Electrolysis Unplugged

What makes a great electrologist? Is it the equipment, the modality, the years of experience, or the willingness to keep learning?
Stephanie Shields welcomes Barbara Greathouse, CPE, to Electrolysis Unplugged for a conversation that brings together professional history, mentorship, regulation, and the importance of remaining curious throughout your career.
Stephanie reflects on meeting Barbara early in her professional journey and how the encouragement of experienced electrologists helped shape her own approach to certification, leadership, and education.
The conversation explores the role of licensing and public protection, the dangers of misinformation in electrology education, and why practitioners need access to colleagues who are willing to share knowledge rather than guard it.
Barbara also discusses Electrology International, her professional networking community, and the importance of creating spaces where electrologists can ask questions, exchange ideas, and continue growing.
And perhaps the most important lesson? Experience doesn't mean having every answer. Sometimes professional growth begins with being willing to admit that you have something new to learn.
If you've ever wondered what separates simply practicing electrology from truly growing within the profession, this conversation is for you.
Electrolysis Unplugged — Where experience meets curiosity, and education never really ends.
#ElectrolysisUnplugged #BarbaraGreathouse #ElectrologyInternational #ElectrologyMentorship #ContinuingEducation

What does it really take to build an electrology school, and who decides what qualifies someone to practice?
In this episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie Shields sits down with special guest Eileen Collins, CPE, for a conversation about professional education, state oversight, and the challenges of creating meaningful standards in an industry where regulations vary dramatically.
Eileen shares her experience navigating Maryland's school approval process, from curriculum review and educational requirements to the financial risks involved in opening a licensed career school. Stephanie brings her perspective as a longtime electrologist and school owner working in Washington, where educational oversight and professional licensing are two very different conversations.
Together, they explore the responsibilities that come with educating future electrologists, why professional standards matter, and the challenges of advocating for stronger educational pathways.
Because teaching someone to remove hair is only one part of preparing them to become a professional.
The bigger question: Are we simply teaching people to perform electrolysis, or are we building an industry prepared to protect the next generation of patients and practitioners?
Join us for a conversation about education, accountability, and the future of electrology.
Electrolysis Unplugged — Real conversations. Real education. No filters required.
#ElectrolysisUnplugged #ElectrologyEducation #ElectrolysisTraining #ProfessionalStandards #ElectrologyCoalition

SEASON 3 FINALE 🎙️
Step-by-Step: How to Open Your Electrolysis Business
You learned how to treat the follicle. Now what?
For our Season 3 finale of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie and Joanie are taking the conversation beyond the treatment table and walking through what it actually takes to turn your electrology education into a working business.
Whether your future looks like a home studio, salon suite, private treatment room, medical setting, or eventually something much bigger, the first step is understanding what you’re building — and putting a plan behind it.
In this episode, we break down the process step-by-step: defining your business vision, researching state and local requirements, choosing a business name and structure, separating your finances, understanding insurance, estimating startup expenses, choosing a location, purchasing equipment, and planning for the months when your schedule isn’t full yet.
We also dig into the numbers.
Using our Electrolysis Income Projection Tool, we look at how pricing, available treatment hours, booking percentages, fixed expenses, variable costs, and growth can change what your business actually produces. Because an hourly rate isn't the same thing as an hourly income — and a full schedule doesn't automatically mean a profitable business.
Most importantly, your first practice does not have to be your forever practice.
Build something appropriate for where you are now. Understand your numbers. Protect yourself. Learn your local requirements. Give yourself room to grow.
Season 3 has been about becoming stronger, more informed electrologists. We're closing it by asking you to think about what happens when you take those skills and build something of your own.
🎧 Electrolysis Unplugged — Season 3 Finale
Step-by-Step: How to Open Your Electrolysis Business
Presented by Stephanie Shields & Joanie Gonella
Electrology Education Coalition

In this episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, we take a simple question — “How long should redness, swelling, or tingling last after treatment?” — and unpack the deeper biology behind it.
We explain why electrolysis is a controlled dermal injury, how the skin moves through the phases of wound healing, and why inflammation is not a complication — it’s part of repair. We break down what’s normal (redness peaking at 24–48 hours, mild swelling for up to 72 hours, small pustules during healing) versus what signals concern (persistent redness with textural change, escalating pain, or lack of improvement).
We also dive into androgen-dense areas like the upper lip and chin, why “stacked” inflammation can look dramatic but still be proportional, and how endocrine factors like PCOS and insulin resistance can amplify visible responses without indicating overtreatment.
The key takeaway: Inflammation isn’t the enemy. Misinterpretation is.
Clinical judgment comes from understanding biology — not reacting emotionally to what you see.

From the Archives: Superbills, Skin Reactions, Stubborn Hairs & Menopause — Real-World Dilemmas in Electrology
What happens when the questions electrologists face in practice don’t have simple answers?
In this archive episode of Electrolysis Unplugged, Stephanie Shields and Joanie Gonella revisit a Mentorship Hour packed with real questions submitted by practicing electrologists. From navigating superbills and insurance-related pricing to troubleshooting post-treatment skin reactions, resistant hairs, and changing hair growth after menopause, this conversation focuses on the clinical and business decisions practitioners encounter every day.
We discuss superbill pricing and the importance of consistent billing policies, factors to evaluate when clients experience breakouts following blend treatments, how to approach stubborn hairs that refuse to release without compromising skin integrity, and how hormonal changes during and after menopause can influence new hair growth and long-term treatment expectations.
It’s a practical, case-based conversation about improving clinical judgment, communicating clearly with clients, protecting skin health, and making thoughtful decisions when there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.
Want to join these conversations LIVE? Mentorship Hour gives electrologists an opportunity to bring their real-world questions, challenging cases, business concerns, and treatment dilemmas directly into the conversation.
Join the Electrology Education Coalition Membership and participate in upcoming Mentorship Hours:
Join Mentorship Hour Live through E2C Membership