FAQs

Electrolysis is the only FDA-approved method of permanent hair removal! Electrolysis permanently destroys hairs by gently delivering a small amount of heat to the base of the hair follicle through a very fine, flexible probe.

Electrolysis is the only proven way to permanently remove hair (laser cannot legally advertise as permanent hair removal) and there is no other hair removal system that can claim to be as effective. It has been used safely for about 135 years. Like any cosmetic or medical treatment, side effects are not impossible, but are extremely rare. Nios always uses high-grade sterilized disposable probes and follows the most recent infection control recommendations of the American Electrology Association (AEA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Nios uses hospital-grade sanitation and sterilization procedures, including disposable probes and ultrasonic and dry heat sterilization.

Electrolysis permanently destroys hairs by gently delivering a small amount of heat to the base of the hair follicle through a very fine, flexible probe. This is done through the natural opening of the hair follicle, destroying the hair growth-tissue and permanently eliminating the hair.

Electrolysis produces a small pricking sensation, which some clients describe as being equal to or slightly above the feeling of a hair being plucked. This sensation is your guarantee that the hair base is actually being destroyed. With advancing technology, electrolysis is more comfortable and effective than ever and the treatments are well tolerated by most people. If you’re nervous about how it feels, we suggest doing a patch test during your free consultation, so you can get a better idea of how treatment feels for you and how your skin may respond to it before you dive into treatment on your next visit. And we have some tricks up our sleeve: we can use ice to help numb the area, have a numbing spray available for purchase ($20, contains 4% lidocaine) or you can bring your own (can be purchased OTC at most pharmacies or prescribed by your physician; EMLA is a popular brand).

Electrolysis works by the amount of hair, not size of treatment area. Since people have different hair densities, it is impossible to give an accurate estimate here or on the phone; we can, however, approximate the treatment time when we see you in person, but keep in mind these are estimates and we cannot tell you the exact number of minutes.

That said, here is some background to give you a sense. Small areas such as eyebrows, lip, and chin may range from 5-30 minutes, and average 15 minutes. If you have a lot of hair or are just starting out, you may need several 30 minute treatments to initially clear the area. That may then transition to 15 minute sessions, and toward the end of your permanent hair removal journey, may require as little as 5 minutes. Alternatively, if you only have a few sparse hairs, you may only need 5 minutes to begin with. Medium areas such as underarms may require an hour and even larger ones such as bikini or Brazilian may require more than one hour per treatment. But again, it varies dramatically and the best way to know is to let us have a look.

The number of treatments and time to achieve permanent results varies with each client and depends on the length or the hair growth cycle, the amount of hair, genetics, hormonal effects, and some medications. Since everybody is different, it’s impossible to say exactly how long any one person will need to achieve permanent results. During your free consultation you’ll discuss your hair removal history and goals with your electrologist who will be able to give you a better idea of what you can expect moving forward. That said, in general, most people get treated between 1 to 1.5 years (sparing the details here, it has to do with hair cycles and hairs lying dormant beneath your skin for long periods – we need to wait for them to “wake up” in order to treat them). However, if you have some random hair growing on your face, for example, you may get away with only 2-3 sessions that last for the rest of your life. And on the flip side, if you have persistent hormonal or age-related growth, you may need 1-2 touch-up treatments a year even after the initial 1.5 year mark.

To reduce the time to permanent results, follow the two golden rules: maintain the treatment schedule, never go more than 6 weeks in between sessions (even if you travel), and don’t pluck, wax or thread between sessions.

Laser destroys hair follicles using heat, but the heat must reach the base of the hair follicle, which lies beneath the skin. Yet the heat produced by laser hits the whole surface of your skin (which is the reason you have increased chances of side effects such as burning). When the heat reaching the follicle is sufficient, it can delay the growth of or destroy the follicle. But not enough heat always reaches the follicle, which is why the FDA only allows laser to market as hair reduction, not laser hair removal.

