Permanent Hair Removal

There are essentially 3 types of hair removal – permanent, semi permanent and non permanent hair removal.  Most people assume that they need permanent hair removal, but is this always the best choice? Sometimes it can be painful expensive and time consuming.

In this article we will look at the different types of hair removal so you can make an informed decision about which one is best.

The first and most simple category is of course non permanent hair removal. This includes things such as:

WaxingShavingCertain hair removal creamsPlucking

These methods involve you cutting the hair at the skin level or removing it from its root. Using these methods the hair will grow back after a few days / weeks. But treatments such as waxing and plucking do weaken hair follicles and make the hair grow back lighter and finer. Remember they won’t ever completely stop hair growth though, they will only slow it down.

This is the biggest category of hair removal. This may surprise you due to the misconception that certain treatments such as laser hair removal are permanent.

Treatments such as laser hair removal are permanent for a few years, but then you will need a top up session as the body naturally begins to repair itself. I would classify the following treatments as semi permanent hair removal:

Laser hair removalThermicon hair removalOther hair removal creams

There are loads of laser hair removal devices on the market right now; just look at our reviews page. These devices will damage and destroy hair follicles for a while.

Unfortunately (and sometimes fortunately!) for us the human body is really good at repairing itself over a number of years. So while laser hair removal devices will destroy your hair follicles so they don’t produce any hair, this won’t last forever.

Your hair will gradually begin to grow back. So you can’t have a few treatments and forget about shaving forever. However I personally think removing hair semi permanently is the best option because even though you will need a few top up treatments, these are quick and relatively painless.

Any hair which grows back will be finer and lighter than before, therefore we can classify laser hair removal as permanent hair reduction, but not pernanet hair removal.

Electrolysis is the only 100% permanent form of hair removal. During the procedure a needle is inserted into the hair follicle (one at a time) and electricity is delivered into it. This procedure is actually quite painful and time consuming. Every single hair follicle needs to be treated – one follicle at a time. Therefore full body electrolysis could take up to 5 years.

But once you have the treatment, no hairs will ever grow from that follicle ever again. Electrolysis will work on any sorts of hair, not just dark hair and light skin. This means that if your hair is grey, ginger or blonde, or your skin is dark then electrolysis will work.

So even though electrolysis is the only permanent form it isn’t necessarily the best. The pain, cost, and time needed to perform the treatment are all way more than getting laser hair removal, and this is even taking top up sessions into account.

For that reason the semi permanent laser hair removal treatment will be the best choice for those wanting to massively reduce the amount of hair growth.