Shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams are temporary hair removal methods that must be repeated on a frequent basis. Electrolysis is an invasive, painful process that involves inserting a needle into each hair follicle and delivering an electrical charge to destroy the hairs one at a time. The length of the treatment is undetermined and can cause damage to the surrounding skin structures, leaving scarring and dimpling of the skin.

In contrast, laser hair removal disables hundreds of hair follicles in less than one second and offers long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs re-growing after the treatment regime. Typically, 6 to 8 treatments are required, reducing hair growth by 70 to 90%; however, individual results vary depending on hair pigmentation, thickness, and hormonal factors. The hair that does grow back will be finer and lighter in color.

The length of the treatment may be a few minutes, (upper lip), to an hour or more depending on the size of the treatment area.