History of Electrolysis

Electrolysis is universally recognised as being a medically approved method of dealing with hair removal
While it is physiological in cause, unwanted hair has wide sociological and psychological repercussions.
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It all started in the 1800s ... when things were a whole lot different. Permanent Hair Removal was achieved by the dangerous practice of the insertion of sulphuric acid into the hair follicle via a needle. It was as you can imagine very painful with a huge amount of scarring associated.

In 1875 Dr Charles Michel of St Louis, Missouri reported to members of his own medical profession that he had been able to successfully remove ingrown eyelashes by a simple method of inserting a needle with negative galvanic current into the hair follicle. At this time, the action of galvanic current was not understood with various hypothesis put forward as to how the hair was destroyed. This method of hair removal was very slow.

In 1916 Professor Paul Kree developed the multiple needle technique removing a large number of hairs with the average removal rate of approximately two minutes on each hair. This was however, was basically still a galvanic method and therefore still very slow.

The galvanic method was then superseded by the now almost universally used diathermic or shortwave method.

Since then, there have been many who have been hopeful with other techniques for permanently removing hair and the list is extensive. To name a few, there has been the Tweezer Method Electrolysis, Thermolysis and Acid Washes. All of which have sadly seen only the temporary removal of hair.

The latest, greatest highly advertised is Laser or IPL or SPL. They all work with a light/pulse. Although there is a market for this type of removal it is NOT permanent. These methods are all now listed as Permanent Hair Reduction (not removal). The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission  recognises that Laser is not Permanent Hair Removal*. 

The reason you would get increased hair growth in these Laser type removals is if the therapist has made the terrible error of treating a skin that is pigmented in any way or if the hair is too light. The skin needs to be cotton wool white and the hair needs to be a very dark terminal hair for the best case of a lasting treatment. At best, Laser has been described as a long lasting wax; and at worst as increased hair growth.