The entire Permanent Hair Removal Tips website itself was designed to make you aware of various options for hair removal, the pros and cons, and the truth about the effectiveness of each.
I’m not a big believer in universal statement unless it’s absolutely 100% truthful. When I read about a hair removal option offering “permanent hair removal” or “painless hair removal” I’m skeptical.
When it comes to hair removal, you’ll quickly find that you need separate fact from fiction, truth from hype. Just because a product is marketed as offering something, it doesn’t mean that it actually does it or that it will work for you specifically.
Here are some hair removal tips to consider when you are weighing your options.
Hair removal standards
Hair removal standards refers to regulations or best practices that might be in place that govern how your chosen hair removal service is delivered.
In the local area where you are considering hair removal treatment, are there industry or government standards in place for the treatment you are considering?
You might find for example that the particular hair removal process you are considering requires a practitioner to be licensed or certified.
Does the hair removal option you are considering require a practitioner to take specific training?
Obviously, with a process such as Electrolysis, laser or intense pulsed light hair (IPL) removal, you want to ensure your practitioner is qualified and skilled. From experience I can tell you that the IPL machine in particular requires a trained practitioner.
Skill of practitioner
Hair removal skill refers to the skill involved in the actual hair removal process you’re considering.
One of the biggest determinants of hair removal success can be the skill of the practitioner who is providing the service to you ie. the person operating the laser, the person doing the waxing, etc.
Choose a hair removal provider that you trust, that is professional and if possible, who provides you with patient references who you can contact to discuss their experience with the clinic.
Consult with friends or other people who you trust who have had good hair removal experiences.
Obviously if you’re doing your own hair removal – if you’re doing waxing or shaving for example – you want to be careful and ensure you feel comfortable that you have the skill to do it yourself.
As mentioned above, IPL requires a very skilled practitioner due to the nature of the machine and the fact that it has settings that must be adjusted depending on your skin color and other personal attributes.
Hair removal side effects
You must understand all hair removal side effects that you could face if you choose any of the options you’re currently considering.
Carefully understand the possible or likely side effects of the hair removal option(s) you are considering. If the practitioner says that the process is “virtually pain free” what exactly does that mean?
It either hurts or it doesn’t!
Having said that, some people tolerate pain better than others.
Depending on the hair removal process you’re considering and your specific situation – your skin type, skin tone, hair type, hair color, etc – the side effects you might experience could differ from others who have already had the treatment.
Also, your medical conditions, your smoking history, whether or not you experience scarring and other factors can also impact the side effects you might experience.
As mentioned above, the skill of the practitioner performing the treatment can also impact the side effects you experience if they don’t know what they’re doing.
Before starting any hair removal treatment, ensure you do your research and ask your practitioner to describe all potential side effects.
Laser and IPL are often described as feeling like the snap of a rubber band against your skin. Again from experience, I can tell you that some of those snaps against your skin feel a lot stronger than a rubber band. If the machine is not operated properly by a skilled practitioner, burns and other skin damage may occur.
Hair removal marketing claims
Hair removal marketing claims are fast and furious and you might be confused at what you read.
I Googled “permanent hair removal” and within minutes had come across several websites discussing “permanent hair removal with laser” and things of that nature. It’s inaccurate and not true.
One of the interesting things about hair removal can be the difference between factual information based on research and the marketing claims and sales pages of some hair removal practitioners.
When one refers to “permanent hair removal” exactly how permanent is permanent?
To the average person, “permanent” generally means “forever” but in the hair removal business, it could really mean “long term” hair removal.
But how long term is long term?
And do you get a written guarantee that offers that claim in writing?
After all, hairs can lie dormant for many months before growing above your skin and hair growth can also be affected by hormones so even if you’re 100% hair free today, you might find “new” hair growing in the near future.
Thus, even a legitimate permanent hair removal service like Electrolysis often requires patients to attend several (or more) treatments to achieve 100% removal of hairs that might be lying dormant and might grow in the future.
If your chosen hair removal practitioner suggests that they offer “permanent hair removal” ask them if they are willing to put this in writing with a 100% money back guarantee written in plain English with no small print!
Hair removal treatment plan
How often do you need to have your chosen hair removal procedure done and how frequently are the sessions done (ie. every month, 4 times per year). Your hair removal treatment plan may depend on your hair growth and in particular how quickly your unwanted hair grows back, if at all.
