There seems to be some confusion about what the phrase permanent hair removal means. When you hear the term permanent, according to the dictionary it means long-lasting or functioning for a long period of time. Let’s take a closer look at your options for removing hair and what they really mean.
Despite a lot of the claims that permanent hair removal products make, there is only one solution that has been a proven hair remover and been able to keep it off a long period of time and that is electrolysis hair removal.
When defining a long period of time, one year or more seems to be a good guideline to use which electrolysis provides for you. Anything shorter than that and now the definition changes to wording like long-term hair removal or short-term hair removal. There is also confusion when products throw around words like hair removal and hair reduction.
When performed properly, there is only option for permanent hair removal and that is through electrolysis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that electrolysis is the best treatment for hair removal long-term. Electrolysis also has the advantage over other hair removal options because it can be done on those individuals with any type of hair colour or skin tone.
There are also two processes for what some would call hair reduction that involves using a flash lamp or laser and this works for only those people with dark hair.
Advertising the use of lasers and their impact gets tricky because the FDA prohibits companies from claiming that using lasers results in permanent hair removal. This does not mean that lasers are not an effective form of hair removal.
It just means that it does not remove 100% of the hair, but does up to roughly 90% or so. Thus, we use the term of the terminology reduction and not removal. Results could vary anywhere from as little as a few months to up to a few years.
Hopefully, this provides you with a better definition of what the difference is between permanent hair removal and permanent hair reduction. Once you understand what each term means, then it comes down to the difference in procedure as to far as cost, ability to withstand some discomfort as well as the time line for the process to take place.
Just be careful when reading statistics that are attached to certain studies when determining which method of permanent hair removal is right for you. Examine the fine print closely to see what it is really telling you. Companies can sometimes bend a number to look like the procedure that they offer is the best when that is not truly the case.