Laser Hair Removal Vs. Electrolysis - Which is Best?

Laser hair removal is not permanent. Electrolysis can be permanent. Laser hair removal covers large areas much quicker. Electrolysis treats one follicle at a time. Laser hair removal only works for dark hairs. Electrolysis is color blind. Laser hair removal requires multiple treatment spaced apart by 4 weeks. Electrolysis kills the hair follicle upon treatment once. Both have the potential to scar.

As long as the hair is dark, laser hair removal is your best option. For gray, blonde, or red hair lasers don't work. In this case electrolysis can help to reduce the hair permanently. In general electrolysis takes longer than laser to work because targets each hair individually. The risk for scarring or pigmentation on the skin is higher with electrolysis as well.

We have had the candela gentle lase for hair removal, and also an aesthetician for electrolysis available for the last couple of years. Patients that used to get electroylsis are so mauch happier with LHR. Laser hair removal in many patients can be almost permanent(there may be some minimal regrowth over many years requiring perhaps yearly "maintenance" tx). The more pigment the hair has the better and quicker the results will be. The energy created by the laser seeks the... more

Laser hair removal has been the gold standard for the past 10 years. Laser hair removal is more efficient and permanent.

Laser hair removal is superior to electrolysis in most cases. A laser can cover large areas that are just not practical to treat with electrolysis because electrolysis is a technique that literally treats one hair at a time. On the other hand, laser hair removal requires dark brown or black hair to be effective. Therefore electrolysis is the procedure of choice for white, blonde, or grey hair. Laser hair removal is also not precise enough to do detail work like shaping... more

Laser Hair Removal is much better than electrolysis for numerous reasons. Lasers create a beam of highly concentrated light that penetrates deep into the skin where it delivers a controlled amount of therapeutic heat. This light energy is absorbed by the pigment located in the hair follicles. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to destroy numerous follicles at a time and leaves the surrounding skin unaffected. Approximately 15-30% long-term hair loss may... more

Laser hair removal and Electrolysis are the two technologies that offer you lasting reduction in hair growth. Electrolysis uses electrical energy to create a thermal and chemical  injury to mature hair follicles. When done professionally, this can result in lasting hair growth reduction. The problem is that only mature (larger) hair follicles can be treated, the process is tedious and there is some potential for damage to the skin surface that may cause scarring. This is often... more

We perform a lot of laser hair removal with a high degree of patient satisfaction. Laser hair removal is fast; full legs or a back can be treated in about 20 minutes. We have multiple lasers so people of all skin types can receive safe and effective treatments. When people have completed a series of laser hair removal they may not always be completely free of hair, as white or grey hair will not respond to laser hair removal. Often, our patients will try electrolysis to remove... more

Laser tends to be faster (multiple targets at once), some say less discomfort and can provide permanent results in fewer treatments. That being said laser treatment is most effective for darker hair on fairer skin. I hope this helps!

Both LASER Hair removal and electrolysis work well.  However, LASER Hair removal is more efficient and technically easier to perform properly than is electrolysis. LASER hair removall is usually more cost effective. Therefore, I think LASER hair removal is better

Laser hair removal is clinically indicated for permanent hair removal or permanent hair reduction. This cannot be said for electrolysis, which provides a temporary reduction in hair follicle growth. Second, unlike electrolysis, laser hair removal targets many hair follicles at once, thus expediting treatment time in individuals. Electrolysis works one by one on hair follicles.