How to Get Rid of Hair Folicles

Hair follicles are responsible for all hair growth on the body. If you wish to get rid of unwanted body hair permanently, you must kill the hair follicles responsible for the growth. Electrolysis is the only way to permanently get rid of hair follicles. Laser hair removal also helps to get rid of hair follicles, but it is FDA-approved only as a permanent hair reduction method, not as a permanent hair removal method.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Examine your unwanted body hair. If the hair is dark, you may be able to get rid of the hair follicles via laser hair removal. Since you are able to treat many hairs at once with laser hair removal, it works well for larger areas such as the legs, back, chest and arms. If the hair is blond or fine, electrolysis is your only option to kill the hair follicles.

2. Be aware how laser hair removal and electrolysis work to get rid of hair follicles. Laser hair removal utilizes laser light to kill hair follicles. The light targets the darker pigmentation of hair follicles, effectively killing them. Electrolysis utilizes electricity to kill hair follicles. A technician inserts a needle into a hair follicle and emits a zap of electricity which destroys the follicle. With electrolysis, each hair follicle must be treated individually, whereas many follicles can be treated at once with laser hair removal.

3. Know that it takes repeated treatments to get rid of hair follicles. In order to kill hair follicles, they must be treated, via laser or electrolysis, when hair is in its growth stage. With either method of hair removal, repeated sessions are necessary. Expect more sessions with electrolysis since each hair follicle must be treated individually.

4. Get consultations. Most laser centers and electrolysis technicians offer free consultations. The professionals can assess your particular hair follicles and advise you on the method that will work best for your specific situation. They can also give you an idea of how many sessions you'll need to get rid of your unwanted hair follicles.

5. Prepare your skin. For the 4 to 6 weeks leading up to your electrolysis or laser hair removal session, you should not wax or pluck your unwanted hair. You can still shave or trim hair in the area but do not remove it from the root. Avoid sun exposure in the weeks leading up to your first session. If your skin is tanned, it's difficult for the laser to differentiate between the hair follicles and your skin. Tanned skin is not good for electrolysis either, as it is damaged and more vulnerable.

6. Maintain a consistent treatment schedule. Whether you choose laser hair removal or electrolysis to get rid of hair follicles, you must stay on a steady schedule. Depending on your hair growth patterns, you should schedule your treatments 3 to 8 weeks apart.

Tips & Warnings

• Your skin will be irritated and vulnerable to damage following laser hair removal and electrolysis sessions.