Should electrolysis stop being taught in an NVQ?

[gillian w]

I say yes.My daughter dreads it(doing it and having it) i dread her having to have it because i know what damage can be done and the students dont have enough practice yet they still end up qualified,which is a bit scary for the public.Also the equipment they use isn't always up to date and the tutors are also not necessarily experienced enough and probably hate teaching it.

To my mind it is a very specialised treatment ranking alongside laser.In the wrong hands a lot of damage can be done or at the very least it can be totally ineffective.I think it should be scrapped being taught generally at college amongst everything else and needs to be taught as a separate course on its own.

 

[Martin Duffy]

There are many beauty treatments that can cause damage when improperly carried out, but I feel the answer isn't for the colleges to stop teaching them but rather to improve the standards. The issue of lack of practice, teachers not teaching it properly & so forth are not reasons for it to be removed from the course, surely they are instead reasons for some colleges to overhaul their courses & teaching standards?

I do believe electrolysis isn't part of NVQ level 2 but 3, which is a specialist course anyway if I'm correct? This is purely supposition because I went the HND route - NVQ's, or GNVQ's as they were then, weren't very popular when I was training, being popularly known at the time as "Generally Not Very Qualified"!

 

[pure]

When I did my level 3 (last year) I chose not to do electrolysis, but of those who did, they all dreaded those classes. The tutors would encourage them to continue with it because "it's cheaper than learning it with Sterex!)

 

[zoealana]

they have stopped it being an option at my college this year i just found out
dont know why tho

 

[gillian w]

There are many beauty treatments that can cause damage when improperly carried out, but I feel the answer isn't for the colleges to stop teaching them but rather to improve the standards. The issue of lack of practice, teachers not teaching it properly & so forth are not reasons for it to be removed from the course, surely they are instead reasons for some colleges to overhaul their courses & teaching standards?

I do believe electrolysis isn't part of NVQ level 2 but 3, which is a specialist course anyway if I'm correct? This is purely supposition because I went the HND route - NVQ's, or GNVQ's as they were then, weren't very popular when I was training, being popularly known at the time as "Generally Not Very Qualified"!

Thing is with electrolysis though Martin is it can scar literally in one treatment and while we are waiting for standards to be raised students are scarring each other and then being passed and going on to scar the public.
A full time course now is classified as anything over 18 hours a week my daughter is at college only 3 days most of which is theory,she also has to do key skills maths (a government initiative)because she only managed a D gcse at school so she has to do it (with absolutely no interest at all)
I know i probably keep on about the old days but i did electrolysis for at least an hour monday to friday everyday for 2 whole years when i was at college and we started off on our own legs,and then others legs no current until we had our insertions right then we went on to arms ,thighs then current ... we were not allowed to do faces for a long while by that time we were confident and competent.

 

[LADY STARDUST]

they have stopped it being an option at my college this year i just found out
dont know why tho

They dont do it at my college as a statutory subject anymore - they give the students the option of covering it or doing indian head massage instead. last year they only had 3 girls doing electrolysis and are now thinking of taking it off the course entirely and offering it as a single specialised course instead...

 

[tog]

I say yes.My daughter dreads it(doing it and having it) i dread her having to have it because i know what damage can be done and the students dont have enough practice yet they still end up qualified,which is a bit scary for the public.Also the equipment they use isn't always up to date and the tutors are also not necessarily experienced enough and probably hate teaching it.

To my mind it is a very specialised treatment ranking alongside laser.In the wrong hands a lot of damage can be done or at the very least it can be totally ineffective.I think it should be scrapped being taught generally at college amongst everything else and needs to be taught as a separate course on its own.

Hello Gillian
this is a very interesting thread, dear to my own heart as I qualified in electrolysis in 1985 (city and guilds) and I have carried out treatments ever since then. I find electrolysis a very satisfying treatment to do and clients are generally delighted with the results, and I am happy to have had many client recommendations.
We were taught by an extremely competent teacher who had her own home electrolysis practice at the time and was passionate about the subject. We had 3 hours per week tuition over 2 years, and had to attend for a set number of hours over the whole course, so I felt very confident by the end of my training.
I don't believe the NVQ level 3 course is long enough for a start. To build confidence you need practice, practice, practice, and there isn't enough time for that. I have work experience girls at my salon and I do all I can to encourage them if they are doing the Level 3 electrolysis unit, but usually they are just like your daughter, very nervous of the treatment. I get the girls to practice on myself, usually legs, for upto half an hour at a time as I think you need time to calm down and get into a 'rhythm' as you work when you are a beginner.
I wouldn't like to comment on the standard of electrolysis teachers. . . personally I would love to teach this subject, and I would like to hope that any teacher of electrolysis would not take it on unless she felt totally confident about carrying it out herself.
From your profile I see that you are qualified in electrolysis yourself - would you not have time to help your daughter, or be her model? That might give her the confidence to enjoy carrying out electrolysis rather than being afraid of it. Just a thought.

