The causes of excessive hair growth are multiple. Hair growth is mainly a result of heredity and hormonal levels. Some drugs as well as certain illnesses can stimulate hair growth. For millions of men and women who suffer from unwanted facial or body hair there are solutions for permanent hair removal: laser hair removal and electrolysis.
Laser (Intense Light) Hair Removal
Laser hair removal provides a breakthrough in epilation with the capability to treat a wide range of hair colors, textures and skin types. Laser hair removal is a non-invasive light therapy process that successfully and safely removes unwanted hair of most colors from all parts of the body on most skin types with excellent results and minimal thermal injury to surrounding skin tissue.
This method of hair removal offers the following benefits:
- Low incidence of side effects
Reported adverse effects are substantially fewer and less severe than those of other treatment modalities. Most side effects are temporary and usually resolve within 2-4 weeks.
- Less likely to cause permanent pigment changes
- Less likely to cause scarring
- Virtually no burning
- No needles or injection
There is no use of needles and no skin punctures associated with the procedure, thereby reducing the risk of infection.
- Less discomfort
The treatment feels like the snap of a rubber band, causing only slight discomfort compared to other hair removal methods.
- No local anesthetic or other pain medication is required
- No waxing or coloring with a black carbon substance prior to treatment
- Faster treatment time
The device's large spot size allows removal of a very large number of hairs per flash and permits safe and effective removal of hair from large body areas
- Convenient
There is no need to suffer the daily unpleasantness and irritation of shaving or the pain of waxing.
- The average patient will require three treatment sessions at approximately six week intervals to achieve permanent hair removal from a given area.
Electrolysis
Electrolysis is a way of removing individual hairs from the face or body. Today's medical electrolysis devices, called epilators, destroy the growth center of the hair with a short-wave radio frequency.
A very fine probe is inserted into the hair follicle at the surface of the skin. The hair is then removed harmlessly with forceps.
Electrolysis is a time-tested method that was invented over 100 years ago to remove irritating, ingrown eyelash hairs. It can be used to safely treat most areas of the body including the eyebrows, face, thighs, abdomen, breasts and legs.
While chemical depilatories (liquids or creams) may be an effective means of removing leg hair, these products cannot be used on the face. Depilatories contain irritating chemicals and can also be time-consuming and messy. Likewise, bleaches contain harsh chemicals and do little to disguise dark hair. They may also discolor the skin.
Waxing is another temporary method of hair removal and is usually done in salons. A hot wax is applied to the skin and removed once it has dried over the hair. The hair is stripped off when the wax is removed. Waxing can be painful and costly. Home waxing kits are available but they can be difficult to use and messy.There are electrical devices available for home use that try to copy the devices used by professional electrologists. These devices are often unsafe for use by anyone who is not trained in electrolysis.
Electrolysis also offers these advantages:
- No significant discomfort
Electrolysis usually does not cause any discomfort. Modern electrolysis methods have reduced any discomfort to mere tingling.
- Safe and effective
There are rarely permanent side effects. Sometimes, a slight reddening of the skin occurs during or immediately after treatment, but will only last for a short time. Electrolysis is very safe and, unlike depilatories or bleaches, no harsh chemicals are used.
Since many factors influence hair growth, several treatment sessions will be necessary. The total number of sessions needed to remove hair permanently from a particular area will vary from person to person. Most patients return once a week or every other week, but the unwanted hair will be gone forever once the treatments have been completed. Each treatment lasts between 15 minutes and 1 hour.
