Boston Electrolysis®: The Five Star Electrologist©

Author Kimberly Williams, R.E., Dean, Boston Electrolysis®, Scientific Writer©

August 28, 2025

Massachusetts Licensed & Registered Electrologist, 1979

Boston Electrolysis® & Boston School of Scientific Thesis on temporary laser hair removal, as compared to Electrolysis, Thermolysis and Blend — the only proven medical technology that can legally claim Permanent Hair Removal and is approved by the FDA.

To consumers at large: It’s 2025 and after twenty‑eight years temporary laser hair removal is still “America’s Most Dangerous Unproven Technology.” I’m Kimberly Williams, R.E. I have been a Massachusetts licensed and registered electrologist since 1979. With forty‑four years of professional experience, I have dedicated my life to my chosen profession. My goal is to make you aware of the dangers of temporary laser hair removal — a business experiencing explosive growth, largely through a lack of regulation, oversight, and ethics. It is also important to provide full information regarding the Electrolysis profession — the safe alternative and the only known method that achieves permanent hair removal.

This educational report is extensive because the public should be well informed. Every consumer or patient has the right to complete information, especially regarding procedures that can affect their personal appearance and self‑esteem. Everybody wants a healthy complexion, but there are many discrepancies in the quality of treatments available from Electrologists and laser hair removal parlors in the USA. Massachusetts, where I was educated and began practice, has the most stringent requirements in the United States for licensing Electrologists — giving me a unique perspective on this situation.

This report is based on hard science. Each scientific term is cross‑referenced and defined. I am providing it to consumers as well as state and federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Boston Electrolysis® Review — The History of the Electrolysis Industry

The history of Electrolysis and Electrology would surprise most people. My profession was founded in 1876 for the purpose of relieving Trichiasis (inflamed infected ingrown hairs of the eyelid) — a condition which, left untreated, can result in blindness. In 1952 the profession was among the first to use sophisticated solid‑state equipment.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts formed a state board and began requiring licensing and registration for Electrologists in 1959; in time there were similar state boards in 32 states (although Arizona still lacks one). In 1985 computerized programmable epilators became available, and in 1996 the FDA upgraded electrolysis equipment to the status of a Class I medical device. Electrologists alone have been granted the right by the FDA to legally claim Permanent Hair Removal while laser hair removal fails in all categories.

Our field is fully professional — a medical discipline — and the reason for the virulent opposition to a state board in some places is that many in the business would be out of work after failing the sort of examinations real electrologists must pass to be licensed. These hold‑outs would prefer 50‑hour training they can breeze through, usually in weeks instead of years, ultimately at the expense of their patients.

The Electrolysis/Electrology profession has, since its inception, undergone close scrutiny by the FDA, AMA, Underwriters Laboratories and state boards. Our equipment is FDA approved, tested by Underwriters Laboratories and U.P.E.M.A. (United Professional Epilators Manufacturers Association). That is why Electrologists have the sole right to advertise “Permanent Hair Removal”.

I work closely with physicians regarding endocrinology, electrolysis, and micro eye‑surgery for Trichiasis. I also work with epileptic patients using medications such as Dilantin that can cause extreme hair problems in women and men. When appropriate, I collaborate with neurologists to consider alternatives that may reduce hair growth and shorten treatment times.

Boston Electrolysis® Study — Why Arizona Needs a State Board of Electrologists

I am not your typical Electrologist in Arizona — a state with no requirements to become one, no professional training, license or registration. Arizona is so lax you can take a weekend course and become a “Certified Electrologist,” “Certified Expert Electrologist,” or “Certified Technical Electrologist.” You can make up or purchase any title you want. Arizona desperately needs a State Board to protect the consumer from charlatans, quacks and laser operators with dangerously insufficient training. Here are some reports that demonstrate why.

These practitioners advertise alongside the few State Licensed and Registered Electrologists and mimic our advertising. The consumer has no way to know if they are qualified. These non‑licensed operators have harassed and bad‑mouthed the few State Licensed & Registered Electrologists who have made the effort to become educated. They make unqualified, unsubstantiated claims. Their equipment is often not FDA approved or up to date. Their use of bloated titles and manufactured credentials gives the consumer a false sense of trust.

Many patients have already had tragic experiences with laser hair removal — including scarring and disfiguring burns. Some cases disappear behind non‑disclosure agreements. Payments soothe the pain only to a point; many will have disfigurations for years, or even the rest of their lives. This harms the patient’s appearance, well‑being and self‑esteem and gives truly dedicated State Licensed & Registered Electrologists a bad image.

A State Board of Electrologists, with licensing and registration, is needed to assure professional standards and safety. Arizona otherwise has licensing for nearly every profession; who forgot the Electrologists?

Laser treatments are extremely painful in many settings, sometimes involving dangerous anesthetic injections, not only because of the nature of the process but due to operator training gaps. A State Licensed & Registered Electrologist can provide a very comfortable treatment. Before choosing a provider, read my Five Star Rating System© and ask yourself whether you’d see a physician who never finished medical school or passed the boards.

How It Would Work

Upon the formation of a state board, “grandfathering” in non‑registered electrologists would be unwise, resulting in mixed standards and little change in competency. I offer my professional services to help set up an Arizona State Board of Registration of Electrologists requiring a state‑sponsored requisite course to achieve basic professional standards, competency and ethics.

