To reduce or to eliminate the problem of unwanted body hair, laser hair removal seems to be an apt option nowadays. But, people due to lack of correct information or sheer negligence fail to understand that the results of these laser treatments need not be as desired or a permanent solution . Laser Treatment, however, is considered to be one of the quickest methods of getting rid of excess hair as it does not devour much time in context of treatment as a whole. The same cannot be said about its rival – Electrolysis (the other option for permanent hair removal), it takes ages to treat large areas of body hair. Whatever the process one prefers to go for, one should not get swayed by the lucrative ads & fancy claims made by hair removal centers.

Electrolysis

The Procedure: A thin metal (mostly in the form of needle) is slid delicately enough to get into a hair follicle. If this insertion is done by experienced professional the skin is never punctured. Now a stream of limited electricity is emitted to the hair follicle via the metal. This causes limited damage to the surrounding areas which produces hair. 

Benefits: Many experts beg to differ on the notion that only a laser treatment can remove the hair permanently. In fact they have comprehensively stated that electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal which is clinically proven. And hair treated with this treatment will never grow back. Also, if an individual wants to have a permanent hair removal only for a small area for e.g. eyebrows, ear-lobes etc., it is recommended that such cases should be treated with electrolysis.

Disadvantages: Generally electrolysis is considered an expensive affair, due to it’s inability to treat more areas of body hair. Because of this reason, the sessions of treatment increases, thereby, increasing the cost factor of this treatment. These relay of sittings also mean that it is more time-consuming. Also, the entire treatment can be very tedious & dull matter. If not performed by specialists, chances are that hair can re-grow on the treated areas. Even worse, your skin can get damaged & not heal for a long time.

And if your laser hair removal centre does not maintain hygiene & cleanliness you can get an infection which might spread to adjacent areas as well.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal also has an additional provision for people who prefer to go for a semi-permanent hair removal. However, the most preferred method currently seems to be the permanent hair removal.

The Procedure: Laser rays are delivered & directed from a laser device towards a component called melanin present in the hair. This melanin is a coloring pigment, it is the factor which determines the color & texture of the hair. Now the laser ray causes thermal/mechanical damage to a hair follicle. So, in the end, hair is destroyed without the nearby skin tissues getting affected. 

Benefits: Presently this type of hair removal is widely popular all over. Simply because this type of hair removal system is regarded as the safest one, provided the procedure is administrated by qualified & professional doctors. This treatment is suitable for people who want to get rid of unwanted hair on vast areas of the body. Even if there are indications of re-growth of hair, the newly sprouted strands would have a much lighter shade & finer by nature. Anyone who has dark hair with a light skin complexion can go all guns for this method. Such people can get the best results from this treatment because dark hair means more melanin, if there is additional melanin present, then the damage done to the hair by laser ray is on an extensive basis.

Disadvantages: It does not work effectively on unpigmented hairs for e.g. grey, red etc.
If someone who has a dark complexion wants to undergo this method, great care must be taken during the application of this procedure. Carelessness/negligence while handling this laser system could be a factor due to which burns, minor scarring & partly discoloration of the skin can occur. One needs to wear eyeglasses, since laser rays are known to be penetrative. An individual should find out the total cost of the entire treatment beforehand. This permanent hair removal system can be expensive.