CME Equipment Operation & Maintenance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the intensity control on an electrolysis unit?
- To regulate the frequency of current pulses
- To adjust the amplitude of current delivered to the follicle (Correct answer)
- To control the duration of each treatment cycle
- To set the temperature of the probe tip
Correct answer: To adjust the amplitude of current delivered to the follicle
The intensity control adjusts the milliamperage (amplitude) of the current delivered, which determines the destructive energy at the follicle.
Question 2: A thermolysis unit emitting an audible alarm during treatment most likely indicates:
- The timer has completed a successful treatment cycle
- A circuit fault, overheating, or impedance error requiring immediate shutdown (Correct answer)
- The probe has reached optimal temperature for hair removal
- The client's skin resistance is within normal range
Correct answer: A circuit fault, overheating, or impedance error requiring immediate shutdown
Alarms on modern thermolysis units typically signal equipment faults such as circuit errors, overheating, or abnormal impedance that require the operator to stop and investigate.
Question 3: Which needle gauge is most commonly used for fine facial hair in electrology?
- F2 (coarse)
- F4 (medium)
- F6 (fine) (Correct answer)
- Ballet #3 stainless
Correct answer: F6 (fine)
F6 is a fine-gauge probe appropriate for thin, fine facial hairs where minimal tissue displacement is needed.
Question 4: When performing blend electrolysis, the RF current is used to:
- Replace galvanic current entirely for faster treatment
- Heat the lye produced by galvanic current, enhancing its destructive action (Correct answer)
- Neutralize the chemical reaction at the follicle base
- Reduce the milliamperage required from the galvanic circuit
Correct answer: Heat the lye produced by galvanic current, enhancing its destructive action
In blend modality, RF (thermolysis) current heats the sodium hydroxide (lye) produced by galvanic current, making it more caustic and speeding follicle destruction.
Question 5: An electrologist notices the galvanic current reading fluctuates erratically during treatment. The most likely cause is:
- Incorrect timer settings
- A loose or corroded connection in the circuit, including the indifferent electrode lead (Correct answer)
- The probe is too fine for the hair type being treated
- The unit is set to thermolysis mode rather than galvanic
Correct answer: A loose or corroded connection in the circuit, including the indifferent electrode lead
Erratic galvanic current readings most often result from poor electrical connections — corroded leads, a loose indifferent electrode, or a faulty probe holder.
Question 6: The indifferent (inactive) electrode used in galvanic electrolysis serves to:
- Complete the electrical circuit through the client's body (Correct answer)
- Deliver the destructive current directly to the hair follicle
- Ground the electrolysis unit to prevent electrical shock
- Monitor skin impedance during treatment
Correct answer: Complete the electrical circuit through the client's body
The indifferent electrode completes the DC galvanic circuit, allowing current to flow from the probe through tissue and back to the machine.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'two-needle' or 'double-needle' technique?
- Using two probes in the same follicle simultaneously for deeper penetration
- Inserting a probe into the follicle while a second surface probe contacts adjacent skin
- Treating two adjacent follicles simultaneously with separate circuits (Correct answer)
- Using a dual-tipped probe to split current between two hairs
Correct answer: Treating two adjacent follicles simultaneously with separate circuits
The two-needle (or multi-needle) galvanic technique uses multiple probes in separate follicles connected to the same galvanic circuit to treat several hairs simultaneously.
CME Equipment Operation & Maintenance 2
What is the primary purpose of the intensity control on an electrolysis unit?