Electrolysis VS Laser Hair Removal … Which Is Best?

For years, people wonder which technology to remove hair is best yet faster, safer, and cheaper. We’ve responded to their wonders with 2 articles discussing all about Electrolysis and Laser hair removal including their benefits, disadvantages, side effects, costs, and best home devices. Now, this is our 3^rd article regarding this issue which compares electrolysis VS laser hair removal to end the discussion.

First, let me tell you what exactly each technology is and how it works. Let’s begin with laser hair removal:

Laser Hair Removal

Laser Hair Removal is a technology that uses a coherent, narrow laser beam to treat hair. The targeted beam penetrates the skin through the hair shaft to reach the hair follicle. Then, both of them absorb it and turn it into heat which, in turn, damages them and the hair papilla.

All this process happens in a fraction of a second. Repeating it on each individual hair, you can treat all body and facial areas in 20 minutes to 1:30 hours.

Advantages

• Up to 92% hair reduction within 3-8 sessions
• Permanent results last for 3+ months
• Safe, fast treatment sessions
• Pain-free hair removal
• No more shaving , waxing, or ongoing costs
• No more ingrown hairs
• Applicable on all skin & hair types especially dark skins (for clinical laser)
• Cost effective (in case of home laser hair removal only!)
• Home laser devices cost $200-$750 at most
• No chemicals
• All side effects last no longer than 2 days

Disadvantages

• Irritation
• Redness
• May cause itching, follicular edema, acne, and discoloration
• High clinical cost
• Requires much precautions and aftercare

However, don’t worry, laser hair removal is totally safe if you follow the tips and precautions provided by our team of experts.

Electrolysis Hair Removal

Now, to electrolysis hair removal. From the name, this technology depends on delivering an electric current to the hair follicle and papilla also to damage them. But, this time, you’re delivering the current through a needle-shape probe that penetrates the skin tissue.

There are also another method where no needle needed, this one works through galvanic energy. It’s, of course, less effective than the needle one, but much safer. However, both of them are less effective and riskier than laser hair removal.

Anyway, the following things will help with our comparison between electrolysis vs laser hair removal:

Advantages

• Permanent results
• No skin type limit, it can treat any skin tone and hair type
• Fast recovery, in case of redness, the skin takes a few minutes to get relieved
• No use of chemicals: Electrolysis does not require using any kind of chemicals on the skin

Disadvantages

• Redness
• Irritation
• It may cause undesired side effects, such as scarring
• More painful and uncomfortable than laser
• It takes multiple, longer sessions
• Home electrolysis is not FDA-approved
• Very high cost

Electrolysis VS Laser Hair Removal

Actually, there are a lot of differences between electrolysis vs laser hair removal that will make you think a hundred times before deciding on the most suitable method for you. The following table summarizes these differences.

Differences

Similarities

Although there are many differences between laser and Electrolysis hair removal, they have also similarities, such as:

• Mild warmth or discomfort
• Skin redness
• Skin irritation
• To get desired results, you may need several treatments up to 10
• Both give permanent results 2-3+ months

Which One to Choose

In fact, most experts prefer lasers and IPL to electrolysis. When we compare electrolysis vs laser hair removal we conclude the following reasons:

• Electrolysis is a slower method of hair removal. On the contrary, laser is faster and more versatile.
• Laser takes less treatment sessions as it can treat a larger area on the body in less time.
• Laser can be used very easily at home, which means you don’t need help from experts. In this case, you’re the expert!
• Unlike Electrolysis, laser does not require you to use a magnifying mirror for small, hard-to-reach areas.
• Electrolysis hair removal is more painful and uncomfortable.
• If electrolysis applied improperly, it may cause very serious side effects more than laser.
• Electrolysis is really hard to apply is you need to target the hair follicle which you actually do not see, unless you use needle-free device which is usually less effective.
• IPL laser hair removal can give faster results and faster sessions; there are devices that give 75-92% hair reduction within 3 sessions, each session lasts for no more than 30 minutes! Check it out HERE.

Conclusion

In my point of view, I see no deserved comparison for electrolysis vs laser hair removal. Laser beats electrolysis in all aspects: safety, speed, efficiency, cost, number of treatments, etc. So, if I were you, I would definitely choose laser hair removal.

An important factor that makes laser overcome is the ease and safety of home devices. These devices give you the chance to do the process at comfort of your home in no time with no efforts. Moreover, they give permanent results within only 3-7 sessions at 2-week intervals. For instance, a device called Philips Lumea Prestige BRI956 gives up to 92% hair reduction after 3 sessions and it comes with 4 attachments for each body area. Moreover, it has skin tone sensor, skin contact sensor, automatic energy level adjustment, UV filter, and 5 energy levels! So, If you ask for my opinion, I say go for home laser hair removal devices.