Cosmetic and Medical Electrolysis and Temporary Hair Removal

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A Practice Manual and Reference Guide

by

R.N. Richards M.D.
G.E. Meharg R.N.

The American Electrology Association is presenting selections from the "Skin and Hair Follicle Anatomy and Growth" chapter from the textbook, COSMETIC AND MEDICAL ELECTROLYSIS AND TEMPORARY HAIR REMOVAL.

We want to take this opportunity to thank the authors, R.N. Richards, MD, and G.E. Meharg, RN, for their generosity in giving us permission to present selections from their textbook.

SKIN AND HAIR FOLLICLE ANATOMY AND GROWTH Much of the anatomical knowledge necessary for the performance of electrolysis is known to you. Further details are easily acquired from our diagrams and text. (For those who will be purchasing the book, more extensive descriptions are available in the reference guide - R21).

A PLUCKED HAIR - THE HAIR SHAFT BULB

The word "bulb" refers to the expansion or enlargement of the end of anything that is long and circulate or round, (e.g. a flower bulb or light bulb). When a hair is plucked from the hair follicle, the bottom end of the hair shaft demonstrates an enlargement or expansion known as the hair shaft bulb. Many writers use the term "hair bulb" without specifying whether they are describing the hair follicle bulb or the hair shaft bulb. In day to day electrolysis, unless otherwise specified, "bulb" virtually always refers to the hair shaft bulb. For clarity, we do not use the word bulb in this text without the preceding appropriate adjective.

Further confusion is created by the imprecise use of the term "hair root". When you epilate a hair, get in the habit of referring to the bottom end of the hair as the hair shaft bulb, rather than as the hair root.

Fig. 7 Hair Shaft Bulbs

• TELOGEN (RESTING) HAIR SHAFT BULBS AND CLUB HAIRS
  Telogen (resting) hair shaft bulbs are observed in telogen hairs. These resting hairs may be easily found by running your fingers through your scalp, as everyone loses about 50 to 150 resting hairs per day. The bulb end is swollen and looks like a cotton applicator tip. It is called a club hair, because early writers that that telogen resting hair shaft bulbs looked like a club. The telogen hair shaft bulb is white. The telogen hair shaft bulb (club hair bulb) consists of shrunken hair matrix cells that have stopped growing.
• ANAGEN (GROWING) HAIR SHAFT BULBS
  Anagen hairs are growing, so to observe the hair shaft bulb you must forcibly pluck hair from the scalp (or other area). The hair shaft bulb is usually pigmented (black or dark) and the adjacent hair shaft may have a white coating composed of the root sheaths. Sometimes the sheaths are completely intact, whereas in other instances they may be patchy, and some of the hair shaft may be seen between the fragments of root sheaths. The anagen hair bulb consists of hair matrix cells and varying degrees of root sheaths.
• OTHER HAIR SHAFT BULBS
  A dystrophic or damaged hair shaft bulb is an anagen bulb that has been distorted by previous plucking or other damage. The sheaths may be absent and therefore the normal architecture is distorted. A variety of hair diseases, such as alopecia areata or treatments such as chemotherapy for cancer produce hair shaft bulbs which lack sheaths and normal anatomy. Their appearance is often tapered or frayed.

Catagen is the brief stage between growth (anagen) and rest (telogen), and about one to two percent of hairs demonstrate a catagen hair shaft bulb. Its appearance is intermediate between the anagen and telogen hair shaft bulb.

The hair root may be broken off during the plucking stage, and you may not always identify the hair shaft bulb.

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COSMETIC AND MEDICAL ELECTROLYSIS AND TEMPORARY HAIR REMOVAL
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Website www.medricltd.com

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BIO's:

Dr. Richards, a dermatologist, has a special interest in professional regulation and licensing. For eight years, he sat on the council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (the governing and licensing agency for physicians in Ontario) and was chairman of registration (licensing) for three of those years. He also served three years on the discipline committee and is a member of the task force on licensure, which determines educational prerequisites for physician licensure in Ontario. He is a lecturer in medicine (dermatology) at the University of Toronto, a member of the consulting staff at North York General Hospital and the courtesy staff at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (dermatology) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology. He has authored over 30 scientific papers and a textbook on venereal diseases.

Mrs. Meharg graduated in nursing from the Toronto General Hospital, and has had a broad nursing experience, including intensive care, general duty and office nursing. In addition to teaching, performing, researching and supervising electrolysis, she has visited electrolysis facilities throughout North America, attended electrolysis convention, and consulted with electrolysis manufacturers and school directors.

You may obtain information about the Meharg International School of Electrolysis by:
Phone (416) 750-9001
E-mail info@mehargelectrolysis.com
Website www.mehargelectrolysis.com

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Permission to reprint electronically or mechanically must be granted in writing.