Permanent hair removal: effectiveness
No permanent hair removal method is 100% effective in all clients
If you’re seeking 
permanent hair removal, several permanent hair removal methods have been developed. 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.
| Method | Study | # in study | # (%) with significant change** |
| OTC* hair inhibitors |
NONE | — | — |
| “Transdermal |
NONE | — | — |
| “Transcutaneous |
NONE | — | — |
| Photoepilators |
NONE | — | — |
| Microwave |
NONE | — | — |
| Electric tweezers |
Verdich (1984) |
8 | 0 (0%) |
| Vaniqa |
FDA data (2000) *** |
393 | 228 (58%) |
| Electrolysis |
Verdich (1979) |
56 | 50 (90%) |
| Electrolysis |
Richards (1986) |
281 | 261 (93%) |
| Flashlamp |
Sadick (1999) |
67 | 28 (41%) |
| Laser (alexandrite) |
Eremia (2001) | 89 | 89? (?) |
| Laser (diode) |
Alster (2001) | 20 | 20? (?) |
| Laser (diode) |
Baumler (2002) | 16 | 4 (25%) |
| Laser (ruby) |
Liew (1999) |
48 | 17 (35%) |
| Laser (Nd:YAG) |
Nanni (1997) |
12 | 0 (0%) |
*** 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.
For more on this, see my section on clinical data.
See also hair removal definitions for more about vague terms used by this industry.