Hair - No matter how unwanted it is, you need to understand what hair is because this is what you are removing. Where the hair grows is known as the hair follicle. The word is derived from the Latin 'follis', for bag. This is a sac where a hair shaft grows from and through the open sebaceous (oil) glands.

Each hair follicle normally undergoes a five-year cycle of growth and rest periods. There are about 90% of the follicles growing hair at any one time, growth which averages at about six inches (15 cm) of growth per year. Because of this cycle, whenever someone says that their product removes hair at one time, it doesn't mean that it removes all hair types. Actually, it's impossible to have every hair type removed from an area permanently and in one treatment only. The amounts of each type of hair and growth rate differ from one person to another. Anywhere from 20% to 85% of hairs are in the anagen phase, where hair is actively growing, depending on the surface area and body part where the hair is removed. A lot of hair-removal techniques have shown to be successful on fast-growing anagen hair although this indicates that a single treatment from any procedure is not enough to remove all the hairs of that area.

Potential Follicles are the types of follicles that do not produce hair, but still have the ability to do so. These follicles could be stimulated to produce hair by changes in hormones during puberty, pregnancy, aging, etc., or by chemical exposure or medical conditions. This is the reason why, even if hair is permanently removed, some new hairs may still grow.

Permanent Methods - If you are looking for permanent ways to get rid of hair, you have a few flawed options. A number of ways have been developed to regulate hair growth with the use of chemicals, various types of energy, or a combination. Permanent hair removal ultimately means permanently destroying these areas while sparing the surrounding tissue. This is a tricky test. Choose wisely.

Electrolysis - Electrolysis is a method of removing unwanted hair permanently. In this procedure, a metal probe that is as thin as a hair is slid into the unwanted hair follicle. This is properly done if the probe doesn't puncture the skin when inserted. Upon insertion, an electric current runs from the probe to the follicle and causes localized and contained damage to the area. This results in the inability of the follicle to produce hair. Electrolysis has the best results in terms of longevity of the effects. This method also boasts of 125 years of safety and effectiveness that has been clinically proven. However, this can be very expensive, painful and tiresome. Also, with areas of large amounts of hair, this method may require repeated sessions. If electrolysis is done incorrectly, this may result in partial to full hair re-growth, temporary or lasting skin damage and infection. Electrolysis must be done by licensed and competent practitioners.