows for smooth sliding from the skin to the base of the hair under treatment (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008).

Choosing the right probe should also be influenced by the type and size of the patient's hair. The diameter of the probing needle and the hair must be the same to facilitate effective damage of the dermal papilla. For instance, electrolysis filaments with a diameter of 0.00002 of an inch are suitable for the removal of very fine hair while those with a size of 0.00006 of an inch are effective in treating deep and terminal hairs (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008).

Electrologists recommend the use of insulated probes during hair removal since they are more flexible and less sensitive. Such needles are of stainless steel and have a medical grade Teflon coating with less than a one-micron thickness which enables smooth insertions and can endure long treatment sessions (Herbenick, Schick, Reece, Sanders & Fortenberry, 2010). Only the tip remains uncovered thus ensuring that the electric current is dispersed precisely at the root of the hair. Insulated probes are effective in preventing tissue damage that occurs due to cutaneous reactions. Patients with a high level of sensitivity to the electrolysis treatment are advised to use insulated filaments as opposed to the one-piece needles.

There are also needles used during hair removal that have a nickel-free gold coating of 24ct. Treatment using these probes is more expensive than that of regular stainless steel needles. Patients with conditions such as sensitive skin and nickel allergies are advised to use the gold-coated probes to avoid tissue damage that may arise from using other probing filaments (Herbenick et al., 2010)

Effects of Varying Time Applications, Intensities and Probe Depths

An electrolysis treatment can be time-consuming depending on the amount of hair that should be removed. Patients with a large surface and a sizeable hair volume are offered a treatment schedule over some time to allow the skin to heal and achieve desired results. It is essential to note that undertaking an electrolysis procedure on a significant portion in a single session may not be effective due to prolonged discomfort and lack of absolute accuracy that is required for each removal. Scheduling multiple treatment sessions is a vital element in preventing the occurrence of electrolysis faults that cause tissue damage. The client is expected to contribute positively to the treatment process by consistently attending the electrolysis sessions as set out by the electrologist to achieve maximum benefit. Varying time applications of the electric current affects the effectiveness of the treatment process since the patient's skin is damaged and may take longer to achieve full recovery. Therefore, similar pulse duration should be maintained throughout the electrolysis procedure.

Successful electrolysis requires use of maximum accuracy, correct intensity and current duration. The strength of the electric current applied by an electrologist is dependent on the client's pain threshold (Ismail, 2012). It is essential to note that the practitioner should use only one pulse per single insertion. Applying a double pulse thereby discharging twice the amount of electric current when removing a single hair leads to tissue damage since the probing needle is likely to move and prick areas such as the follicle wall or the sebaceous gland (Ismail, 2012). Varying the intensity of the current may hurt the patient's recovery process and overall success of the procedure. Possible effects of changing the current magnitude include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, permanent scarring and hypopigmentation (Ismail, 2012). An electrologist should ensure that the duration and level of currency used at the beginning of the treatment is applied uniformly throughout the process without any variations to avoid damaging the tissues.

Proper insertion requires that the probing needle reaches the appropriate depth that allows damage to the dermal papilla by the electric current. Varying the probe depths during an electrolysis treatment affects the success of the procedure and poses a risk to the skin tissues. Shallow probing prevents the power from reaching the root of the hair thus causing a failed treatment. The heat from the electric current discharged in a superficial insertion burns the skin's top layer resulting in tissue damage (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008). The hair is bound to grow back since the root is not destroyed through the shallow probe. Therefore, a patient would be required to schedule additional sessions to have the removal done correctly.

Inserting the probe to a depth beyond the dermal papilla also hurts the skin and the treatment process. Deep probing results in tissue damage since the release of electric current beyond the follicle base causes burning of the dermis and epidermis layers (Wanitphakdeedecha & Alster, 2008). Also, the situation causes discomfort to the patient due to bleeding and increased pain. Damaging the epidermis through deep probing prevents the growth of new cells which in turn affects the skin. An electrologist must ensure that probing is undertaken from a right angle and accuracy should be made a priority to avoid variations in the probe depths. Additional measures such as the use of current technology should also be applied throughout the procedure to enhance the effectiveness of the electrolysis treatment.

Effects of Varying Moisture Gradients

The skin moisture acts as a conductor of the electric current used during permanent hair removal. A pa...