Family Encyclopedia >> Beauty & Style

Wednesday's beauty question:what is permanent hair removal?

Kezaco? Permanent hair removal is very long-lasting hair removal, but not permanent. That's why it's called "permanent." Two reasons for this:1/ There is always a risk of regrowth:since hair growth is subject to hormones, a hormonal imbalance can lead to the return of hair in certain places or on all the depilated areas. But let's be reassured, it's rare. 2 / It is considered that, with laser or pulsed light, we eliminate "only" 80 to 90% of the hairs. What about the remaining 10-20%? Either they are in the state of down, or they are devoid of melanin (=invisible to the machine).

How does it work? There are 2 methods to shed hair for a long time:laser and pulsed light. Both techniques have the same mode of action:the devices send a flash of light which turns into heat (70°C) on contact with the melanin of the hair and burns it. In terms of effectiveness, they are the same, but on several conditions:1/ the hairs to be treated must no longer be downy (this is why the area to be depilated must always be shaved before the session , in order to transform any down into hair) and must be in the growing phase; 2/ the device must be correctly adjusted in order to deliver the right dose of energy:if the power is too strong, it can burn the skin, if it is too weak, the hair will not be destroyed. Good to know all the same:the pulsed light is less precise than the laser, suddenly, we need more sessions than with the laser to achieve the same result (but since the sessions are less expensive, financially, it is kif-kif).

It's for me ? Permanent hair removal works on all skin types, but not on all hairs. Since the devices target melanin, they are most effective when the skin is white and the hair is black. But it's not bad for the others (ouuuuuf!). For very light or red hair, pulsed light is recommended, because it has a better chance of targeting the melanin of blond or red hair. For black hair on black skin, the Nd:YAG laser is often prescribed, because it allows the hair to be targeted without flashing the melanin of the skin (=no risk of burning). In the end, the only case where laser or pulsed light hair removal is impossible is when the hair is white, therefore completely devoid of melanin. There, the only solution, electric hair removal:a needle is inserted into the hair canal and destroys it via an electric current (long and painful, we prefer to warn you).