Galvanic Electrolysis 

Galvanic electrolysis--the oldest mode--was first practised in 1875, by Dr Charles Michel, of St. Louis, Missouri.  When a patient complained of irritation, and reduced vision in one eye, the physician found an ingrown eyelash to be the culprit.  After several removal attempts by plucking, and repeated regrowth of the pesky lash, causing the same discomfort and vision problems, the physician wondered if electricity could stop the regrowth. .  He inserted a copper wire into the follicle, then ran the wire through a voltaic wet cell.  Voilá! No regrowth.  Galvanic has a very high success rate in disabling a follicle, but like all good things, it has its drawbacks.  It was reported to be very painful and was exceedingly slow, taking one to three minutes to treat each follicle.