PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL: WHICH METHOD TO CHOOSE?

Several methods of permanent hair removal are available on the market, so it may seem complicated to choose between them. Don’t worry; it is easier than you think to find the method that suits you! Sure thing, these methods are all effective and they all possess different advantages to meet different needs.

 Laser and pulsed light: What’s the difference?

Although laser hair removal is different, on some levels, from pulsed light hair removal (IPL), these two techniques have a lot in common. Thus, the principle used to remove the hairs is the same for both of these Technics. Both effectively use light waves which, once absorbed by the skin, are converted into heat in order to destroy the hair follicles permanently.

 Dr Usman Amiruddin is here to provide his patients with safe, effective surgical and non-surgical treatments for all areas of the body. I am a Certified Plastic Surgeon and medical aesthetician who focus on building the relationship with each patient while helping them to understand the procedure process. I provide all cosmetic, plastic & burn services under one umbrella.

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Furthermore, these two techniques:

·         Treat all areas except eyebrows

·         Require an average of 8 treatments for a complete permanent hair removal (10 to 12 treatments may be necessary for a stronger hairiness or for men)

·         Require a six weeks break between each treatment

·         Work best on pale skin and dark hair

·         Can’t treat blond, red and white hairs

·         Both have the same restrictions and cons-indications, particularly regarding sun exposure which is forbidden for the entire treatment

Although very similar, some differences exist between these two technics that can, depending on your preferences and your particular needs, guide your decision to a particular method. Thus:

Laser uses a single straight wave length and a narrow hand piece while pulsed light uses different wavelengths and a much broader hand piece

Given the highly concentrated emission of waves used by the laser, the pinching feeling is more painful as the one felt during a pulsed light treatment

Given the wider tip used with pulsed light treatments, the duration of a session is shorter than a laser session

Unlike pulsed light that has a special tip for this purpose; it’s not possible to treat dark or black skin with laser

Pulsed light, which is a technology also used for photo rejuvenation, allows during treatments an improvement in skin appearance (dark spots, rosacea, texture, etc.)

Despite these differences, you can see that these two Technics are, with few exceptions, very similar. In reality, being both highly effective and virtually identical, it may be wise to make your choice depending on the clinic that offers the service rather than depending on the device used. Maybe you’ll want to go to a medical aesthetic clinic where you already go, where you feel good, where staff is trained and courteous or that offers a wide range of services that you want to use in the future.

What about electrolysis?

Electrolysis is the oldest permanent hair removal method used. Practiced for over a century, it works by introducing a very fine needle into the hair follicle and by applying an ultra-fast electrical current that will allow the removal of the hair bulb. It is an established method for its high efficiency and its security aspect.

Who is electrolysis for?

Since electrolysis requires the treatment of hair one by one, which is necessarily very long, you’re probably wondering why a person would choose this method rather than laser hair removal or IPL. It’s simple…

As mentioned earlier, not all types of hair can be treated with laser or pulsed light hair removal. Indeed, blond, white or red hairs cannot be eliminated by these two methods, but electrolysis will have no difficulty getting rid of them. The same goes for dark and black skins which, although they can be treated with pulsed light, will present less optimal results with this method that works better on pale skins… Again, electrolysis works perfectly well on dark skins as well as on light skins.

That’s not all! Following laser or pulsed light hair removal, it is common and quite normal that small hairs resisted the treatment. Then it makes sense, from a monetary point of view and given the small amount of remaining hairs, to eliminate them through electrolysis rather than adding extra sessions to the cure.

Finally, some people might just decide to use electrolysis to treat small areas where the hairiness is low, such as the armpits for some people, since the treatment time will be reasonable and probably less sessions than laser or pulsed light will be required.

In conclusion 

You now know that several highly effective permanent hair removal methods exist and some of them are particularly suited to specific types of skin and hair pigmentation. Regardless of the chosen method, the important thing is that you feel comfortable where you will receive your treatments and to make sure that you get a quality professional service through devices approved by Health Canada.

You can visit our “Services” section for more details on each of the presented Technics and we invite you to complete an online consultation form to receive a free evaluation for a complete permanent hair removal cure!

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