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Electrolysis, the only permanent hair removal method |
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Editorial In this issue we present the concluding installment of the article “Electrology Then and Now, Part III: Reshaping the Profession (2000 - 2004),” detailing the last five years of a 25 year industry retrospective that IHR and editors Jill and Derek Copperthwaite have been an integral part of. This last segment of our recent past is significant because it covers a very distinct turning point in the electrolysis and hair removal industry. The electrology profession again survives from numerous challenges, but this time emerges in a very different setting from where it started. As with the world we live in, everything is in constant change, but at certain milestones, things seem to ‘take a jump to the left’ and it becomes strikingly obvious that “we aren’t in Kansas anymore.” In 1962, Thomas Kuhn wrote “The Structure of Scientific Revolution,” and popularized the concept of “paradigm shift.” Kuhn argues that scientific advancement is not evolutionary, but rather is a “series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions,” and in those revolutions “one conceptual world view is replaced by another.” A Paradigm Shift is a change from one way of thinking to another, a revolution, transformation, or a sort of metamorphosis. It does not just happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change. Such a time is now. It is very clear that the hair removal industry is a very different place than it was even ten years ago. Laser has been the latest challenge to electrolysis (representing new technology) and like the electronic tweezer and all other hair removal methods before; laser has come, made its mark and found its place within the hair removal industry. Whether you embrace or reject the method, it is here to stay. Associations that used to number in the dozens with swelling membership are a thing of the past, a handful of suppliers and manufacturers remain to support the industry, just as only a small number of schools remain as the lifeblood of this industry’s regeneration. The leaders and icons of our profession have come and gone with the balance on the verge of retirement. Where are we going? What is the future of our profession? The answer to these frequently asked questions is – Where are you taking us? Some movement can already be evidenced within the national associations. The International Guild of Hair Removal Specialists, Inc. (IGHRS) under their new president Vickie Mickey of Columbus, Ohio, has reaffirmed the association’s mandate “to providing the latest information about permanent and long-term hair removal to the consumer.” A shift from the direction they were headed, their newly revised website (www.ighrs.org) states, “Electrolysis continues to be the premier method of permanent removal of unwanted hair. At present, the Guild recognizes that only probe/needle methods produce permanent results.” During the past year, shifts in direction by the American Electrology Association (AEA) have also been noticed. What precipitated the AEA’s new direction and where they are headed is presented in an interview [page 14] with their president, Gerrelyn Adams. A generation of highly motivated and dedicated people has laid a solid foundation for the electrology profession. Today’s manufacturers have developed modern, state-of-the-art epilators; exclusive electrology suppliers have evolved and national associations have developed into support organizations to empower electrologists. The internet has evolved to allow individuals the same communication and marketing opportunities that was once the sole domain of large corporations. As electrologists, it is up to you to embrace what is available at your fingertips. Upgrade and modernize, educate, communicate and market yourself and the profession. To quote Leigh Henry from the article, “We need to be shouting about the benefits of electrolysis for the entire world to hear, and dispel the many myths that surround our profession.” It is now time for the next generation of electrologists to come forward, step up to the plate, give back to the profession by taking on executive positions within associations and lead us into the next century. So, where are you taking us? — Anthony D. Copperthwaite |
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