Laser Versus Electrolysis Hair Removal

How Do They Work?
Lasers work by attacking melanin, the pigment with gives hair and skin its color. So lasers are better for people with dark hair and light skin. Laser works by passing intense light through the skin to hundreds of hair follicles at a time. The light burns the follicles and stops them from growing, sometimes permenently, but some follicles may recover and regrow.

On the other hand, electrolysis works by inserting a tiny probe into each individual follicle and zapping the follicle with electricity. So, it is like an small injection followed by a small shock. Each follicle is individually treated and killed. The process is effective, but painful.

How Quick Are They?
Compared to Electrolysis, laser treatments are very fast. With Electrolysis, every hair must be individually removed. To give you an idea, with laser you can usually complete a your bikini area in minutes, certainly under an hour. With Electrolysis, you will need hours for an effective treatment. Lets say that with electrolysis it may take approximately 30 seconds to treat each follicle. In one hour time you will have zapped only 120 follicles! With laser, in the same time, you will have zapped thousands of follicles.

How Many Treatments Are Required?
Electrolysis usually requires many more treatments than laser hair removal. Each folicle must be indifually killed.

How Painful Are They?
Most find electrolysis to be more painful. With electrolysis, you are sticking a small probe into the individual hair follicle and zapping it. It is sort of like having thousands of tiny injections. Laser hair removal is not very painful. Few people report problems with the pain. Laser is considered by most to be less painful than electrolyisis, waxing or tweezing and certainly less painful than electrolysis.

Who Can Use Them?
Laser Hair Removal works best on light skinned, dark haired people. The bigger the contrast in color between the skin and hair the better. Electrolysis should work on everyone.

Which Is Most Effectiveness:
In the short term, laser may be more effective. For example, in a one hour treatment, you will hit many more hairs with laser. But eventually many will grow back.

In the long term, over many treatments electrolysis is more effective. Eventually electrolysis will kill all of the follicles. But each person's experience is different. If your hair color is very, very light or your skin color is very dark, laser may not be effective for you at all.

A Clinical Trial compared the difference between laser and Electrolyisis. They used 3 or 4 treatments with both techniques and after six months they compared the pain, time and costs. The researchers concluded:

Laser hair removal is more expensive than electrolysis, but is 60 times faster and less painful than electrolysis; also fewer sessions are needed with the laser with better results

This is true. After only 3-4 treatments laser is better. However, had they compared the effect after 20 or 30 treatments, they probably would have found that eventually electrolysis was more effective. Because electrolysis takes so many treatments, the cost difference in the end may not be so much. But again, every individual will have different results.

Conclusion:
If you have light skin and darker hair go for laser. If you have dark skin or very light hair consider electrolysis. If you are not sure, consult a professional.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON YOUR HAIR AND SKIN COLOR!!

If you decide to go to a profesional for Laser or Electrolysis, by all means CHECK if they are licensed. It is usually not enough if their boss or employer is licensed. You should confirm if the person who is handling you is licensed. If they have a license to remove your hair, this has two benefits for you.

* You know that the professional has been properly trained to use the devices
* You can complain to the licensing board if you feel you received poor quality treatment.

Licensing requirements vary from state to state:

Electrolysis
As a general rule cosmeticians and estiticians maybe licensed for electrolysis.

You can usually verify if your professional's license is valid by contacting the state licensing authority or department of consumer affairs. For example, in California you verfiy your professionals's licence via the department of consumer affairs.

Laser Hair Removal
Usually only Physicians or by someone directly supervised by a physician are licensed for laser hair removal.

As an example, this is from the California Medical Board.

Physicians may use lasers or intense pulse light devices. In addition, physician assistants and registered nurses (not licensed vocational nurses) may perform these treatments under a physician's supervision. Unlicensed medical assistants, licensed vocational nurses, cosmetologists, electrologists, or estheticians may not legally perform these treatments under any circumstance, nor may registered nurses or physician assistants perform them independently, without supervision.

Unfortunately, in some states there is no licensing requirement at all.

Remember in MOST STATES cosmetologists, electrologists, and estheticians are NOT licensed to do laser hair removal. In most states ONLY physicians can use lasers. Therefore, do not be surprised if your cosmetologists, electrologists, or estheticians advises you against laser and advises you to do electrolysis instead.

If your cosmetologist, electrologist, or esthetician is offering Laser Hair Removal check to see if they are licensed to perform laser hair removal in your state.

Time: Laser is faster than Electrolysis.

Number of treatments: Laser requires fewer treatments

Pain: Laser is less painful than electrolysis

Cost: One hour of electrolysis is cheaper. BUT electrolysis requires more visits, in the long run there may be little difference.

Effectiveness: After a few treatments, laser is more effective. After many, many treatments, electrolysis will be more effective.

Who can use them: Everyone can benefit from electrolysis. Only dark haired, light skinned people can benefit laser.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON YOUR HAIR AND SKIN COLOR!!