Electrolysis is unregulated in Canada and many parts of the U.S.A. It is important to realize that all private electrolysis schools are free enterprise.

If you are choosing a career in electrolysis, please thoroughly research the training institutes that are available. Here are some important considerations that we hope will guide you, in this unregulated profession.

1. Look for a "track-record". Make inquiries from other electrologists who have attended the school.
2. Are there written policies and procedures covering all aspects of the training.
3. Inquire how many instructors are available and what training qualifications they have earned. How long they have been teaching and their years of experience in the field, ask if the school brings in speakers who are specialists in certain areas such as Dermatology, Endocrinology, office procedures etc.
4. Request a copy of the curriculum detailing the number of hours dedicated to each topic.
5. Inquire about the breakdown of supervised practical and theoretical training hours.
6. Does the school have clients readily available for students' practical training?
7. Is there constant supervision from one or more teachers during practical activities?
8. A minimum 500hour training is advised. Don't get caught with too little training. Chair side and quickie training courses will soon be a thing of the past.
9. Ask about tuition fees as they relate to the number of hours in training and any additional costs you may incur, such as books, equipment and supplies. These costs vary from school to school.
10. Is the school affiliated with any electrolysis association? Check with the President of that association. These associations can be provincial, national, or international. And more importantly, are these associations recommending this electrolysis school as an acceptable learning institute, meeting the associations' standards and qualifications, and is the school recommending the association to their graduates?
11. Is there is an office set-up available for each student along with the latest visual aids i.e. microscope, hydraulic treatment tables, and a minimum of two different brands of epilator?
12. Most schools require that you sign a contract. Read it carefully and obtain advice from others.
13. Ask about infection control training. A minimum of 30 hours is advisable. The school should be teaching Canada Health Standards and Guidelines or their provincial standards and guidelines if they exist. Alberta and Ontario have provincial standards. Steam sterilization equipment, an adequate supply of instrumentation to support the number of clients treated daily, appropriate choices of packaging materials, accessible hand washing facilities etc. Documented procedures, describing cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing and biological spore testing processes are essential.
14. Does the school provide single use, sterile disposable needles only. Needles should never be reused. Your future career will be short lived if you are not trained in the best in infection control standards!
15. It is important to recognize that a school that is registered as a provincial trade school, and is paying fees to a province for this privilege, is not necessarily one that meets the highest educational standards. The general public is becoming very much aware of the need for infection control. Their second priority is effective treatment.
16. The electrolysis profession is a very satisfactory way for you to earn a livelihood. Aim to be among the very best, and insist that the technical training that you receive for the tuition that you pay, is the very best that is available. After graduating, achieving success in your business depends upon:
17. Always remember that when you graduate from the training school of your choice, this does not mean you are a registered certified electrologist, only that you are a graduate of that school. Now your actual education is just beginning. Your skills as a professional electrologist will increase yearly as you face the real world of client treatment. Stay in touch with your colleagues, and continue to learn from each other as the years go by.
18. It is now that your true-to-life education begins.
19. A Certified Professional Electrologist is one who has paid to sit for a specialized registered and closely governed examination, and by passing with high marks, has earned the right to use the designations, Certified Professional Electrologist, (C.P.E.) or Certified Clinical Electrologist. (C.C.E.)
20. Attend association meetings, conventions and seminars. Your success in the field of electrolysis, depends on your dedication to continuing professional development.
21. Ignorance is more expensive than education

If you require any further information, references or guidance, please direct your mail or calls to:

The Canadian Organization of Professional Electrologists
COPE National
Toll Free 1 800 665 COPE (2673) - Tel: 1 403 628 3522
Fax: no fax number
Email: tourond@telusplanet.net