Electrolysis probes are the hair sized pieces of metal that electrologists insert into follicles to destroy the hair. Sometimes, the word “needle” is used, but it is inaccurate, as the probes do not have a sharpened tip, but a duller tip to reduce the likelihood of penetrating the walls of the follicle, which would cause a poor treatment. Also, probes are not like the needles you would find on a syringe, as they are solid and not hollow.
Depending on the manufacturer of the probe, some are machined out of a single solid piece of steel (and then coated with an insulating material if they will become an insulated probe), while others have a separate shaft which is inserted into a shank (which is designed to fit the probe holder of the machine) and then crimped into place. One piece probes are stiffer, while two piece probes are more flexible and require a higher level of skill to insert properly.
There are three primary types of probes available for electrolysis – stainless steel, gold and insulated. Stainless steel probes are good for general purpose use, gold probes help increase conductivity while minimizing allergic reaction, and insulated probes help protect the skin from excessive heat during thermolysis, which is most important when doing work on young people or for removing shallow, vellus hair.
The size of the probe should match the size of the hair to be treated, erring on the side of using a slightly larger probe rather than a smaller one. The larger the probe, the less resistance there will be during treatment, allowing the electrologist to use a lesser amount of power (which helps protect the skin) while still destroying the follicle. The difficulty with using a larger probe, is that they can be harder to insert since the size of the hair directly corresponds to the size of the follicle and forcing a larger probe into the follicle requires significantly more stretching.
Ultimately, it is up to the electrologist to select the probe that they feel the most comfortable with using for your treatment. Some electrologists use only one type of probe from one particular manufacturer with a limited selection of sizes. Since we understand that every job is different, at Emancipated Electrolysis, LLC, we carry a variety of brands, materials and a wide range of sizes, often exceeding the typical stock of many electrologists, to ensure that we can select the probe most appropriate for your personal needs.
For more information about permanent hair removal or to book an appointment, contact us at hairinfo@EmancipatedElectrolysis.com or call us at 585-270-5230 and finally be freed from unwanted hair.