Hello,
I’ve been using this site for a while now to read about people’s experiences with different hair removal techniques, especially laser and electrolysis. I find this platform really useful so now I’m eager to share my opinions on both laser and electrolysis as a consumer who has tried both of these techniques. I am not an expert but I think it is nice to read the opinions of consumers aswell as the professionals and this may be useful for anyone apprehensive about starting laser hair removal.
For reference I am 3 on the Fitzpatrick scale and have black body hair (though in places like face and stomach the hair is quite fine but still dark) and the hair is due to genetics, nothing to do with a hormonal imbalance.
I did a few sessions of electrolysis before changing to laser hair removal (Nd:YAG laser). I personally think laser is a much better option than electrolysis for the following reasons:
1) Much quicker process
Electrolysis is very time consuming. With laser hair removal the entire part of the body is treated in one session, whereas for electrolysis you can only get patches of hair done at a time because each hair is removed individually. (For laser you need to have these sessions repeated every 4/6/8 weeks and approx 6-12 sessions in total). So if for example you wanted all hair from your arms removed by electrolysis, you’d have to go to many appointments to slowly work your way up the arm getting rid of all the hair. So you’d have bald patches on your arm until the whole arm is treated. Depends on how much hair you have, but I was predicted 10 hours worth of electrolysis to remove hair from ONE full arm. It takes about 20 mins for one laser hair removal session for both arms.
2) Cheaper
Electrolysis is usually charged per hour and because of the amount of hours needed for full clearances the money very quickly starts to add up. Whereas with laser, you pay for the area being treated. E.g. full arm is £90 per session regardless of how much hair you have there.
3) Laser requires less skill
Electrolysis needs a very skilled practitioner to do the method correctly so that you actually get results and aren’t left with scarring, pitting etc. I went somewhere that was board qualified and had good reviews yet my skin still suffered a lot of hyperpigmentation.
4) Hyperpigmentation from electrolysis
This is my biggest point. Electrolysis is a very invasive hair removal method and being left with hyperpigmentation is a very common side effect for people 3+ on the Fitzpatrick skin type scale. Hyperpigmentation takes around a year to fade. More money is then spent on skin products to try and reduce the hyperpigmentation and it just creates a new problem, hair might be gone, but now the skin is different colour to how it originally was.
Having said all that, I have seen posts on here where people have got hyper/hypo pigmentation problems from IPL/laser. I fortunately didn’t experience this and after my laser treatments, I’d apply aloe vera gel for a couple of days after and that would be that- hair free skin with no pigmentation or scarring or pitting.
5) Pain Levels
I’d say my pain threshold when it comes to hair removal is pretty high. If it results in my hair being gone I will happily sit through the pain. Laser is only slightly painful and the machine that was used on me had a cold air pipe than blew cold air onto the skin as the laser was zapping which reduced the pain a lot, infact I could hardly feel the laser. Different areas are going to have different pain levels. E.g. armpits for me hurt a lot but it’s such a small area so it’s over with in minutes. Electrolysis on the other hand…I had it done on the sides of my face and even with applying Emla numbing cream prior to my appointment the pain was a lot. Electrolysis is a lot more painful than laser.
6) Can shave between appointments during laser hair removal
During the first few sessions when hair is likely to grow back between sessions, you are allowed to shave it off if it really bothers you. With electrolysis however the hair has to be present for it to be treated, meaning you have to let all the hairs grow out before starting electrolysis, which some people may not feel comfortable doing, especially on areas like the face which you can’t really hide.
Paradoxical Hair growth with laser
The reason I did electrolysis in the first place was because I was always scared that laser would cause paradoxical hair growth on my finer hair because I am the type of person whose hair grows back quicker and thicker after shaving (people say this is a ‘shaving myth’ but I think for some people this is a genuine thing). Laser did not cause my hair to grow back worse or faster. I don’t have hormonal hair which I think is the main reason I have been fine with laser, and also the fact that my hair is dark. The laser used on me was Nd:YAG, which I think is one of the strongest lasers, as the laser penetrates deep into the follicle.
Permanent hair reduction vs permanent hair removal
Laser hair removal is permanent hair reduction (advertised at removing 70-95% of hair I think, depending on the person), not 100% permanent removal like electrolysis is supposed to be, so I’d recommend laser hair removal first and then when you’ve had the recommended number of treatments and there a still some hairs coming back then you could tackle these with electrolysis if you’re after getting rid of every single hair. Though any hair that does grow back after laser should be very fine and easy to just shave off.
Maintenance sessions with laser hair removal
I only started laser hair removal a bit over a year ago and my sessions haven’t been fully consistent due to lockdowns&covid etc. It hasn’t been long enough for me to comment on whether I need maintenance sessions. (Maintenance sessions are sessions that people have year(s) after they finish their laser hair removal course if they notice regrowth).
IPL/laser
Everything I said about laser is about my experience with Nd:YAG.
IPL is NOT the same as laser. It is much weaker than laser and I would not recommend IPL for permanent hair removal.
IPL however is capable of fading the marks/pigmentation caused by ingrows and trapped hairs.
This turned out to be a lot longer than planned but thought I’d share just in case anyone is interested or wanted an opinion on someone who has tried both. 
Just wondering how long did it take for your hyperpigmentation to completely disappear because mine took longer than a year? I am aware that for some people laser unfortunately either makes no difference or causes paradoxical hair growth which is why I started with electrolysis. But I just wanted to just remind people that laser can actually work really well and deliver good results. I also have had nearly my entire body done with laser and the ladies at the clinic I went to were very honest and told me what hair on my body would/wouldn’t work with the laser.