 

[pazzy]

I qualified in electrolysis in 92 and we did a practical and theory exam in both years of the 2 year course.
The theory we had to know about the endocrine system was huge and I studied good and hard for that exam paper. I never missed a question out and felt sure I had achieved a credit at the very least - I got a pass

But the rest of the group didn't pass the paper at all so I felt proper smug.

I am still very confident in it - but don't do it now cos I am mobile and hate doing electrolysis mobile. But it is specialist subject - and takes alot of practice. So I would see it as niche market in the future - where the therapsit will need to be sought out.

I do love it though.

 

[bombini]

I must of been very lucky as my lecturer at college specialised in electrolysis and she was very passionate about it. I loved doing it and am considering offering it again after ive had the baby as I would probably say it is one of my fave treatments to do.

I don't think it should be taken away from colleges and I believe it is an optional element of the nvq 3 ? Although we had to do it at our college as they didn't offer the other options !!

I agree that some lecturers probably don't like it but have to teach it, as I said mine adored the treatment and out of college all she did was electrolysis treatments but she also taught enhancements and was bloody awful, didn't have a clue about them which is probably why we all ended up wrecking each others nails !!

Its a shame they can't have a specialist for each treatment taught.

 

[ukfaye]

Hi when I went to college about 16 yrs ago we did it as part of the city and guilds beauty course, the first lesson we had was electrolisis the tutour told us to use a seperate needle on each customer etc.. Then prceded to use the same needle to demonstrate on all of us. She got the sack and we all had to be tested!! Suffice to say i failed electrolisis!lol

 

[Lucy-s]

Hi, Im currently studying nvq level 2 and plan to do nvq level 3 massage next year and nvq electricals the year after which includes electrolysis.
My main concern is as you say, practising with students who could very easily scar you. However, we are lucky in that the tutor specialises in electrolysis and is her strong point.

Theory-wise, they make everyone do the massage route first so you get all the a&p knowledge for the bones, muscles, skin etc as theres even more to electrolysis. The current class that is doing it has around 7-8 students (just enough to continue running the course).

I personally think that, as someone else said, the standards within colleges should be improved, have much smaller classes so that the tutor can concentrate on and help the students more as they go. Theres nothing worse than having a class of 20 and practically being left to your own devices, Im sure this would definitely result in scarring if it happened in an electrolysis class. Also, I think the assessments should be much more rigorous so that if the students aren't carrying out the treatment to the right standards, then they do not pass. Colleges depend on students passing to be able to continue the courses, maybe this will encourage a better standard of teaching?

 

[Martin Duffy]

I was likewise lucky that my tutor specialised in electrolysis, and we did half a day a week of electrolysis for 2 years (well 3 if you count the National Diploma I abandoned through boredom before going onto the HND).

I shan't go into what I think of the standards of some of the work experience girls I've had in the last few years who couldn't paint nails (in fact hadn't even been shown how to paint nails), didn't know how to perform an eyelash tint test & teachers who have come straight out of college into teaching without getting adequate salon experience - how can you teach a job you've never done?!!! I think part of the problem is they are trying to fit too many other things into beauty courses, such as sports massage & 'spa treatments', without getting the basic cornerstones right, namely waxing, eyebrow shapes, nail painting etc.

In fact, I am planning on writing a letter to the local college to discuss some issues I have with the standards of the work experience girls I keep getting sent and my worries about them being let loose on the public.

 

[number1kitty]

It was an option in my college back in 1996 so never did it. Did a few classes back in 2002 but family circumstances meant I couldnt complete it.

I regret this, electrolysis is still popular and whilst you may not want to offer such an invasive treatment it does give more understanding to how hair grows and hair follicles etc.

I know there are more non invasive and quicker treatments available but I think electrolysis will still be popular in the next few years. Salons may not take your daughter on if she is not trained in this area. A lot of places want therapists to do everything (even if that salon dosnt offer that treatment!).

