Electrolysis Unplugged

What makes a great electrologist? Is it the equipment, the modality, the years of experience, or the willingness to keep learning?

Stephanie Shields welcomes Barbara Greathouse, CPE, to Electrolysis Unplugged for a conversation that brings together professional history, mentorship, regulation, and the importance of remaining curious throughout your career.

Stephanie reflects on meeting Barbara early in her professional journey and how the encouragement of experienced electrologists helped shape her own approach to certification, leadership, and education.

The conversation explores the role of licensing and public protection, the dangers of misinformation in electrology education, and why practitioners need access to colleagues who are willing to share knowledge rather than guard it.

Barbara also discusses Electrology International, her professional networking community, and the importance of creating spaces where electrologists can ask questions, exchange ideas, and continue growing.

And perhaps the most important lesson? Experience doesn't mean having every answer. Sometimes professional growth begins with being willing to admit that you have something new to learn.

If you've ever wondered what separates simply practicing electrology from truly growing within the profession, this conversation is for you.

Electrolysis Unplugged — Where experience meets curiosity, and education never really ends.

#ElectrolysisUnplugged #BarbaraGreathouse #ElectrologyInternational #ElectrologyMentorship #ContinuingEducation

What does it really take to build an electrology school, and who decides what qualifies someone to practice?

In this episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie Shields sits down with special guest Eileen Collins, CPE, for a conversation about professional education, state oversight, and the challenges of creating meaningful standards in an industry where regulations vary dramatically.

Eileen shares her experience navigating Maryland's school approval process, from curriculum review and educational requirements to the financial risks involved in opening a licensed career school. Stephanie brings her perspective as a longtime electrologist and school owner working in Washington, where educational oversight and professional licensing are two very different conversations.

Together, they explore the responsibilities that come with educating future electrologists, why professional standards matter, and the challenges of advocating for stronger educational pathways.

Because teaching someone to remove hair is only one part of preparing them to become a professional.

The bigger question: Are we simply teaching people to perform electrolysis, or are we building an industry prepared to protect the next generation of patients and practitioners?

Join us for a conversation about education, accountability, and the future of electrology.

Electrolysis Unplugged — Real conversations. Real education. No filters required.

#ElectrolysisUnplugged #ElectrologyEducation #ElectrolysisTraining #ProfessionalStandards #ElectrologyCoalition

SEASON 3 FINALE 🎙️

Step-by-Step: How to Open Your Electrolysis Business

You learned how to treat the follicle. Now what?

For our Season 3 finale of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie and Joanie are taking the conversation beyond the treatment table and walking through what it actually takes to turn your electrology education into a working business.

Whether your future looks like a home studio, salon suite, private treatment room, medical setting, or eventually something much bigger, the first step is understanding what you’re building — and putting a plan behind it.

In this episode, we break down the process step-by-step: defining your business vision, researching state and local requirements, choosing a business name and structure, separating your finances, understanding insurance, estimating startup expenses, choosing a location, purchasing equipment, and planning for the months when your schedule isn’t full yet.

We also dig into the numbers.

Using our Electrolysis Income Projection Tool, we look at how pricing, available treatment hours, booking percentages, fixed expenses, variable costs, and growth can change what your business actually produces. Because an hourly rate isn't the same thing as an hourly income — and a full schedule doesn't automatically mean a profitable business.

Most importantly, your first practice does not have to be your forever practice.

Build something appropriate for where you are now. Understand your numbers. Protect yourself. Learn your local requirements. Give yourself room to grow.

Season 3 has been about becoming stronger, more informed electrologists. We're closing it by asking you to think about what happens when you take those skills and build something of your own.

🎧 Electrolysis Unplugged — Season 3 Finale
Step-by-Step: How to Open Your Electrolysis Business

Presented by Stephanie Shields & Joanie Gonella
Electrology Education Coalition

In this episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, we take a simple question — “How long should redness, swelling, or tingling last after treatment?” — and unpack the deeper biology behind it.

We explain why electrolysis is a controlled dermal injury, how the skin moves through the phases of wound healing, and why inflammation is not a complication — it’s part of repair. We break down what’s normal (redness peaking at 24–48 hours, mild swelling for up to 72 hours, small pustules during healing) versus what signals concern (persistent redness with textural change, escalating pain, or lack of improvement).

We also dive into androgen-dense areas like the upper lip and chin, why “stacked” inflammation can look dramatic but still be proportional, and how endocrine factors like PCOS and insulin resistance can amplify visible responses without indicating overtreatment.

The key takeaway: Inflammation isn’t the enemy. Misinterpretation is.

Clinical judgment comes from understanding biology — not reacting emotionally to what you see.

From the Archives: Superbills, Skin Reactions, Stubborn Hairs & Menopause — Real-World Dilemmas in Electrology

What happens when the questions electrologists face in practice don’t have simple answers?

In this archive episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie Shields and Joanie Gonella revisit a Mentorship Hour packed with real questions submitted by practicing electrologists. From navigating superbills and insurance-related pricing to troubleshooting post-treatment skin reactions, resistant hairs, and changing hair growth after menopause, this conversation focuses on the clinical and business decisions practitioners encounter every day.

We discuss superbill pricing and the importance of consistent billing policies, factors to evaluate when clients experience breakouts following blend treatments, how to approach stubborn hairs that refuse to release without compromising skin integrity, and how hormonal changes during and after menopause can influence new hair growth and long-term treatment expectations.

