The Ultimate Maintenance-Free Hair Plan: Permanent Hair Removal

Many hair removal systems claim to be “virtually permanent”, but only one or two really are permanent. Electrolysis and laser hair removals are really the only ways to permanently remove hair, and both work by having the root of the hair destroyed. Both are only permanent when done by a qualified practitioner and both may require multiple sessions to really achieve permanent results. With laser hair treatments, you will need to go to several sessions to get permanent results. There are home electrolysis and laser kits available, which are good at removing hair temporarily.

Electrolysis

Electrolysis is the one method of permanent hair removal that has medical approval. It has been around for many years, and many studies have been done showing that electrolysis does offer permanent hair removal. During electrolysis sessions, a qualified professional inserts a metal probe into an individual hair follicle and zaps the hair with electricity, killing the hair.

Laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is a more recent method of hair removal, so less is known about this method. Many experts claim that hair removal using lasers lasts up to one year but is not permanent. Some studies suggest that some permanent hair loss happens during laser hair removal sessions. It is important to visit a qualified professional, since these sessions are can be a little on the pricey since, and since lasers can sometimes cause skin damage. Women with pale skin and dark hair seem to get the best permanent results from laser hair removal.

Tweezing, waxing, threading, sugaring, epilating, and depilatories

You may have heard that tweezing, waxing, threading, sugaring, epilating, and even using depilatories offers permanent hair loss. Is this true? Well, yes and no. Any system that removes hair by ripping it out - and this includes tweezing, waxing, threading, epilating, and sugaring - can damage some hair follicles. That is why women who have these procedures done a lot notice that their hair seems sparser. While a few hairs may die during these hair removal processes, though, hair in general keeps growing back, which is why women continue to wax and epilate. Killing a few hairs permanently does not make for permanent hair removal since there are still many hairs around that keep growing back. The only exception I know to this rule is eyebrow tweezing - I have actually seen women who have permanently removed some of the hairs on their brows just by tweezing. I can’t explain it except to say that the area is very delicate and since there are fewer hairs to begin with, you stand a greater chance of killing off a significant percentage of those hairs. Generally, though, you can’t count on these techniques to get rid of hair permanently (however excellent they are in their own right for long-lasting results). The claims about depilatories being a permanent hair removal system are completely untrue, by the way. These creams and lotions do not even harm the hair follicle - they just dissolve the hair. Be grateful: Any chemical that could damage a hair follicle would likely permanently destroy your skin too.

Testing out new hair removal methods…

The next time you see an ad for something promising permanent hair removal, remember that one of hair’s responsibility to the body is to act as protection for skin - and so it does not like to separate from skin easily. If you read about a hair removal method that seems just too good to be true (whether painless, quick, or inexpensive etc.) just give it a go. Who knows? It may become a method you decide to stick to. If not, keep experimenting! Exciting, fresh and innovative things add zest to our lives after all!