The Newtown bee., 1880-11-24
Removal of Hair from the Face.


 frequently have inquiries, chiefly from ladies, who find their beauty marred, as they think. by growth of hair on the lips or other portions of the face, for recipe or method by which they can get rid of their trouble. Caustic alkalies have been recommended; but they injure the skin and the hair soon grows again; the razor no lady likes to use. The only permanent remedy appears to be the absolute destruction of the follicle by electricity, the hairs being killed one by one. The operation is tedious. and Is thus performed by Doctor John Butler, of this city:
 The patient being seated in chair in semi-reclining position, the head well supported, and the face opposite strong light, the operator selects the hair for the first attack, takes hold of 1t in 8 pair of forceps, making it tense by gentle | traction.
 A moistened sponge electrode from the positive pole of the battery having ! previously been placed on the back of the neck, or fixed at some other con I venient adjacent spot, three-eornered needle with sharp cutting edges set in 8 suitable handle and attached to the negative pole of the battery, is made to enter the hair follicle, alongside the hair, care being taken to make the needle penetrate to the entire depth of the follicle. The action of the current soon causes few bubbles of tbe viscid froth alluded to, to be observed. As soon as this evidence of eleclrolytic de- composition manifests itself, the needle should be rotated few times, so as to cause the sharp corners of the needle to I scrape away the debris, and allow elec- 1 trical contact with fresh surface. The operation is continued until the hair be- comes quite loose. and comes away with the livery slightest traction, the whole operation lasting avery much shorter time than it takes to describe 1t. The operator then proceeds with the next hair in like manner, and so on with the whole series, as many as there are to be removed, or as long as the patient can bear it. It is by no means painful procedure (except in trichiasis), but is usually complained of as disagreeable sensation. There is g. great difference IT patients, however, in this regard; some will tolerate seance of half an hour or even more; indeed, I had one patient who stood it, or rather sat it out, un' flinchingly and uncomplainingly. fol over an hour, and would willingly have allowed the seance to be continued mucf
 longer, but that the operators eyes be . CfiulC SO CSA lU W cso AA4s Pt'SSioAS oS
 proceed. I should not omit to mention
 that I use modification of a ieweler'
 magnifying glass, which 1 had made fo
 me by a well-known firm of opticians
 It consists of a lens with tour-incl
 focus set in cork cap, for the sake 0 lightness, and made of such shape 8
 to fit the eye, and is readily held ther as single eyeglass is made to do. Evel with the lens the operation is fatigu ing to the eyes; but without it it i almost impossible to continue the seanc
 uninterruptedly for over ten or twelv minutes, and then it must necessarily b i. done in an unsatisfactory manner. a it is impossible to see how the detail , are being carried out With the lens.
 skillful operator ought to be able to de stroy about three or four hairs min 1. ute, and continue the seance half ai hour. 1t will be noticed that hay laid great stress upon the non
 removal of the hair previous to the de struction of the papilla; this is one C the principal points in the operation, fo as long as the hair remains in, we hay positive guide as to the direction of tn follicle, and when it becomes loosenee from the action of the current, it may !, taken as almost proof that the papili has been entirely electrolyzed. 1 use tn word almost" :" advisedly, as about te to twenty per cent. of the hairs acte upon return. and have to be electrolyze , the second time.