In recent years, laser clinics, medical spas, and plastic surgeons’ offices have been quite loose with their use of the term “permanent hair removal.” The question is what do they mean by permanent? While lasers are FDA approved, the FDA does not allow for the marketing of technologies and services that state permanent hair removal. This is because technologies like laser hair removal provide a permanent reduction of hair growth up to 90%, give or take 10%. This means that you shouldn’t expect to permanently remove every single hair from the targeted area; however, you can expect to remove the vast majority of it. Hence, the FDA’s use of the term “permanent hair reduction” rather than permanent hair removal. For the few cases that hair does grow back, the hair that grows in is usually lighter and finer. Still we cannot say hair lasers are permanent without acknowledging the possibility of that 10%. However, when you stack that 10% against waxing or tweezing, the reduction in hair and hair removal costs is mind-boggling. Simply stated, laser treatments at the moment offer as close to permanent results as you’re able to get, making it the most permanent solution on the market.
A treatment that can be considered completely permanent is electrolysis. Because electrolysis works follicle by follicle, utilizing a small needle with electrical current, it is safe to say that the individual follicle treated will be permanently removed. While electrolysis is considered highly effective for small areas such as the upper lip and chin, the advent of laser technology has made electrolysis less than ideal for larger areas such as full facial hair removal or bikini hair removal. Lasers, on the other hand, offer control and efficiency for large areas, especially the back and full legs. Imagine having to sit through multiple sessions of electrolysis when you’re treating your full legs or back! Additionally, electrolysis can be quite painful and can cause skin discoloration in darker skin tones.
Check out what the Food and Drug Administration has to say about hair laser technology and permanent hair reduction.
Growth Cycles
Take a look at your arm! Did you know that your hair grows in stages? Laser treatments to so long to achieve permanent results because hair grows at different stages. Hair needs to be at the optimal growth stage in order to be effected by the lasers light. If the hair is in resting, shedding, or invisible stage, it will not be effected by the laser's light and in turn will not be permanent
