Electrolysis versus Laser – How To Choose Which Is Best For You

There is so much misinformation out there that it is impossible to get a clear answer on which methods of permanent hair removal are best and why. Both laser and electrolysis specialists have maligned the other with half-true statements such as “laser isn’t really permanent” and “electrolysis is old-fashioned and unsuitable for large areas”. Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses, but there is room for them both in the pantheon of modern hair removal methods.

Before I discuss how electrolysis and laser can work in tandem to give you the hair removal outcome you desire, I have to stress that you must choose both your electrologist and/or laser technician with care. Unfortunately, there are legions of unqualified people working in both industries. While a bad electrolysis treatment doesn’t contribute to any lasting damage to the skin, a bad laser treatment can cause skin damage as well as significantly increase hair growth in the treated area. I found this documentary worthwhile simply because it shows how little training you require to use a laser on the public.

The Painful Side To Laser Treatments

It is incorrect to assume it’s electrolysis versus laser because the 2 technologies complement each other in several ways.

For areas with dense, coarse hair growth like a woman’s bikini line or a man’s legs and chest, laser can be a way of reducing the hair growth relatively quickly. The area can then be finished with several treatments of electrolysis if you desire a silky smooth finish, rather than just a reduction. The truth about laser is that it is permanent hair reduction, which means that unless you finish the area with electrolysis you will need to return for laser touch-ups on a yearly basis. I had one client who went for 4 years for laser treatments on her bikini line, not realizing that she had achieved her peak reduction after the first few treatments. So there was a time and money lost because no one told her the true limit of laser hair reduction.

Laser and electrolysis are sort of opposites in that way. With electrolysis, it takes time to see that the result is truly permanent hair removal. Electrologists work hair by hair and gradually remove all the undesired growth. Whereas with laser, you clear a fairly large area in one treatment and you see results almost immediately. If you see regrowth after your prescribed treatment time it’s not that you need more laser treatments, it’s that you’ve achieved the limit of what laser can do for you.

Is It Electrolysis vs Laser or Can Electrolysis And Laser Work Together To Help You Achieve Permanent Hair Removal?

Simply put there are some places that laser should never be used because laser treatments can actually induce hair growth in certain areas on both men and women. Specifically it’s women’s faces, and the backs, upper arms and shoulders of both men and women that should never be treated with laser. Many people however, have seen success using laser on areas of the body with dense, coarse hair growth such as ladies’ bikini lines or a man’s chest or legs.

Thinking of permanent hair removal in terms of electrolysis vs laser is helpful when you consider the limits of laser. Laser is not successful on all skin types and hair textures. Laser will not work unless you have coarse, dark hair and light skin (and even then it’s an imperfect technology). If you don’t have this hair and skin combination then you will not have successful laser hair reduction treatments.

Chart showing electrolysis vs laser comparison

Laser also has its limits though when it comes to the finer aspects of hair removal.

Electrolysis can be used to refine the overall look of an area where hair reduction, rather than total hair removal, is the goal. A woman may have hairy lower arms, but her upper arms might not need any hair removal. With electrolysis it is possible to achieve a very natural effect so there isn’t a noticeable demarcation line between the areas where you’ve had treatment and areas where you haven’t. Since electrolysis targets individual hairs an electrologist can thin an area creating a natural progression from hairless to an area having vellus hair (vellus hair is the fine growth covering our face and body) so it’s not obvious that you’ve had hair removal.

This is the main reason that electrolysis is the preferred method for treating a woman’s face. It sounds odd but you simply need a little bit of hair on your face if you want to look natural. Laser is a technology that, when it works, can reduce the hair growth in large areas on the body but because of how the energy is delivered its strength is not in the fine detail work that can be achieved through electrolysis.

Further Reading:
https://www.follikill.com/2013/05/06/laser-hair-removal-permanent/

How Did Laser Take Over The Market So Fast And So Effectively?

Can Electrolysis Fail – What To Do If Electrolysis Treatment Fails?