Electrolysis Vs Laser Hair Removal and the Pros and Cons

Laser Hair Removal Side Effects

Unwanted facial hair is common on the upper lips, cheeks, forehead and chin. Other areas where unwanted hair can be found are on the fingers, toes, legs and back. Shaving these areas can cause skin problems like ingrown hairs, raised bumps that can get infected, and the dreaded razor burn that takes hours, even days to subside. Although shaving can be done over large areas of the body, tweezing is advised to be used in smaller areas of the body. Tweezing in large parts of the body can cause ingrown hair and even scarring of the skin.

Electrolysis is the introduction of a fine wire close to the hair shaft and under the skin. Inserted into the hair follicle, electricity is applied to the wire and travels down and destroys the root of the hair follicle, effectively loosening it up for the removal of the hair with tweezers. This form of epilators includes needles and tweezers. The needle epilator is inserted into the hair follicle. Epilators using tweezers uses an electric current that apply energy at the tip of the tweezers as they grasp the hair shaft. This form of epilator has not been sufficiently researched enough to prove that it effectively removes hair permanently.

Laser Hair Removal Side Effects

Whereas another form of electrolysis is called medical electrolysis, in which a thin probe is place in the actual hair follicle and a shortwave frequency is applied. Both these types of electrolysis can cause infection and scarring from improper technique.

Electrolysis Vs Laser Hair Removal and the Pros and Cons

According to the web med health news, electrolysis is considered a permanent hair removal system because it essentially destroys the hair follicles on ones body. There are primarily two forms of electrolysis treatments offered. These are thermolytic, which is heat applied to destroy the hair follicles, and a treatment called galvanic, which uses chemicals to destroy the hair follicles.

Laser hair removal is the removal of hair with heat that destroys the hair follicles. This treatment is touted as one of the longest lasting hair removal treatment on the market today. Both these procedures are advised by the FDA to be used only with the direction of a licensed practitioner. Before either treatment is offered, a tropical anesthetic product may be used.

The FDA advises the consumer to discuss with their medical physician the circumstances in which the cream is used and whether the use of it is appropriate to the procedure or not. Tropical anesthetics are skin numbing anesthetic creams. The FDA center for drug evaluation and research has had reports of serious and sometimes life threatening side effects with large amounts of tropical anesthetics used.

As with the thermolytic and the galvanic electrolysis treatments, laser hair removal consumers are advised to seek out a professional medical specialist that are trained to perform these procedures. The choice of whether electrolysis or laser hair removal is a better option is the choice only the informed consumer can make.

Electrolysis Vs Laser Hair Removal and the Pros and Cons

Laser Hair Removal Side Effects