Is It Permanent Or Not?

The different processes of hair removal are categorized into two types, the temporary hair removal and the permanent hair removal. Professionals, particularly dermatologists, usually refer to temporary hair removal as depilation while they refer to permanent hair removal as epilation.

For depilation procedures, very little skepticism is observed. However, several concerns and criticisms about the methods used for epilation are raised. One issue raised focuses on the permanency of results. Some epilation methods cannot be classified as permanent despite providing a more longer-lasting removal of hair compared to depilation. Other concerns touch on the techniques' drawbacks and risks. Methods currently available today for epilation involve waxing, sugaring, lasers, intense pulsed light or electrology.

Waxing advantages and drawbacks

There are many benefits to waxing versus other forms of hair removal. Aside from being an effective method to remove large amounts of hair at one time, it is a long-lasting method. Hair in waxed areas will not grow back for two to eight weeks. However, waxing can be painful when the strip is removed from the skin. Although the pain is short-lived, it can be very uncomfortable and traumatic. Another drawback to waxing is the expense: waxing is usually performed by a licensed cosmetologist, and the cost can be very high.

Sugaring advantages and drawbacks

Sugaring can be less painful than waxing, because the substrate sticks to the hair without attaching to the skin. This procedure may be applied at room temperature or heated to a lukewarm temperature to prevent burning. Nevertheless, there is some risk of skin irritation, sensitivity, and allergic reaction. According to several patients that experienced the method, pulling out the hair can be painful in all ways, but many still find sugaring less painful than waxing.

Electrology advantages and drawbacks

Electrology is considered to be the only method currently used today that could provide a more permanent method of removing hair. This involves electricity being delivered to the follicle through the probe causing localized damage to the areas that generate hairs, either through the formation of caustic lye (galvanic method), overheating (thermolysis method), or both (blend method). The only drawback is the long duration. Practitioners usually advise complete removal of facial hair between 1 and 4 years, with an average treatment length of 2 years.

Laser hair removal advantages and drawbacks

According to laser hair removal rancho cucamonga practitioners, The efficacy of laser hair removal is now generally accepted in the dermatology community, and laser hair removal is widely practiced. Many reviews of laser hair removal methods, safety, and efficacy have been published in the dermatology literature. There are however, several risks with the use of lasers in hair removal. According to several laser hair removal rancho cucamonga specialists, risks include the chance of burning the skin or discoloring dark skin with the laser, hypopigmentation (white spots), flare of acne, swelling around the follicle, scab forming, and purpura.

Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) advantages and drawbacks

Although laser and IPL are under the same category (laser hair removal), there are several advantages to using IPL. According to laser hair removal rancho cucamonga practitioners, the Intense Pulsed Light hair removal process has become very popular due to its cheaper cost and faster duration compared to regular lasers. However, men undergoing the operation would experience greater discomfort as male body hair is generally thicker than women's.