My complaint in a nutshell:

Note: I only found out that the electrologist I went to was a BIAE board member and the current chairperson when I raised a complaint to BIAE about my terrible experience.

Ahead of the consultation I was given no preparation information despite having booked via email a month before. I was not even advised to stop plucking/shaving!

I told the BIAE chairperson that I was new to electrolysis but despite this she did not explain what electrolysis is or how it works throughout the consultation.

During the consultation the chairperson failed to advise me of an optimum skincare routine to ensure that treatment will be effective. I had to tease out vital information from the chairperson because of her unwillingness to engage with me.

When I expressed my concerns and fears about electrolysis scarring my skin or causing hyperpigmentation, the chairperson disregarded my worries and was strongly dismissive. At no point during the consultation did she mention any side effects of electrolysis. As a direct result of her treatment I was left with seeping pinprick scabs and hyperpigmentation.

If the chairperson had been honest about the side effects and risks associated with electrolysis, I would have never agreed to treatment on my face!

A competent electrologist is forthcoming and honest, they will tell you what they are doing and why. An electrologist who cares will give you all the necessary information willingly! Including, what to do before treatment, what do to after treatment, risks of treatment, and what healing should look like.

The chairperson never told me what she was doing to my face as she was doing it. I found the experience very dehumanising.

The chairperson had no regard for my comfort during the treatment. It was so painful that I felt my skin was burning and worried that it would lead to scarring. She only asked once if I was okay and never checked again. Nor did she create an environment where I felt comfortable to ask more questions and raise concerns.

A caring and considerate electrologist will want you to be comfortable, they will want you to feel reassured and safe, this is why they will repeatedly check if you’re okay and make necessary adjustments.

I got electrolysis done on my cheek and chin. The cheek is less sensitive than the chin or upper lip. When the chairperson was working on my cheek the pain was excruciating, and when she tried working on my chin the pain was unbearable! The chairperson struggled to remove the thick and coarse hairs on my chin and preferred to work on ‘virgin hair’ on my cheek. As someone with a high pain threshold, I did not expect electrolysis to be this painful.

Electrolysis done by a competent and skilled person should not hurt this much! If it hurts this much, it’s most likely down to poor technique and/or an old electrolysis machine.

After the treatment, the chairperson did not inform me of the results. I was not told whether my skin was suitable, I was not informed of what technique or settings she used and what she would be using moving forward. I was not asked how I found the treatment, I was not given information on how electrolysis could be made more comfortable, and I was not given a tailored timescale.

The chairperson eagerly booked me in for more sessions without even asking me if I would like to continue and if I was happy with the consultation and treatment plan. It was just assumed that I would continue.