And your budget of course.
How many of us have suddenly noticed hair growing in places where it didn’t previously exist? Hair grows in phases and hair can lie dormant for months or longer before being visible.
Some hair removal options such as laser and intense pulsed light tend to offer best results when treatments hit hair in the growth phase. In fact, that’s when laser an IPL need to be done, during the anagen or growth phase.
Check with your practitioner regarding whether or not your specific treatment will require you to work to a schedule that matches the growth phase of the unwanted hair to achieve optimum results.
If you’re doing the hair removal yourself, you’ll obviously have to decide your treatment plan for yourself.
Hair removal pricing
Hair removal pricing can vary greatly by area and by clinic.
You’ll notice that I don’t quote any pricing on this website.
When I’ve seen pricing suggestions for IPL (the hair removal option I used and am therefore most familiar with) the suggested prices were often very different from what I paid.
I don’t want to lead you astray by quoting a price that is either higher or lower than what you can find in your home area so I stay away from suggesting what you should expect to pay for hair removal options.
As mentioned on various pages of this site, your specific situation – the body part(s) to be treated, the color and amount of hair to be removed, the pigment of your skin and the method of hair removal you choose – will largely determine your total cost and time investment.
Plus, once I started going in for several treatments and became friendly with the staff, my IPL pricing was actually decreased.
I guess they felt sorry for me because I kept coming back for more!
After I’d come in for 3 treatments, they started offering me every fourth treatment for free which they had not previously mentioned so this was an unexpected bonus.
Your best bet when looking for pricing options is to go right to the source. Check with the individual practitioners that are located in your home area that you are considering.
Also, remember that more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better. Having said that, the cheaper option might not be the best either.
You often get what you pay for. Again, do your research.
Practitioner professionalism
I went to a hair removal clinic for the IPL hair removal procedure that I decided to undergo.
Actually, the clinic that I chose for my IPL (light-based hair removal) treatments was run by a doctor, a plastic surgeon in fact.
He had one IPL machine that offered hair removal and I met with the practitioner who ran the machine, a registered nurse who also worked at the local hospital.
I had no contact with the doctor himself. His main line of business was plastic surgery and his IPL hair removal was simply part of the clinic’s offerings.
Unfortunately, the doctor died about one year after I started treatment and the office was taken over by another surgeon and again, I had no contact with him either.
In my case, the doctor who was on site in the clinic appeared to have no direct contact with people like myself who utilized his IPL service.
The one thing that made me comfortable about using this clinic was that it was a well-known clinic and the doctor was well-regarded throughout the city. The office itself was located in a large, clean medical office and looked professional.
They made no false claims that I recall and did not promise “permanent hair removal.”
The nurse who operated the IPL machine did tell me in our initial meeting that the treatment would most likely result in a reduction of hair but that given the way hair grows (ie. it grows in cycles and is influenced by hormonal changes), 100% “permanent hair removal” was not a likely outcome.
She also told me in advance that I’d most likely have to visit numerous times to get optimum results.
She was right. I lost count of how many times I went but it was about 16 times from memory.
Government approval
Does your chosen or preferred hair removal option have government approval?
For example, is the hair removal method you are considering approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration)?
The FDA comments on many different hair removal products and currently refers to Electrolysis as the only service that can offer true permanent hair removal.
Several laser hair removal products have been cleared for use by the FDA so you might want to check out the FDA website to learn more about the latest findings since it can change as time goes on and new technology is released.
If you live outside the US, you might check to see if your preferred hair removal option has been cleared to actually deliver the hair removal quality that it claims if your country has a body that monitors product claims.
This is especially good to know in the case of options like laser or light-based hair removal as well as various home use hair removal devices that are often sold on tv that sometimes make dubious claims.
Hair Removal Tips: Summary
In my experience, doing your research and understanding all available options is your best bet for successful hair removal.
Also it helps when you understand exactly what your goals are and that you have realistic expectations of the possible results.
Getting advice from people you trust and when possible, getting independent references from customers who have already experienced the treatment you are considering can go a long way to help you make the right decision.
Let me know if you have any questions about choosing a hair removal option and if I have personal experience with it, I can share that with you.
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