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Electrolysis, the only permanent hair removal method |
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Editorial While attending the recent convention of the American Electrology Association, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, n this special issue of International Hair Route, Number 101, we take readers on a fascinating journey through 25 years of electrolysis history, beginning with the Magazine’s first publication in November 1979 and concluding with this 2004 year-end issue. In terms of electrolysis history — begun in 1870 by Charles Eugene Michel, M.D. — IHR’s 25 years in the field might seem like a relatively recent view of our profession. However, it could be argued that electrology has changed more in the last 25 years (following dramatic advancements in medicine and technology) than it did in the previous 100-plus years. There is an old adage that says “Without knowing our past, we have no future . . .” and to help understand the history of electrology and its impact on our future it is important that we see past events in context with the world we were living in at the time. Though 25 years might be described as a relatively short span in electrology history, the article that relates the story is by necessity a long one, and our article “Electrology Then and Now: A summary of the notable advancements and setbacks in the field of electrolysis during International Hair Route’s first 25 years,” is being presented in two parts. “Part I: The Formative Years (1979-1995),” written by IHR editor and cofounder, Derek Copperthwaite, appears in this issue, and will be followed in March 2005 by “Electrology Then and Now: Part II: The Light in the Tunnel (1995-2005)” When trying to visualize the electrology profession as it was 25 years ago, it is helpful to know what other things were going on in the world at the same time. In 1979, Jimmy Carter is president of the United States. Gasoline shortages are creating long lines at the gas pumps and California has gas rationing on alternate days. (We will run out of fossil fuels before the end of the 20th century, experts warn.) Inflation in 1979 stands at 13.3 percent, and the prime interest rate is 15.75 percent. A $1.5 billion Federal bailout is approved for Chrysler, and the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history takes place at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. The USA’s first space station, Skylab, falls out of orbit; the USA and China establish diplomatic relations. China invades Vietnam. Cambodia is taken over by Vietnam. Soviet troops invade Afghanistan; Margaret Thatcher becomes prime minister of the UK; and Mother Teresa wins the Nobel Peace Prize. In California, a speech recognition machine demonstrates a vocabulary of 1,000 words. A spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, and an early word processing program, WordStar, steer small business toward computerization. Kids (and more than a few adults) discover the Internet — and Atari’s Lunar Lander arcade game, originally designed for the US Space Program, is a big hit. Holland introduces the digital videodisc, read by laser. Japan produces the first cell-phone network. Sony’s new Walkman tape-player starts a fad. It is in this world context that the first issue of International Hair Route was mailed to electrologists across North America, in the winter of 1979. The most import news item in the magazine was the proliferation of the “revolutionary” electronic hair removal tweezer device. If understanding the past is a key to the future, we are compelled to acknowledge some immutable truths about hair and people. The first thing we learn is that “everyone is looking for the quick fix.” To look for faster, easier, more efficient solutions in our work and play environments is natural, and will always be with us. As readers of the IHR story “Electrology Then and Now” will see, the beginning of the 25-year journey through electrolysis history begins with hair removal performed by a salon technician with an electronic tweezer device, and ends with a vision of the consumer performing hair removal on herself with a $39.95 do-it-yourself-at-home laser kit (that probably comes with a lifetime money back guarantee). The ET and all its variations are a constant, they won’t go away and we can expect other deviations of the quick fix — maybe another version of the tweezer, a new miracle drug or cream, or some new technology yet not dreamed of — to be a part of the hair removal industry in the years to come. Meanwhile, I hope readers find this article about our past as fascinating to read as it was to produce, as we prepare to mark yet another interesting year in our history. — Anthony D.
Copperthwaite
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