Hair Removal

What Is Hair Removal (Including Laser)?

Patients with a desire to improve their appearance by ridding themselves of excess hair can take advantage of numerous hair removal procedures (including laser treatments).  The effects of such treatments can often be permanent, but in some cases, they only serve to temporarily reduce the amount of hair in the area. 

Well-known temporary methods of hair removal include shaving, epilation, waxing, threading, sugaring, and chemical depilation.  Permanent hair removal typically involves various types of electrolysis.  They include lasers, Eflornithine HCI cream, and intense pulsed light sources. 

Laser treatments tend be most effective on dark hair.  The procedure typically needs to be repeated several times before satisfactory results are seen.  Regrowth usually occurs within 3 to 6 months of the initial procedure.  The laser treatment involves emission of an invisible light that penetrates the skin and damages the pilous follicle, effectively impairing its ability to create new hair.  In rare cases, patients may receive superficial burns, pigmentary changes, or scarring.   

Electrolysis treatments destroy the hair follicle with an electric current passed through a fine needle into the hair root.  Galvanic electrolysis directs electric current to create a chemical reaction that destroys the hair bulb.  Thermolysis makes use of a high frequency alternating current that causes vibration in the hair follicle cells, producing sufficient heat to cauterize the hair bulb.  The blend method is a combination of the first two methods.   

All types of hair removal treatments carry the potential for pain, scarring, and/or changes in pigmentation.  While shaving and depilatories may not elicit any pain since the hair is simply cut off or dissolved at the skin surface, there is a risk of cuts from the razor blade or skin irritation.