Should I Have Laser Hair Removal or Electrolysis?

Overview | Treatment | Before and After Pictures | Cost

If you’re new to the hair removal scene, this is a common question that many people like you have. We can’t tell you that one is right for you and the other isn’t, but we can point out some important things to think about as you ask yourself this question. First, though, let us say that both are effective methods for getting rid of unwanted hair, but looking at each of the following considerations may help you decide on which is the better treatment for you.

1. How do you handle the pain? Both electrolysis and laser hair removal will involve discomfort. Pain is an extremely subjective feeling. Clearly, there are lots of people who think that the discomfort involved is worth the price to get rid of hair they don’t want to deal with removing regularly with both methods. But, let us point out one thing about the two if this is a sore subject for you (no pun intended). Electrolysis works by delivering an electrical current into each individual hair follicle. It is a tedious and lengthy treatment process. However, laser hair removal works by generating heat energy that is absorbed by the hair follicles. Most devices do this with a handpiece that treats several follicles at the same time. This means that while both procedures hurt, a laser hair removal treatment will be over a lot faster than an electrolysis treatment. So, if you’re sensitive to pain, laser hair removal offers shorter duration of treatment than electrolysis. As an aside: in all our years of treating thousands of patients with laser hair removal, we have only had a few drops out of a program due to the pain of laser hair removal treatments.

2. What color hair do you want to get rid of? If it’s dark hair, either method will work well for you. You are a great candidate for laser hair removal. However, light, blonde or grey hair is not “seen” by the laser. Its target is melanin or pigment that lines the base of the follicle. These types of hairs don’t have much or any melanin for the laser to target. Electrolysis is a better choice for you if you fall into this category.

3. How much time can you spare for your treatments? While this seems like a silly question, it actually isn’t. Time is one thing that almost everyone complains about not having enough of these days. You need to consider the time it will take for you to have electrolysis versus that of laser hair removal. For example, if you want to have your upper lip hair treated, laser hair removal may take a few minutes, because several hairs are treated simultaneously. With electrolysis, treatment of the same area can take a few hours. If you’re busy, laser hair removal is your best bet.

Although the two treatments can accomplish the same goal of hair removal, they are quite different. Asking yourself the above questions will help you decide which one is best suited for you. There are some patients who might require both types of treatment to completely get rid of all their unwanted hair, and there is no problem with doing both if that is what’s right for you.