The Electrolysis Society of Florida was organized in 1950 in the lobby of a Miami, Florida hotel. It was preceded only by the Electrolysis Society of the Northeast, a regional organization. This makes it the first and longest active state organization in the world. This professional organization has been sustained and has benefited in part by the members of other states who have settled in the warm climate of Florida.

The Society has maintained its purpose of organizing  electrologists, setting standards for practice and  educating both electrologists and other allied health professionals about permanent hair removal throughout the years. There were several attempts by the Society to get the profession regulated through the Florida Legislature, but for many years, these efforts were blocked by powerful concessionaires that operated in department stores and free standing offices.

In 1979, after an outbreak of Hepatitis B from unsterilized acupuncture needles, the Florida Department of Health began to look at electrolysis as being just as much a risk as acupuncture for spreading Hepatitis. A concerted effort to obtain legislation was led by then President, Lydia Krones. In 1981, the CDC announced that HIV could be spread by contaminated electrolysis needle electrodes.

For several years, the legislation languished for one reason or another but mostly from the powerful anti-regulation lobby. Then in 1984, with the help of a seasoned lobbyist, William D. Owens, the first regulation bill was finally passed by the Society, only to be vetoed by Governor Bob Graham. Two years later, another successful bill was vetoed by Governor Bob Martinez.

In 1990, the Florida Board of Medicine decided that legislation was needed to regulate the practice of electrolysis, but because of an attempt by a national organization to create a monopoly, the legislation failed in 1991. Some electrologists found themselves in a situation where they could be facing the demise of their profession.

In 1992, a compromise was made and a regulation bill was passed by the Florida Legislature to regulate the practice of electrolysis. Unfortunately, the definition had been changed to limit the practice of hair removal to that of "needle" only and further work had to be done to allow this profession to grow and expand its capabilities.

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In a tense 3 year battle between the Florida Society and Electrolysis Council, bidding to encompass laser hair removal into its statutes, and The American Electrology Association along with some doctors, the statute was finally changed in 1999 with the help of lobbyist Owens, who died later that same year, after having served the Society for 18 years. An amendment to the Florida Medical Practice Act, passed surreptitiously, resulted in a hearing before an administrative law judge, who ruled in the electrologists' favor on September 12, 2001, thereby allowing Florida electrologists to use lasers under the supervision of a physician.

The Electrolysis Society of Florida was, in part, responsible for submitting rules for use of lasers by electrologists, requiring national certification and special training. Electrologists are the only health care professionals in the state to require this special training and certification. The members of the Electrolysis Society of Florida know that the highest standards are required to maintain respect for the profession, which has been much maligned by some members of the profession, who have not conducted themselves with dignity, and for protection of consumers. These same consumers are coming to realize their safety and health, both physical and economic, lie with practicing electrologists who are progressive in their approach to hair removal.

The Electrolysis Society of Florida is the first in the nation to look seriously at underlying illnesses that contribute to unusual hair growth and have initiated a program to study the correlation of insulin resistance/diabetes and polycystic ovarian disease in women to hair growth patterns. The Electrolysis Society of Florida is truly leading the way for consumer's health in the State of Florida. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact ESF at info@hairremovalflorida.com.