How Electrolysis Works

• Electrolysis works by sending an electric current through a small needle into the hair follicle, to destroy the hair at the root. The hair then falls out.
  
  

How Laser Works

• Laser treatments send pulsed light into an area of the skin. The light finds dark color (called pigment) and damages the hair.
  
  

Permanence

• While both methods will remove unwanted hair, only electrolysis removes hair permanently, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Laser is considered a "hair reducer," meaning when hair grows back there will be less of it in the treated area, it will be finer, or both.
  
  

Your Skin and Hair

• Since laser works by finding dark color, if you have dark skin, laser may not be appropriate. If you have light hair, laser may also be ineffective. The Hair Removal Journal states that light skin and dark hair are the best combination for laser hair removal.
  
  

Pain

• The amount of pain felt during the procedure varies from person to person. Analgesics, numbing creams and ice, used before the procedure, can reduce pain, if these are permitted. The pain with laser is described by the American Academy of Dermatology as feeling like a rubber band snap, those with dark, coarse hair tend to feel more pain. For most people the pain with electrolysis is greater than laser, and feels like a sting for each hair removal.
  
  

Cost

• Both procedures can be costly. Electrolysis costs about $120 an hour. Laser, depending on the size of the area, is anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per session. Prices vary depending on where you are getting treated.
  
  

Time Frame

• Both procedures require multiple sessions to achieve optimum results. Since laser targets an area with each pulse and electrolysis targets a hair with each current, for the same area a laser session will be shorter.