Both electrolysis and laser hair removal are practices that eliminate unwanted hair, but each does so in very different ways. Here are some of the key differences between electrolysis and laser hair removal.

Suitability

Electrolysis works on all hair colors and skin types.

Laser hair removal works best on people with dark hair and lighter skin; it’s not effective for people with light, white, gray or red hair. It can be effective for people with darker skin if done carefully and properly. 

In addition, while both methods can be used almost anywhere on the body, electrolysis can be performed on certain sensitive areas such as the eyebrows that laser hair removal must avoid. Electrolysis is also a more precise method than laser hair removal.

Effectiveness

Electrolysis is the only method of permanent hair removal recognized by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration). This is because, rather than merely remove unwanted hair, it works to prevent future hair growth.

Laser hair removal is long-term hair reduction with no guarantees that the hair won’t grow back over the course of time. Therefore, while its effects can last long-term based on a variety of factors, they may not be fully permanent.

Pain

You may read elsewhere or hear from friends and family that electrolysis is more painful than laser hair removal. The truth, however, is that when it is performed correctly, electrolysis should not hurt. However, pain sensation thresholds can vary from person to person, and one person may feel more than others any part of the technique of electrolysis.

At Big Goddess Energy Electrolysis, for example, Cori uses the tools at her disposal to make an electrolysis session as comfortable as possible. She also maintains a constant, open line of communication with her clients to make sure that the intensity of the treatment matches with the client’s personal sensitivity threshold. 

Different people have different sensitivity thresholds, and even the same person may have different sensitivity thresholds on different areas of skin on the body or on different days. Cori takes it upon herself to make sure that every session is tailored to each client’s goals and comfort each time and throughout each session from start to finish.

Risks and Side Effects

The risk from electrolysis is that, because it removes hair permanently, one cannot regrow hair in that area if they later decide they want to.

Potential side effects of both laser hair removal and electrolysis include:

• Swelling
• Redness
• Inflammation
• Irritation
• Other possible side effects that are rare for clients who follow post-treatment instruction, such as blisters and changes in pigmentation (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation)

These symptoms tend to go away within a few hours after treatment. Much rarer are side effects of scarring and changes to the texture of the skin.

The most common side effects of electrolysis are a possible redness that usually goes away within 24-48 hours, as well as effects like swelling or some numbness. Other possible side effects could be eschars, which are little red, scab-like dots that will fluff off after a couple of days.

Time

An electrolysis treatment can take longer because each hair follicle is being treated individually, whereas the laser used in laser hair removal can treat multiple follicles at once.

This comes, however, with a difference in thoroughness. A laser can miss hairs in the broader area where it’s applied. But, when you treat each hair follicle in an area individually, you can be assured that no hair in that area is missed.

Contraindications

There are certain contraindications to laser hair removal and electrolysis alike. Some are the same and some are different. For example, patients who’ve taken Accutane within the past six months should not get laser hair removal treatment or electrolysis. Before beginning any treatment at Big Goddess Energy Electrolysis, Cori always checks with the client for possible contraindications to treatment. Sometimes, these contraindications can make the difference between whether an individual wishing to remove unwanted hair uses one or the other of these treatments. 

Summary

While electrolysis and laser hair removal are both forms of hair removal, their similarities mostly end there. Electrolysis is the only method recognized as permanent because, unlike laser hair removal, once the root is completely destroyed, it prevents hair regrowth. Therefore, electrolysis doesn’t require the ongoing maintenance treatments that laser hair removal possibly does. For long-term hair reduction, you may choose laser hair removal, as it can cover a broader area at once. But for a long-term, permanent solution to unwanted hair, electrolysis is the only choice.