Home Electrolysis Vs. Home Laser for Light-Colored Arm Hair
The battle to eliminate unwanted body hair can be time-consuming, expensive and imperfect, no matter what method you choose. From shaving and plucking to advanced laser and radio frequency technology, they all have setbacks. Light arm hair coupled with at-home electrolysis and laser tools make for temporary results. Does this Spark an idea?
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Function
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In order to "permanently" remove hair, you must damage or "kill" the hair follicle from which all hair production originates. Electrolysis depilation involves passing an electric current through the hair's root. Laser treatments pass beams of light through the skin targeting the follicle with its intense heat, thereby damaging the follicle irreparably.
Laser Limitations
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The efficacy of laser hair removal has been limited to those with darker hair and lighter skin tone, according to a study on blond hair removal published in the "Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy." This is because lasers target dark melanin pigment, which are found in hair and skin, and you wouldn't want to zap your skin's pigments. People with tanned arms and naturally light or sun-bleached hair aren't strong candidates.
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Electrolysis Limitations
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Home electrolysis is a very slow process, as each hair is "probed" by a mechanical pencil type of tool, then plucked out by tweezers, according to HairFacts.com. Professional grade electrolysis works by inserting the probe into the follicle, but the at-home version isn't made for penetrating the skin that far. It may be especially difficult to remove light arm hair from your dominant arm with such a tool because of the technique required to tackle each individual hair.
FDA Approval
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The FDA has approved two at-home lasers, Silk'n and Tria. Several FDA-approved electrolysis tools exist for home treatment. Both can be used on arms. In both cases, strict adherence to manufacturer's instructions is necessary to minimize side effects.
Cost
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The tools themselves are relatively inexpensive when compared to a professional treatment. However, if your arm hair is light and your skin tan, electrolysis may be the more economical method. The density of arm hair would need to be factored in as well, since each hair is removed individually in a painstakingly time-consuming process with electrolysis.
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