Health and Beautiful

Electrolysis Or Laser Hair Removal: Which Is Right For You?

Both electrolysis and laser hair removal are methods of permanently getting rid of unwanted body hair that is performed by licensed dermatologists. But which one is right for you, and which will give you the results you're really looking for? Read on to find out.


Electrolysis, as the name implies, is a procedure that utilizes electricity to destroy hair follicles. It can be done when hair is grown out or even after it's been shaved or waxed, which is a major perk. This means that you don't have to wait for your hair to grow out in order to get it removed.

Electrolysis usually requires a few treatments in order for the hair to be permanently destroyed, but once your treatment regimen is complete you can expect to not see hair growing back ever again. It's really that effective.

Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal also destroys the hair follicle, utilizing a powerful laser instead of electricity. However, there are some downsides to laser hair removal.

For starters, laser hair removal is only suitable for people with pale skin and dark hair. This is because the laser targets the melanin of the hair and travels down the shaft to destroy the hair follicle. This also means that you do need to let your hair grow out a bit before going in for laser hair removal procedures.

Furthermore, laser hair removal can require more treatments than electrolysis because body hairs grow individually and don't follow a set schedule. This basically means that even if your first treatment destroys all the hairs that you have, you may have more grow out that weren't treated in the near future that will need to be treated.

What to Expect

Electrolysis and laser hair removal are very similar procedures as far as the patient is concerned. You'll get comfortable and your dermatologist will go to work. They may numb the area that you're having treated first with an anesthetic cream. Then they'll utilize a wand that looks like it's scanning over the parts of the body. This is where either a laser or an electrical zap is utilized to kill the hair follicle. People usually report the experience of both as feeling like a rubber band is being snapped, so it's not a very painful experience. And it's far better than going through waxing every month!

Removing your hair doesn't have to be an ongoing battle. Talk to a team like Gateway Dermatology PC to discuss the best options for you.