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A variety of needles are available for the removal of superfluous hair. The long, stiff needles in common use among dermatologists are not the best for this purpose. Lay electrologists in general prefer a platinum-iridium needle which is adapted for gentle insertion into the hair follicle. This needle has an extremely narrow diameter of about 0.005 in. (0.013 cm.). It is flexible but can be pushed easily through a tight hair follicle. Yet it is soft enough to buckle when pushed into the skin near, but not into, the follicular opening. It is shorter than most other types of needles, measuring about 0.25 in. (0.64 cm.), but this is amply long for any hair follicle. Better control and accuracy and ease of penetration are obtained with these needle qualities. This type of needle is of equal value for use in the short-wave spark-gap and the galvanic-current machines.
Scarring of the