This could be done without undue hardship by offering a one‑day‑a‑week seminar for 300 hours of professional training. Most certified electrologists ought to have the opportunity to become true professionals — licensed and registered. Newcomers would attend an accredited school with more training. Our profession in Arizona needs help and professional guidance.

Historically, attempts stalled: a defunct Arizona Electrology Association (to my knowledge) lacked licensed members and never pursued licensing; a 1989 referendum failed over school attendance concerns. While the lack of regulation may advantage me, I’m dedicated to my profession and want standards that increase safety and quality for patients and elevate our field.

BOSTON ELECTROLYSIS® — The Dangers of Laser Hair Removal

I have a reputation for being professionally blunt, so I will go straight to the point. From the perspective of 44 years of professional experience, the lasers presently used and touted as a superior technique are a danger and menace to the public.

Facts: Many lasers are built inexpensively, sold at high profit, and operated with little standardized training. Consumers are often told electrolysis is painful to push them to lasers (advertised as painless and permanent), despite FDA rules prohibiting such claims. Many report skin damage from laser treatments. Laser businesses also advertise under “Electrolysis” though they are not electrologists.

Every decade or so, a “new” technique tries to displace electrolysis (e.g., historical X‑ray use, pills with side effects). Now it is the Laser Parlor Operator (LPO). Meanwhile, thirty‑four states require Licensing & Registration for electrolysis — standards most “certified” laser practitioners would fail. If there were a single unbiased double‑blind study proving lasers do not harm tissue and remove hair permanently, I would use it. There is none.

There are no independent secondary studies (e.g., UL) of true effectiveness that I’m aware of. Broad‑beam lasers (dime‑sized) target areas far larger than the microscopic follicle orifice; the depth required to reach the papilla risks damage to protective skin layers and structures. Patients with white/blonde hair are told lasers are ineffective; darker complexions risk pigmentation loss. To reach the root, heat must travel through skin — risking collagen damage, gland destruction, sensory changes and more.

Given the density of structures in one square inch of skin (nerves, cells, vessels, glands), indiscriminate thermal damage is not acceptable. A trained electrologist can avoid nerve fibers; there are none inside the follicle itself. The FDA states lasers cannot be advertised as painless; burning skin hurts. Yet ads claim “painless, permanent, gentle, superior.”

I’m from Massachusetts — or as I like to say, “I’m from Missouri.” Prove it. Twenty‑eight years on, not one laser manufacturer has presented hair‑removal equipment for a true double‑blind study. Until it is proven safe and effective, laser hair removal should be considered experimental and limited to physicians for research.

In practice, some operators turn lasers down so low they singe hair at the surface (patients keep the hair problem, but lose money). Others burn skin, leaving scarred, hair‑free patches — because hair doesn’t grow on scar tissue. Either way, the public loses.

My Credentials

My professional schooling in electrolysis/electrology consisted of 1100 hours: 500 hours in theoretical sciences (Endocrinology, Histology, Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Hygiene, Sanitation & Sterilization, Electricity and Professional Ethics) plus 600 hours of practical application. The Massachusetts State Board of Registration of Electrologists monitored my grades during training.

Upon completion, I submitted a patient thesis; passed mid‑term and final examinations; and then a two‑hour written State Board Examination and one‑hour practical. I was awarded a Massachusetts License and designation of Registered Electrologist (1979). I graduated from Miss Kelly’s School of Electrology (one of the oldest and best schools). I maintain my license and operate to Massachusetts standards.

I authored/edited/published: Scientific Electrologist© (editions 1–4), The Electrologist’s Diagnostic Case History©, The Electrologist’s Insertion Guide©, The Electrologist Encyclopedia©, and this scientific thesis LASER HAIR REMOVAL: AMERICA’S MOST DANGEROUS UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGY©.

I served as distributor/factory representative for a leading manufacturer (medical‑grade electronics), giving me access to computerized epilators. All equipment I use is FDA approved, UL‑listed, and holds the U.P.E.M.A. seal. I was the first Massachusetts Licensed & Registered Electrologist in the USA to use computerized epilators (1985). I have lectured at Harvard Medical School (1983–1987) on Human Sexuality, Psychology, Endocrinology and Electrolysis, and I am qualified as an expert witness for victims who have been burned or disfigured.

Summary & Call for Oversight

There are too many unanswered questions about what I call America’s most dangerous unproven technology. Injuries and disfigurements should be reported and made public; settlements and NDAs hide the scale of harm and shift costs to the public through insurance. The FDA should investigate and require proper proof of safety/effectiveness; practitioners should be trained to professional standards and held to ethical codes.

The Laser Industry has attacked the Electrolysis/Electrology profession since its inception in 1996. We, the State Licensed & Registered Electrologists, have worked to create boards, establish schools, and share knowledge to protect the public. Until there is transparent, independent, scientific proof that laser hair removal is safe and effective, consumers should ask tough questions — and choose proven, permanent hair removal with a licensed professional.

Thank You

Thank you for your time and attention.

Kimberly Williams, R.E., Dean — Author in Total
Owner & Founder of Boston Electrolysis®