It’s a practical, case-based conversation about improving clinical judgment, communicating clearly with clients, protecting skin health, and making thoughtful decisions when there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

Want to join these conversations LIVE? Mentorship Hour gives electrologists an opportunity to bring their real-world questions, challenging cases, business concerns, and treatment dilemmas directly into the conversation.

Join the Electrology Education Coalition Membership and participate in upcoming Mentorship Hours:

Join Mentorship Hour Live through E2C Membership

What really determines an effective electrolysis treatment—the machine, the frequency, the filament…or the electrologist using them?

In this episode of Electrolysis Unplugged: An After Hours Chat, Stephanie Shields and Joanie Gonella get technical about two often-discussed pieces of electrolysis treatment: filaments and megahertz.

We break down filament sizing, taper, insulation, and materials, and discuss how those choices interact with insertion technique, follicle size, hair characteristics, and treatment goals. Then we dive into thermolysis frequencies—including 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, and 27.12 MHz—and explore how frequency, timing, and intensity work together in real-world treatment.

We also get into the practical side: Why might an electrologist choose an insulated versus non-insulated filament? What changes when you're treating a deep, coarse follicle versus a fine, shallow one? Does a higher MHz automatically mean “better” technology? And where does practitioner skill fit into all of this?

Because electrolysis isn't about finding one perfect probe, frequency, machine, or setting. It's about understanding the science well enough to make intentional treatment decisions—and knowing how to adjust when the follicle, hair, skin response, or client tells you something different.

Whether you're an experienced electrologist, a student building your technical foundation, or simply electro-curious, this episode takes you behind the treatment and into the technology that makes electrolysis work.

🎙️ Hosted by Stephanie Shields & Joanie Gonella
⚡ Electrolysis Unplugged: An After Hours Chat
🎧 Filaments & Megahertz: The Tech Behind the Treatment

For education, conversation, and advancing the science and practice of electrolysis permanent hair removal.

Healthy skin supports successful treatment outcomes. In this episode, Stephanie and Joanie are joined by a seasoned esthetician and electrologist to discuss skincare considerations for electrolysis clients. Topics include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, wound healing, controlled tissue response, skincare routines, and practical recommendations that can help practitioners support optimal client results.

Special guest Carine Angelillo joins the conversation to discuss advancements in laser technology and the evolving relationship between laser hair removal and electrolysis. The discussion explores new technologies, professional training, industry innovation, and opportunities for practitioners to integrate emerging tools and techniques into their treatment offerings while maintaining a strong foundation in permanent hair removal.

In this special international Q&A episode of Electrolysis Unplugged — An After Hours Chat, Stephanie and Joanie connect with the Australian electrology community, brought together by Kelly Dermody of Dermaskin Training, to tackle three questions that come up constantly in real-world electrolysis practice.

Why do clients continue to see hair even when they are coming in for consistent weekly treatments? Does hair growth stage still matter in thermolysis if we are targeting the bulge region? And why can something as seemingly simple as peach fuzz be one of the most technically challenging types of hair to treat?

Stephanie and Joanie break down anagen, catagen, and telogen, explaining how growth cycles influence treatment timelines and why new visible hair does not necessarily mean previously treated hair has returned. They also discuss the important distinction between clearance and completion, why the 8–12 week mark is better used as a reassessment point rather than a promise, and how electrologists can communicate realistic expectations before clients become discouraged.

Then we go deeper into follicle anatomy and thermolysis. The conversation explores the bulge, matrix, bulb, and dermal papilla, why the bulge is an important regenerative target but not the entire story, and why hair stage can still influence how predictable a treatment may be. Anagen is generally the more favorable target, but telogen hairs are not necessarily “untreatable”—accurate insertion, energy delivery, follicle anatomy, moisture, probe size, and tissue response all play a role.

Finally, we get practical with peach fuzz and fine hair. Stephanie and Joanie discuss lighting and magnification, indirect lighting and shadowing, shallow insertion angles, depth control, choosing a probe that actually fits the follicle, controlled skin stretch, treatment energy, and why precision should always come before speed. Fine hair may look easy—but its small margin for error can make it surprisingly advanced work.

This episode brings together hair biology, treatment technique, client communication, and treatment planning with one central reminder: electrolysis is not one-size-fits-all. Understanding what is happening inside the follicle is just as important as knowing how to operate the epilator.

In this episode:

• Hair growth cycles and realistic electrolysis timelines
• Why new hair doesn’t automatically mean regrowth
• Clearance vs. completion
• Using 8–12 weeks as a reassessment point
• Anagen vs. telogen treatment considerations
• The bulge and its role in follicle regeneration
• Thermolysis treatment targets
• Fine hair and peach fuzz treatment challenges
• Lighting, magnification, insertion angle, and depth
• Probe selection and energy delivery
• Skin protection and avoiding overtreatment
• Communicating progress and expectations with clients

A special thank-you to Kelly Dermody of Dermaskin Training and the Australian electrology group for bringing thoughtful questions to the conversation and helping make this an international After Hours Chat.

This drop glitched last Sunday so we are dropping today! Running a successful electrology practice requires more than technical skill. Stephanie and Joanie discuss no-show policies, cancellations, hidden business expenses, difficult client situations, burnout prevention, and strategies for maintaining professional boundaries. This episode offers practical guidance for protecting your time, energy, and business while creating a sustainable long-term career.