Laser hair removal vs electrolysis

There are many ways of removing unwanted body hair, but for some people, the question is whether laser hair removal vs electrolysis is the better option to achive that permanent hair removal feel. In this article, we will look at the major benefits and drawbacks of electrolysis versus laser hair removal.

Laser Hair Removal

Lasers work most effectively on light skin and dark hair as the laser targets the melanin which is located in dark hair. Some lasers will also remove blonde hairs but information available suggests there is still a lot of room for improvement. Caution must also be exercised if you have dark skin as the laser also targets the melanin in your skin, which can lead to pigmentation problems.

Do your research and make sure you are using the services of a credible, reputable, licensed aesthetician who is most likely to be using the best, most up-to-date machines available. Be very wary of places which offer discounts.

Generally, lasers are not as pain-inducing as waxing, but are more painful than tweezing and depilatory creams. Pulsed light from the lazer has been described as similar to snapping a rubber band against your skin. Some people may want to take painkillers such as Advil an hour before undergoing the procedure.

Each laser session last approximately 10 minutes. Patients may require 5 to 6 treatments spaced about four weeks apart.

Unfortunately, laser hair removal can be quite pricey, with each session costing about $150 to $200 depending on where the procedure is carried out.

Laser sessions on certain areas of the body such as the upper lip and chin can be completed much more quickly compared to the legs and bikini area.

Post-laser treatment, all the hair should fall out within 10 to 14 days. Depending on how fast your hair grows, you may experience a bit of coarseness for a few days, but all the hair should all fall out. You may also need to shave certain areas for a particular machine to work. It may require some extra effort ton the part of the patient to exfoliate the affected area but not much.

Contrary to popular belief, shaving does not cause hair to grow back thicker. Shaved tips are coarser compared with never-been-shaved hairs which have finer, softer tips. This is why hair which grows back after shaving often seems to be thicker.

Unfortunately, results cannot be guaranteed with laser hair removal. A reduction of up to 80% in hair growth is to be expected, but it is more effective for some people, less effective for others. In some cases, people have had to turn to electrolysis as laser treatment did not prove effective at all. In the next section of this article on electrolysis vs laser hair removal procedures, let us now look at electrolysis.

Electrolysis

Compared with laser treatment, electrolysishair removal procedure is a more guaranteed form of hair removal. Plus, it has the added advantage of working on dark and light hair.

The electrologist will insert a sterile needle into every hair follicle and runs a low-level electrical current to effectively kill the follicle.

It can be a tedious process as electrolysis focuses on one hair at a time. However, this means it's ideal for small areas such as upper lip, chin and eye brows.

One downside is that the pain from electrolysis is greater than laser treatment. It may feel like 20 pricks to your one for laser hair removal. It typically costs $60 per 30-minute session, but unfortunately about 15 to 30 visits will be required in order to obtain the best results. It may still be worth it though because unlike laser and pulsed lights, electrolysis kills every follicle the electrologist treats. Therefore, results are guaranteed. Before I sign off this article on laser hair removal vs electrolysis, what I want to say here is this - do make sure that your electrologist is licensed before undergoing any kind of electrolysis treatment.