About
 |
| Jeffrey Stansberry, LE |
My interest in electrology and in becoming an electrologist developed over many years. The journey has revealed many experiences, many lessons learned, and many people who befriended me. It was a road well worth taking.
I see serving as an electrologist as both an opportunity to help others with a little kindness and support as was given to me on my journey and as an opportunity to explore and share current health science as related to hirsutism.
In a way, my study of electrology has brought me full circle.
As a child, I was fascinated by Gray's Anatomy and two medical dictionaries and spent countless hours browsing through them. In secondary school, I blossomed from the tutelage of a kind biology teacher and began my journey of discovery and life-long learning of the arts and sciences. Recently, a Google search of hormonal effects on hirsutism has led to a regular dive into the deep waters of biochemistry, physiology, and pathology of diseases, aging, and longevity.
With the Waterdance Electrolysis Blog, I hope to assimilate and compile emerging science and current thinking on health and to develop and present a clear explanation of the biological mechanisms of hirsutism, hypertrichosis, and related disorders. I also hope to discuss and present a simple, rational, and drug-free approach to address the underlying conditions—so that my clients may have a happier, healthier, and hair-free life.
My educational and professional background included science and engineering, and information technology. I obtained my undergraduate degree from the College of Mechanical Engineering at the Iowa State University of Science and Technology and completed the requirements of the Master's degree except for defending my thesis. Exhausted, poor, and in debt, I found work in California in the electric power industry. Nearly a decade later, and when the power industry waned and the dotcom's boomed, I fell into a career in software development and worked in IT for twenty years since.
Now, I am a licensed electrologist.
I trained with Randa Thurman, CPE, and Robert Von Essen, CPE of the Monterey Bay Institute of Electrology. Randa and Robert are keeping the faith and teaching modern electrology in a traditional way, as perhaps the foundational Arthur Hinkel would be doing if alive today. There are no better teachers of electrology and they should be sought out by the beginning electrologist as well as the experienced electrologist seeking mentorship.
Nowadays, becoming an electrologist is not a trivial matter—except in a few states. To obtain a license in California, electrologists must complete 600 hours of training and pass the "State Board" practical and written examinations. The examinations ensure proficiency in 1) infection control and safety practices, 2) human anatomy and physiology, 3) diseases of the skin and appendages, 4) electrical concepts, and 5) electrology methods and procedures.
Interestingly, even with this level of training and testing, around half of the electrologists are below-average—to be fair, it is a mathematical necessity. If the quality bar is set high, though, as it is in California, then most of the electrologists should be good electrologists.
However, in my experience as a consumer and a provider, a claim of so many years of experience is meaningless, in any field, if nothing more than mediocrity is provided and the bar is set lower not higher.
For the benefit of my clients and to gain and maintain their trust, I promise to be mindful of this problem and to be enthusiastic in thinking and to find ways of working better.
What if you're not in California? I recommend that you spend some time to learn about your state education and licensing requirements for electrologists and about your electrologist's qualifications.
Consumer alert: many laser hair removal device operators did not obtain more than a few hours of instruction from a sales rep.
Although I may at times wear a white lab coat, it should be understood that I am not a licensed medical professional. To prevent any misunderstanding, following every blog article is a medical disclaimer¹ to state that I am not a licensed medical professional nor do I intend to give medical advice.
However, this does not preclude me from offering a considered opinion on health information.
While I'm not a medical professional, I am an experienced consumer of personal and family health services.
From one consumer to another, my best recommendation is to be critical of the advice of all medical professionals and to seek information until it all makes sense to you.
Personally, had my wife and I followed the advice of a top neurosurgical team or repeated opinions from the same medical group, rather than seek out an alternative treatment that made sense to us, our child (now a healthy young adult) would be in a wheelchair. Also, had my wife and I both not replaced doctor prescribed drugs with unconventional alternatives (i.e., bioidentical formulations), both of us would still be suffering from the life-threatening side effects experienced or worse.
On the other hand, I have the utmost respect for the doctors and nurses of emergency rooms and acute care, and for those doctors who are not in any way under the influence of the drug industry, who don't hide behind the invisible shields of dogma, policy, cronyism, or mediocrity, and who actively listen, observe, explore alternatives, and do right for their patients.
"The steel must be part of your arm," the bald man told her. "Can you drop part of your arm? No. Nine years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos, he knows these things. Listen to him, boy."
It was the third time he had called her "boy." "I'm a girl," Arya objected.
"Boy, girl," Syrio Forel said. "You are a sword, that is all." He clicked his teeth together. "Just so, that is the grip. You are not holding a battle-axe, you are holding a—"
"—needle," Arya finished for him, fiercely.
"Just so. Now we will begin the dance. Remember, child, this is not the iron dance of Westeros we are learning, the knight's dance, hacking and hammering, no. This is the bravo's dance, the water dance, swift and sudden. All men are made of water, do you know this? When you pierce them, the water leaks out and they die."
—Syrio Forel to Arya Stark, A Game of Thrones, Chapter 22, Arya II
I like to imagine myself as a modern-day Arya Stark, except I'm learning and perfecting the art and form of "water dance" electrolysis, with my probe I call "Needle", and exacting my revenge upon unwanted hair.
¹ Medical Disclaimer: This article is not meant to replace the dogma of the medical profession nor is it intended to provide medical advice. Medical doctors and other health professionals provide advice on medical treatments but many do not recommend nor even mention alternative treatments. In order to make an informed decision, the patient or surrogate is burdened to search and learn about alternative treatments and to compare benefits and risks with the recommended treatment. This article presents the author's opinion on information that is relevant to health which was derived from authentic sources, published research, clinical evidence, anecdotal reports, as well as the author's personal experience and knowledge. It is intended for the self-directed learner who seeks a better understanding of health information through another opinion.