Understanding More About Laser Hair Removal and Electrolysis?

At Bare we often refer our clients to Tao beauty salon (who are in the same building as us) for electrolysis and they do the same for us, as we work together to give our clients the very best results.

Laser hair removal and electrolysis both work very well as independent treatments but also as exceptional complimentary treatments as a long term permanent solution for ALL unwanted hair.

What is the difference between laser and electrolysis?

Electrolysis treats each hair follicle individually with a very fine, disposable, sterile probe to permanently destroy the follicle’s ability to reproduce, thereby eradicating hair growth.

Laser can treat all areas of skin using a uses a concentrated beam of light that is absorbed by the hair pigment to destroy hair follicles that are attached to the root in their growth stage. There are many types of laser so it’s worth looking into the most effective technology that will work best for you.

Treatment time

Electrolysis: As each hair are treated individually more time is required for treatment – depending on the area.

Laser hair removal: With the fast and effective technology we use at Bare the treatment can be very quick, from 5 minutes for an upper lip to 50 minutes for full legs.

Who can/can’t be treated

Electrolysis: Most people are suitable for Electrolysis. However if the hair is dark it’s preferable to use laser on larger areas as it will be quicker in terms of treatment and results.

Laser hair removal: Laser can not effectively treat hair without pigment, ie blond, white, grey or light red hair. Also you can not be treated if you are on certain medication (oral and topical) that may cause photosensitivity. You should also not have laser if you have an active tan (wait for 4 weeks). If you have any hair on raised moles we would advise electrolysis for this.

What areas can be treated?

Electrolysis and Laser Hair removal: Virtually any area for both electrolysis and laser, apart from the inner ear (the rim of the ear can be safely treated).Laser can not treat under the eyebrow or over (raised) moles.

Common facial areas include top lip, chin, neck, cheeks, nose, between the brows, hairline. Common body areas for which people seek treatment are chest, nipples, abdomen, underarms, back, arms, shoulders, bikini line, buttocks, legs, fingers and toes, any areas where ingrown hairs are causing problems.

Is it painful?

Electrolysis: Pain is highly subjective however the general sensation is of a mild warming sensation or heat (a slight discomfort). This sensation varies according to the area being treated. Electrolysis treatment can be adapted to suit each individual client by adapting current intensity, timing application and probe type. A skilled practitioner will review and adapt treatment to suit the clients’ needs.

Laser Hair removal: At Bare we use the latest pain free laser technology. On the body this laser has a mild warm prickly feeling, some experience very little sensation at all – still seeing incredible results. We use a smaller more precisely delivered laser on the face and smaller areas for best results. The sensation can be more intense where the hair is thicker and darker, but after a few treatments when the hair is reduced this sensation lessens. With this laser we use a high tech cooling machine which keeps the skin cool and alleviates the feeling and any potential reactions with sensitive skin types.

How many treatments do I need?

Electrolysis: The number of treatments required will vary from person to person as each client will have a different density of hair growth (e.g. there may be between 50 hairs and 500 hairs packed into a small area of skin tissue, whilst some clients will have less hair which is spaced out). This means that each treatment course will vary, and therefore no actual figure can be put on the number of treatments required, but you will quickly feel and see a difference giving you the confidence to continue with your treatment course.

You will need to have regular appointments over a period of time (at least a year if not more) for most areas. Not all our hair is growing at the same time, and it can be quite a shock to find that those 3 or 4 hairs on your chin could actually be 30 or more hairs ‘taking turns’ to grow! On top of this hair thickness, skin sensitivity, dryness and other factors affect how quickly each hair can be eliminated. Appointment times can vary from as little as 10 minutes to as much as several hours, depending on how large an area needs to be treated.

Laser Hair removal: As with electrolysis results can depend on many factors. Particularly issues around hormones such as age, weight, gender, medication and colour of skin can all play a role in how successful the treatment can be. That said many clients have reported a massive reduction ever after one or two sessions. If there are no hormonal issues with the high tech laser we use we generally say between 6-8 treatments for dramatic long term hair loss.

How often would I have the treatment?

Electrolysis: Treatments are repeated every 2 – 4 weeks for maximum effectiveness. Electrolysis works best when the hairs are in their growth stage.

Laser Hair removal: We are also working with the hair cycle for best results – it’s the hairs that are attached to the root that are permanently destroyed. At any one time 10-20% of the hair is in this stage. So we treat the face every 4 weeks and body areas every 6-8 weeks.

Which treatment will suit me best?

Electrolysis: All hair colours (especially blonde, red, or grey), all skin tones, small or precise areas under eyebrows, or when you want to treat over moles.

Laser Hair removal: Quicker treatment times for larger areas as electrolysis treats one hair at a time. Mid brown hair and darker on all areas of the body and the face. Less painful.

Summary

Each treatment has its place as you can see above. At Bare and Tao we will give you our honest opinion with regards which treatment will work best for you. In some cases the two treatments combine beautifully. Many of our clients have a mixture of hair colours that they’d like to remove, light and dark particularly on the face. At Bare we will treat all the hair, then two weeks later a visit to Tao to clear up any lighter, finer hairs that the laser did not successfully catch. All your long term hair removal needs under one roof with highly trained staff that have years of experience.

Contact us for further information.

For more information or to book an appointment for Electrolysis please head over to the Tao Beauty Salon website:
For a laser appointment – the first step is to book in for a patch test and consultation. You can do that here