Permanent hair removal defined Most consumers think "permanent" means lasting forever.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case as it's used in advertising.
For instance, a permanent wave in your hair is not really permanent,
and a permanent marker is not necessarily permanent.
It's difficult to assess a new hair removal method that claims
to be permanent. Most people figure that after a certain amount
of time, it's unlikely that a hair will ever return. That's why
several people, myself included, have suggested a specific definition
of "permanent." Some of these definitions seem inadequate
to me. One manufacturer claims their device is permanent based
on results after 9 weeks. That's ridiculous. Waxing can last that
long, and it's been clinically proven temporary.
 Permanent
hair removal
For the purposes of hair removal, the hairfacts definition
of "permanent" is being able to go a year after your
final hair removal treatment without having to use another method
of hair removal. Keep in mind that a year might not be long
enough to determine true permanence, but most consumers would
be happy to have one treatment a year.
The only method of clinically proven permanent hair removal
is electrolysis. Some lasers and flash lamps have been able
to achieve permanent hair reduction, as discussed below.
Long-term
hair removal
Another undefined term is "long-term" hair removal.
Again, it depends on what your definition of "long"
is. The hairfacts definition of "long-term" is being
able to go 6 months after your final treatment without having
to use another method of hair removal. Your definition may vary,
but I don't consider 9 weeks to be long-term. I arbitrarily
decided on 6 months as a working definition, because most hair
growth cycles will have completed in 6 months.
Semi-permanent
hair removal
A newer term used by some hair removal marketers is "semi-permanent
hair removal." This is a marketing term used in the salon
industry that some salons have started using to describe laser
results. In the salon industry, it means "lasting a few
weeks."
Hair reduction
vs. hair removal
Permanent hair removal has been established as the complete
destruction of a hair follicle's ability to regenerate and grow
hair.
Several lasers have demonstrated permanent hair reduction in
clinical studies and are allowed to make this claim by FDA.
The word "reduction" adds another term that is vaguely
defined. FDA has accepted the definition of reduction as a stable
reduction in the number of coarse dark hairs. Some lasers have
demonstrated in clinical testing that they can reduce the size
of hairs and lighten the color. In some patients, this reduction
appears to be permanent.
Click the following link for more on lasers
and permanent hair reduction
"Permanent" Methods
If you're seeking permanent hair removal, you have several imperfect
options. A number of methods have been developed that use chemicals,
energy of varying types, or a combination to target the areas
that regulate hair growth. Permanently destroying these areas
while sparing surrounding tissue is a difficult challenge. I recommend
relying on a body of published, peer-reviewed scientific evidence
to ensure the effectiveness of a method.
Permanent hair removal for most (only if done correctly)
Electrolysis
Permanent hair reduction for some (primarily consumers with
dark hair)
Laser
Flashlamp
Lasting hair inhibition for many (requires continuous use)
Prescription oral medications
Prescription topical
preparation (Vaniqa)
Restricted methods
X-ray (banned in the United
States)
Photodynamic therapy
(experimental)
Doubtful methods
Electric tweezers
"Transdermal electrolysis"
"Transcutaneous
hair removal"
Photoepilators
Microwaves
Dietary supplements
Nonprescription
topical preparations ("hair inhibitors")
No method is 100% effective in all clients
All methods have some clients who do not seem to respond to treatment.
The reason is unknown, and the exact percentages are not established.
Below are some examples of published studies lasting six months
or more that report significant change:
All methods have some clients who do not seem to respond to treatment.
The reason is unknown, and the exact percentages are not established.
Below are some examples of human clinical studies published in
medical journals or submitted to FDA. Note that some studies report
good results but do not report non-responders. Laser clinical
results are still widely variable in the published literature,
with long-term response rates from 0% to 100%, depending on the
study.
*** OTC = over the counter topical
products sold on the web and on infomercials
*** defined in this table as significant
change in amount of hair at more than 6 months after last treatment
*** unpublishedFor more on this, see my section on clinical data.
See also hair
removal definitions for more about vague terms used by this
industry.
For more on this, see my section on clinical data.
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