And the way the country is at the minute I would prefer to have more quslifications than a fellow therapist during a job interview!

I am sure your daughter can opt out of having them practice on her face if she raises her concerns. xx

 

[Martin Duffy]

It was an option in my college back in 1996 so never did it. Did a few classes back in 2002 but family circumstances meant I couldnt complete it.

Oddly enough at the time of my course I tried everything to opt out of electrolysis in my HND, but it didn't work, and in retrospect I'm glad of it! I agree it's worth having as many strings to your bow as possible, especially when employed jobs are getting thin on the ground.

Likewise I reckon there will always be a place for electrolysis, I know many clients who have had IPL for legs etc but wouldn't pay out for it on lips, chins etc. Also, I seem to get a lot of people who have had IPL that has been successful in the main, but left a few hairs, which they then have treated with electrolysis. There's also the large number of clients who have light hairs on light skin, which is often very unresponsive to anything but electrolysis.

 

[Bombalurina]

I don't agree that it should be removed from the NVQ3, however, I also hated it at the time and tried all I could to avoid doing it!!! I don't do a lot now (A little bit when needed), and though I understand the theory I find the practical very difficult. Not the actual insertion of the probe, but which dial to turn up when, and what to start on for which hair type....having said that, I've never scarred anyone and my treatments are effective...but I lack the confidence.

Therefore, I agree with others, who have said that the standards of teaching need to be raised, and teachers must be confident in performing the treatment. Also, there were 20 girls in my class, with one tutor...I feel there needs to be a strict limit on the ratio of students to tutors, as we did miss out on advice at the time. We spent a 2 hour lesson once a week, and like most of you here, probed ourselves first, then other's legs without current, and only went on to current when we were confident with probing. However, I do feel that probing with current was so built up, to be such a big, scary, dangerous thing that we were all petrified of having it done! Therefore, none of us were very willing to be guniea pigs, so we lacked the practice we really needed. Obviously we needed to be aware of the dangers, but not to such a degree that we were put off it for life!!

 

[pazzy]

I used to do IPL and had a lady who had alot of hair - it 50/50 salt and pepper - so treated the dark very sucessfully with IPL and the rest with a monthly session of electrolysis -

it was a superb success -

but it would not have been without electrolysis.

Those white hairs were hard and very strong.

And if you have 10-30 dark hairs on the chin - who wants to fork out £60 - £70 on IPL when electrolysis could take them about for around £15- £20 - (albeit - slightly more uncomfortable)

I think IPL is better on an upper lip - electrolysis is soooo painful there.

 

[kylieb]

God i really wish we didnt have to do this.Is not really for beauty therapists is it, sticking needles in people! Tbh i dont know why the hell anyone would want to get it done, apart from the transgendered client of course.
My lesson for this subject goes into commercial salon this week and tbh i could not tell you one thing about what needle size, type or type of current i need to use as i havent been taught properly. I have a newly trained tutor that doesnt have the foggiest. We spend all lesson getting our answers out of text books, ok if you can learn like that!!
So i guess my answer to this questin is yes, beauty therapists should be allowed to do this but with a very skilled teacher that can teach properly! and i think it should be optional xxx

 

[Martin Duffy]

God i really wish we didnt have to do this.Is not really for beauty therapists is it, sticking needles in people! Tbh i dont know why the hell anyone would want to get it done, apart from the transgendered client of course.

For the same reason some have their lips & chins waxed perhaps? Aside from transgendered clients I've also treated people who have had to have skin grafts on their face after fires & accidents, which has caused hair growth on their face. Understandably these people also wish to have the hair removed.

Again the issue here isn't that electrolysis is inappropriate for beauty therapists to learn, it's the increasingly sloppy training standards of many colleges who seem more interested in bums on seats & the ensuing money than the standard of therapist going into the industry.

 

[pazzy]

Again the issue here isn't that electrolysis is inappropriate for beauty therapists to learn, it's the increasingly sloppy training standards of many colleges who seem more interested in bums on seats & the ensuing money than the standard of therapist going into the industry.

But isn't that how beauty as a whole is being taught?
shame really.
x

 

[Martin Duffy]

But isn't that how beauty as a whole is being taught?
shame really.
x

Don't get me started on that!! I have friends who have decided to retrain as therapists in later life & they've been apalled by the standards of training & lack of knowledge of the tutors (especially those that seem to have passed the college course & gone almost straight into teaching with little salon experience). I know this isn't necessarily across the board, but a large number of colleges seem to be getting very slipshod.