Laser works best on people with light skin and dark hair because the laser travels through melanin, the pigment that causes hair and skin to look dark. If the hair is light or skin is dark, laser can’t distinguish between melanin in the hair and in the skin, and some of the laser gets absorbed in the skin instead of hair, decreasing the efficacy and sometimes causing damage to the skin. For very light hair such as white, grey, blond, and red, laser barely works at all.

Electrolysis, on the other hand, doesn’t rely on lasers or melanin to work, and therefore works equally well for all skin and hair colors, even when you are tan. It is also very precise and can be used to shape eyebrows and other facial hair - in addition to treating all other areas of the body.

After treatment, the treated follicles may be slightly red. This usually goes away after about 3 days, though for some may require 1-2 weeks. It is advisable to avoid the sun for 1-2 days post treatment or to use a heavy (SPF 50+ sunscreen). The treated area should also be kept clean and dry. Cleanse with a mild cleanser and avoid touching the area, as the skin is porous and dirt and bacteria from your fingers can easily travel into the skin; We recommend avoiding makeup for at least 24 hours after treatment for the same reason. Also, avoid anything that can irritate the area (such as scrubbing, exfoliation, bleaching, etc.) until the area return to normal.

Electrolysis was invented in the 1800s by Dr. Charles E. Michel, an ophthalmologist, as a method of removing ingrown eyelash hairs. To this day, it remains the most effective way to permanently remove hair and the only method allowed to legally advertise permanent hair removal.

Nios electrologists are at the top of their game and have an average of close to 15 years’ experience each. All Nios electrologists are either CPE (Certified Professional Electrologist)-certified or working towards their CPE and undergo continuous training both in-house and with the American Electrology Association (AEA).

All new clients receive a free consultation, during which time your electrologist will explain how the process works, discuss your treatment plan, and address any questions or concerns you may have about the process. If you’re already very familiar with electrolysis and would like to skip the explanation portion of the consultation, we’ll be happy to schedule you for an abbreviated consult so that you can get treatment underway after a very brief discussion with your electrologist.

Our electrologists are the best in the business (seriously!), and we encourage you to try working with more than one of them to discover who is the best fit for you. Electrolysis is both an art and a science, and you will likely discover there are 1-2 electrologists you click with, or maybe you’ll find that you like working with them all, giving you maximum flexibility when it comes to scheduling appointments.

Most of our electrologists treat all body areas, including Brazilian bikini area or buttocks, but some do not. Clients treating these areas should request to book with these technicians.

To cancel or reschedule an appointment free-of-charge, kindly let us know a minimum of 24 hours before your appointment. Appointments cancelled with less than 24-hours notice are subject to charge.

If you purchase a 10-session package of uniform-length treatments (for example, ten 30-minute treatments), you get a 10% discount overall. Please note that package sessions cannot be split into multiple sessions. Our packages are risk-free, so if you do not end up using all of your sessions we will refund you for unused sessions at the pre-discounted rate.

We use hospital-grade sanitation procedures, including disposable needles and ultrasound and dry heat sterilization.

At this time, our office at 315 W 57th St. in Manhattan is our only location.

How quickly you reach permanent results depends making sure you don’t take long breaks between each appointment (and never more than 6 weeks, even when traveling), not tweezing or waxing (ever), and some hormonal changes and medication. Because many of these are under your control and out of our supervision, we cannot offer guarantees. There are indeed cases where you can get more hair after electrolysis is complete – electrolysis can only treat hairs that exist and most people get additional hair growth as they age, for example (such as on the ears and lips) due to normal aging process, hormonal imbalance, or medications. That said, keep in mind that electrolysis has persisted for over 135 years even as newer technologies came along for a very good reason – it works.

Electrolysis is suitable for anyone with unwanted hair, whether the goal is simply to reduce the time needed to shave and shape hair or to get rid of hairs resulting from an underlying medical condition.

