Is laser hair removal permanent?

Is laser hair removal permanent? Are there other permanent hair removal methods?

Hair removal lasers have been in use since 1997 and the Food and Drug Administration approved it for “permanent reduction.” They permanently disable hair follicles, however you have to remember that laser hair removal doesn’t work in the same way on everyone and doesn’t remove 100% of the hair in an area. Generally, this means that you shouldn’t expect to remove every single hair from an area, although you can remove the majority of it. Most people need to follow up with electrolysis treatments for any remaining hairs to achieve complete clearance, if desired, as the remaining hairs become too sparse and fine for laser to target. Some will also need touch-up treatments about once a year, especially on large areas, after the initial set of 6-8 treatments for any new growth your body may develop with age on certain areas. It has also been observed that some people seem to be non-responders – this is not confirmed and reasons are not known, and may in fact be due to lack of skill on the part of many laser operators and/or the type of machine and settings they are using. Keep in mind that it's hard to judge whether someone’s lack of results is due to a potential underlying medical condition that causes continuous growth and makes it seem like laser isn’t working, if the treatment wasn't performed properly, or whether for some people it just doesn't work for currently unknown reasons. In essence, you can’t determine what your personal results with be like unless you try it. Results depend on many variables involved, including the tech's experience, type of laser used, how settings are set, etc. It is recommended to start with one smaller area and see you’re your hair reacts before committing to an expensive set of treatments on many areas at once.

Electrolysis is an alternative permanent hair removal method that has been used for over 125 years. It involves treating one hair at a time and is a good option for smaller areas (like eyebrows or upper lip) where precision is necessary. It does take considerably more treatments compared to laser to complete a large area, but is an option as well. At this time, it is as the only permanent option for very fine and light-colored hair.