Have you heard laser isn’t permanent?
The back story
Electrologists provided the first and only permanent relief from unwanted hair for over 110 years. Then in the 1980’s a new method emerged that would be a real game changer in this field. For sufferers of hirsutism, what a blessing! A faster, easier solution was on the way. It appeared that dark hairs could be targeted without an invasive and time consuming treatment. Photo energy beamed into the skin, could instantaneously destroy multiple hairs simultaneously, revolutionizing permanent hair removal. It took some years to work out the many bugs but by the late 1990’s it had become another effective option for permanent hair removal. But many in the industry thought it was ineffective, dangerous and way too expensive, (which was true for a time).
Confusing definitions
Electrolysis had been approved by the FDA as a “permanent hair removal” process whereas laser was not. Laser was designated as a “permanent hair reduction” procedure. Electrologists seized on this slight difference. The largest Electrolysis association in North America states: “Electrolysis is the only method a approved by the FDA for permanent removal of unwanted hair”. While this wording is correct, the conclusion is not.
Naysayers
Very often arguments are made as to the superiority of one method over the other. This can go as far as to make claims that laser is not ‘as permanent’ as electrolysis is.
The important difference
Laser permanently “reduces” hair growth because it depends on dark pigment (chromophore) in the follicle to target the hair, so not all hair colours can be treated. On legs, underarms and bikini, laser can permanently eliminate all of the hairs if they are dark. On the face, all heavy, dark hairs can be eliminated. There really are 2 categories of permanent hair removal…”non-pigment” and “pigment” dependent” and there is no need for confusion.