Electrolysis combines technology with human precision and is equally effective on all hair and skin colors. Unlike laser hair removal, which depends on a color contrast between skin and hair, electrolysis is effective on dark skin/dark hair and light skin/light hair combos, as well as everything in between.

Yes. Electrolysis (as opposed to laser) does not rely on the color of your hair and skin to work and therefore works equally well when you are tan. However, you should not treat sunburned skin and we therefore recommend avoiding harsh sun immediately prior to treatment or thoroughly wearing a heavy sunscreen on the treated area.

All body areas can be treated with electrolysis except those on mucous membranes. The main areas that gets excluded is inside the nose. Electrolysis can treat the ears but not deep inside the ear canal.

Increased hair growth is one of the most common side effects of the hormonal fluctuations that occur naturally at various stages of development and as a result of hormone treatments. Regardless of the reason for these hormonal fluctuations, electrolysis is a successful way to permanently remove the resultant hair growth. Keep in mind that hormonal imbalances, natural hormonal changes such as those that come with age, and some medications may cause additional hair growth and we recommend consulting your doctor to address these.

Electrolysis is safe for all skin types, but clients with sensitive skin may be more prone to post-treatment irritation. As with all skin treatments, reactions such as hyper or hypo-pigmentation or keloids are possible, though rare. Even if they occur, hyper and hypo-pigmentation nearly always eventually go away after several months. If you’re concerned about how your skin will react, we suggest opting for a consultation with a free patch test, so you can get a better idea of how your skin will react before you start treating a larger area.

Absolutely! Many clients come to us to supplement previous laser treatments, as electrolysis can be a great way to tackle any hairs that were not sufficiently treated by laser.

Electrolysis should not be performed on skin that is irritated or inflamed. We suggest waiting at least 3 days after a facial and ten days after a peel – or more time if skin is not back to normal yet.

Though we have not had reports of treatment issues while using retinoids, they may irritate the skin, so we suggest discontinuing retinoid use a week before electrolysis treatment.

We do not treat children under 10 years of age. Clients younger than 18 need a legal guardian to accompany them just for the first treatment and to sign an informed consent. After that, the minor may come on their own.

Yes, but people with diabetes may heal slower than others. We ask that clients with diabetes please bring a note from their physician confirming their recommendation for electrolysis before beginning treatment at Nios.

We can accept some insurances for medical treatments only – that usually means clients who are in transition and are preparing for gender assignment surgery.

The process of permanent hair removal is particularly vital for clients in transition. Of course, everyone is different, but treatment areas often depend on the stage of transition a client is in. Many male-to-female clients begin by focusing on facial hair, due to its necessarily visible nature and the key role it tends to play in one’s gender identity.

Permanent hair removal is also a key prerequisite to gender reassignment surgery. Our specialists have a great deal of experience working with pre-op clients to meet the requirements necessary to move forward with their milestone surgery. Their expertise extends beyond the technical aspects of permanent hair removal to a familiarity with the emotional side of the process as well, and they have a keen understanding and sensitivity to the challenges particular to those in transition. Areas typically treated prior to surgery include the genitals, and grafting area if it is being used.

It does. However, we recommend you be under a physician’s care since if hormones are imbalanced, more hair growth may occur.

Yes! Electrolysis can treat ingrown hairs that result from previous shaving, waxing and plucking – and the best part is that once your hair is permanently removed, you’ll no longer have to deal with those pesky bumps.

We do not remove skin tags or moles, however hair on moles can be safely treated with electrolysis. But moles should first be examined by a dermatologist and we request that clients bring a note from their doctor to confirm that this can been done.

Yes. Hormonal changes may increase hair growth during pregnancy. Some of this hair may disappear after birth. Electrolysis can help restore the hair-free, smooth look. though treatment of the breasts should be avoided in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Although there have been no reports of side effects from performing electrolysis during pregnancy, we ask that clients bring a note from their physician prior to undergoing electrolysis treatment.