Electrolysis

After Laser

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Electrolysis After Laser

Unwanted hair removal is big business in the United States. For men and especially women, it’s a billion dollar industry. Over their lifetimes, the average woman spends more than $10,000 on shaving, depilatory creams, or other common measures. For women who prefer waxing to other methods, the figure is closer to $23,000. That’s a startlingly large amount. We can see why many people elect to try a more dramatic procedure. However, you should be careful when pursuing your carefree, hair-free goal. Ensure that you’re not just throwing more money away at a problem that doesn’t get any better. Electrolysis by Alison is an electrolysis clinic located in Los Angeles. We have experience working with people who have tried laser hair removal treatment and been dissatisfied with the results. See what we can do for you and your unwanted facial and/or body hair.

How to Get Rid of Facial Hair

Many men and women wonder if there is a more efficient way to get rid of facial hair, leg hair, armpit hair, and more. They hear that laser hair removal works and they sign up for treatment. Laser treatment can be effective at damaging hair follicles for a period of time so that hair does not grow back. It attacks multiple follicles at a time, meaning laser therapy practitioners can target large areas in a single treatment. Generally laser therapy machines target dark hairs. They are ineffective, even hazardous, when used on people with dark skin and dark hair, or light skin and light hair. The laser targets pigment, meaning it can burn darker skin unintentionally. This limits the number of people it can be effectively used on. Nevertheless, it is commonly used as a treatment for women with PCOS causing facial hair growth.

Electrolysis or laser hair removal? There are reasons why people choose laser, and reasons why they choose electrolysis. Laser treatment tends to take a shorter time, with 15 minutes for small areas like the chin being the standard. On a medium-term scale, results come quicker too. Notable improvement can be seen after four sessions, spaced apart by a month. Electrolysis is a slower process because each individual hair follicle has to be treated. One pass over the eyebrows may take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the experience of the technician performing the procedure. The number of sessions can be as many as 15 before long-term progress is seen. However, this is offset by the much lower cost of the session. Laser hair removal treatment typically costs at least four times as much as electrolysis, and often more. What’s more, electrolysis is actually recognized as a permanent method of hair removal by the FDA. Laser hair removal isn’t. It is classified as ‘permanent hair reduction’. The follicles targeted by laser treatment can re-enter the growth cycle after repairing from their damage. This can take as little as two years. Electrolysis does not allow this to occur.

Laser therapy can be more painful than electrolysis, especially for people with coarser, darker hair, or higher levels of testosterone. The sensation of laser treatment is often compared to a burning rubber band snapping against the skin. The discomfort of electrolysis, by contrast, is more of a prickling sensation. Laser therapy is strongly discouraged for home use in treating the eyebrows and other areas around the eyes. There are home usage kits that can be used to treat the lower half of the face. However, these are not considered as effective as clinic machines. When treating eyebrows or areas around the eyes, special goggles must be worn to protect them from damage. Electrolysis can also be performed at home, but it is generally considered best to have it done by a professional. It actually came about because of an experiment to help a woman with ingrowing eyelashes. Danger to the eye is negligible.

There is a chance of laser therapy causing either scarring or stimulation of facial hair growth. Keloids can be a risk. Women’s facial hair tends to be lighter and finer than body hair. Therefore, laser therapy for facial hair removal is sometimes less effective. Electrolysis treatments, on the other hand, are consistently effective at removing fine facial hair.

It’s also worth pointing out that because of the issues with pigment contrast, laser therapy is of limited effectiveness dealing with tattooed skin, or moles. Electrolysis is a suitable treatment for removing unwanted hair on tattooed skin as well as hair on moles. That said, Electrolysis by Alison strongly advises that you seek the advice of a dermatologist concerning your mole before starting electrolysis treatment.

Laser Hair Removal vs. Electrolysis

Is Laser Hair Removal a Better Option than Electrolysis?

Both laser therapy and electrolysis are a more long-term solution than shaving, but there are significant differences between the two. Laser therapy requires continuous expensive treatments to maintain the effect. On the other hand, electrolysis is slower to become noticeable but once it is, presents a permanent solution. Laser is more painful and presents more hazards than electrolysis. Electrolysis can be somewhat uncomfortable but when working with an experienced professional, long-term side effects are very rare.

If you have pursued laser therapy in the past and are dissatisfied with the results, you may want to switch to electrolysis. At Electrolysis by Alison, we are happy to accept new clients. However, we want to make sure that you get the best possible experience. It may be necessary to consult with a dermatologist before beginning your electrolysis treatment. A skin specialist can ascertain whether your skin is ready for electrolysis treatment after the effects of laser treatment. Especially when considering the skin on your face, it is always better to be cautious. When your skin is ready, we will be happy to help you achieve permanent hair removal on your face.

PCOS Facial Hair and Electrolysis

When dealing with hormonal hair growth on the face caused by PCOS, electrolysis is your best option. Shaving, tweezing, and especially waxing can deform the follicles, or snap the hair subdermally, leading to ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs on the face can take weeks, even months to remedy. It will also look more unsightly than the original hair in the meantime. Hair removal cream can harm the sensitive skin on your face, as can laser therapy. Laser therapy also presents the danger of scarring, especially keloids. Electrolysis is the only one of these solutions that will entirely deal with the problem and with the minimum of side effects. Electrolysis by Alison specializes in treating women with PCOS. We offer a relaxing and caring atmosphere in which to achieve your beauty goals. Over Alison’s more than 15 years in business, she has perfected a single-handed hair removal technique. Her unique approach greatly speeds the treatment and minimizes discomfort. Alison’s approach treats electrolysis not simply as another salon technique. It’s a type of beauty therapy, a solution to the tedious, temporary measures many men and women settle for.

Choose Electrolysis by Alison for a permanent solution to your facial and body hair woes. If you have concerns about trying electrolysis after laser therapy, call us to book your electrolysis treatment session appointment. We are happy to offer the benefit of our considerable experience in the field.