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| CHOOSING AN ELECTROLOGIST |
TOPICS |
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In-Office
Interviews
At this
point, you have conducted the necessary phone interviews and are ready
to meet with your prospective electrologists. The in-office
interview allows you to meet the electrologist.
It is
likely that some electrologists that you have contacted have offered a
free consultation or several minutes of no-cost treatment. While a
no-cost consultation may be an an incentive, we suggest that you do not
eliminate any prospective electrologist simply because a cost is
involved with the consultation. A comprehensive payment based
consultation is far more preferable than a brief, no-cost meeting that
provides little factual information.
The
initial meeting should be consultative in nature, providing a setting
for the electrologist to:
- Assess
your unwanted hair/beard growth and the general condition of your skin
in the affected (treatment) area.
- Understand
your particular needs, and discuss treatment goals.
- Discuss
her/his electrolysis method(s) and provide a treatment plan (extent of
treatment required, weekly hours of treatment, etc.).
- Discuss
her methods for controlling/alleviating after-effects, such as swelling,
infection, etc.
- Discuss
her methods of pain control. Solutions that involve weak
over-the-counter analgesics or the electrologist's assertion of a better
technique do not sufficiently address this very important issue. Given
sufficient treatment energy to destroy normal beard hair, a sizable
percentage of the transgender population suffers from moderate to
severe pain.
And from
the patient's perspective, the consultation should provide an
opportunity to:
- Assess
the electrologist's facility for modern and ample equipment to deliver
the degree of treatment normally associated with extensive electrolysis
encounters. This equipment may include a computer controlled
electrolysis epilator (as compared to a manual unit), a hydraulically
controlled treatment chair (as compared to a flat bed table), and
focused beam treatment lighting (as compared to a ring light).
- Assess
the practice habits of the electrologist. Form your own opinion
concerning the cleanliness and order of the electrolysis treatment area.
- Determine
if the electrologist appears comfortable in describing her treatment
techniques and her proposed treatment plan. Use our guide book as a
reference.
- Look
for a display of licenses, diplomas, certifications, and continuing
education citations. These documents represent a considerable
investment in time and study by the electrologist; a qualified
practitioner will typically be happy for a client to spend time
examining these diplomas and certifications. Please note that
membership plaques or testimonial letters without the presence of these
other important documents does not properly address an electrologist's
training or qualifications. Refer to Training and
Licensing Issues for details.
- Determine
if your electrologist has a treatment approach that will benefit the
transgender patient: An electrologist who suggests treating bodily hair
in the early phases of a client's hormonal transition may not be
transgender knowledgeable. Typically bodily hair responds very well
to hormonal therapy and a large percentage of these areas may not
require any electrolysis whatsoever.
- Focus
your attention on what matters most: While it is beneficial to feel at
ease with your electrologist and her setting, give these secondary
issues the least weight in your final decision in choosing a provider.
As the
previous points outline, the consultation process, ideally, is similar
to a wide range of medical and paraprofessional health care providers.
Some
electrologists, instead of providing an informative consultation, tend
to favor a more mercantile approach, offering a no-cost sample
treatment. However, it is not recommended that you engage in a "try
before you buy" method, as little can be learned or offered from a
brief sample treatment; when the first treatment encounter occurs, you
will want the benefit of choosing the appropriate provider that is
prepared to deliver full treatment, including proper history taking,
aftercare, and any other necessary support. |
