The FDA tags laser hair removal as permanent hair reduction. So what exactly does that mean? It destroys the hair permanently by causing reduction to the thicker coarse hairs?? I also have read that many people will need touch ups. Is this touch up necessary for new hairs that grow?
This is addressed in our FAQs. Please read them carefully at the link below.
- Is laser hair removal permanent? Are there other permanent hair removal methods?
Laser hair removal lasers have been in use since 1997 and the Food and Drug Administration approved them for “permanent reduction.” They disable hair permanently as long as the right type of hair is treated with an appropriate type of laser at effective settings.
However, it is called a “reduction” because, no matter what some clinics may claim, hair removal lasers cannot and do not remove 100% of the hair in an area. With proper treatments, laser can remove the majority of the coarse hair on a body area, but they cannot remove finer hair. Be cautious of clinics making claims that seem too good to be true.
In order to achieve 100% clearance of hair in any one area, most people need to follow up laser treatments with electrolysis treatments to remove any remaining finer hairs. Laser can only remove coarse hair.
Generally, a patient can tell how much reduction was achieved from a course of treatments after waiting 6-12 months from their last treatment. Any hair that grows in after the 12-month period is new hair that the body can develop due to numerous factors such as age, diet, hormonal changes, and medical conditions such as PCOS. Patients who experience new growth later in life can get touchup treatments.
Some experts believe a small percentage of people are non-responders to laser hair removal treatments. This has not been confirmed or proven, and reasons are not known. At the same time, it’s difficult to judge whether a patient’s lack of results is, in fact, due to being a non-responder. Lack of results could be due to an undetected underlying medical condition or improperly performed treatments.
In essence, it’s difficult to predict results. Results depend on many variables, including type of laser used, how settings are set, underlying causes of the hair growth, the technician’s experience, etc. That is why it’s a good idea to start treatments on one small area before committing to an expensive course of treatments on many areas at once.
Electrolysis is the only other proven permanent hair removal method, which has been in use for over 125 years. It involves treating one hair at a time and is a good option for smaller areas where precision is necessary (like eyebrows or upper lip). At this time, it is as the only permanent option for any fine and light-colored hair.
ok will electrolysis respond to thick or very thick hair? Will it destroy it permanently?
[size:26pt]YES![/size]
Electrolysis works on any hair. It’s just more cost-effective and efficient to treat coarse dense hair with laser.
How much does it cost per session on average? How many session is usually done? Thank you.
I prefer to treat coarse body hair … it’s what I’ve been doing for years. I also find BIG hairs easier to remove permanently … I use electrolysis, so yes to your question.
Pain wise how does electrolysis compare to laser? I am thinking of using it to get rid of the white hairs in an area (chin) I am treating. Not really a lot. I would say about 200 white hairs at most. I read somewhere the pain was worse than laser. That bothers me cause my current laser treatment hurts like hell. I am a male by the way.
Sensation felt during treatment is highly variable. Practitioner skill, equipment, and so on are one side of the equation. Client/Patient factors like, hydration, caffeine use, and on and on, right down to the amount of restful sleep the night before, all go into how comfortable/tolerable the treatments may be.
While my clients frequently fall asleep during my work, a client who had a caffeinated drink for lunch turned what had been a painless session into one we had to call it off before we had completed our scheduled work for the day.
If you find the right practitioner, and you prepare your body to be most receptive to treatment, it can be easily tolerable. Find the wrong practitioner, and/or bring a body not quite conducive to treatment, and you will suffer needlessly.
I hope I can fall asleep too. The place I get the laser done is very highly recommended for electrolysis and it is probably done more than laser hair removal. Can I start electrolysis while I am still having laser hair removal? At the same area I am getting lasered? Or do I have to wait until I am done with the laser? How long should the hair be grown for electrolysis?
You would at least have to wait until the shedding is finished, otherwise the practitioner will be inserting and putting treatment energy into follicles that are just shedding hairs sitting in place. That would be a waste of time, and a potential for unnecessary tissue injury.
As for how long the hair should be, it all depends on the practitioner’s set up. I can work on someone who just shaved that morning, but the work goes slower, so I suggest they give me 48 to 72 hours since last shave so that I can work at peak speed. The choice is theirs.
If the practitioner’s vision equipment is not all that great, 3 to 5 days may be needed.
To add to this, many electrologists that are also laser specialists, take their clients straight from the laser table and put them on the electrolysis table to remove all the gray, white, clear and red hairs that laser can’t see, that is, if there is enough length to get them.