Seal Beach Aesthetics & Electrolysis

Seal Beach Aesthetics & Electrolysis operates from a suite inside Phenix Salon Suites on Seal Beach Boulevard. According to the salon, electrolysis is the one genuine permanent hair removal method, and the only permanent treatment the FDA acknowledges. The salon's site traces the first permanent hair removal using this technique to 1875.

Every visit begins with a personal, confidential consultation, after which the electrologist designs a plan around the client's needs. Each hair is treated individually: a very fine needle is placed in the follicle opening and a small current is applied to destroy the cells that grow the hair. The electrologist selects galvanic, shortwave thermolysis or blend current. Sessions run from about 15 minutes to more than an hour depending on the area. The number of visits varies, and the site notes that deep, coarse hairs may need more, and that regular appointments tend to reach permanence sooner than occasional ones. Treatments are described as sting-like, with slight redness afterward that differs from person to person.

The facials run 75 to 90 minutes and are priced at $100 each. The AHA Fruit and Hungarian Paprika Treatment is described for acne, clogged, dry, dehydrated, blemished or oil-deficient skin and includes cleansing, extractions, a masque, solar defense and moisturizer. The Bright Skin Treatment for Hyperpigmentation uses a blueberry detox firming peel with steam, extractions and massage, and is described as working on age spots and pigmentation. The Passionfruit Treatment with Kollaren Firming Peptide is described as firming and exfoliating, and the Pumpkin Brightening Facial uses a 15% pumpkin enzyme with deep cleansing, exfoliation, extractions and a calming masque. Skin care products come from Eminence, Le Mieux, Skin Script and Dermalogica.

Appointments are required, and the studio does not accept walk-ins. The consultation fee is $60 for 15 minutes, $80 for 30, $95 for 45 and $105 for 60, and it is credited toward a treatment only if the treatment is done during that consultation. Cancellations need 24 hours' notice, and late cancellations or no-shows are charged the full booked time. Late arrivals are charged from the original start time and appointments are not extended. Clients under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Before a session, clients are asked to remove makeup, avoid plucking, waxing, threading or tweezing so the hairs can be seen, and gently exfoliate. Pregnant clients are advised to check with their physician first, and moles may be treated where regulations allow, sometimes with written physician approval. Payment is accepted by cash, check, Zelle and most major credit cards, with cash, check and Zelle preferred. The business is a member of the American Electrology Association and serves Seal Beach and nearby communities including Westminster, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, Irvine and Torrance.

Each electrolysis plan is built after a personal, confidential consultation, and the electrologist chooses the current method for the treatment.

Clients describe the office as very clean, and the treatments as comfortable and one-on-one.