Hair removal

Does it work?

We don't know for certain how well removing hair by shaving, using creams, waxing, electrolysis or laser treatments works. That may sound odd: obviously if you remove hair, it's not there any more. But we'd like to find out which methods work best, whether any of them stop hair growing back quickly, and which have the least side effects. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much research looking at this. So, we can't tell you for certain how well all the different ways that you can remove hair work.

What is it?

There are lots of different ways to remove unwanted hair. You've probably tried some of them yourself, especially if unwanted hair is one of your symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

We are looking here at what doctors call mechanical ways of removing hair. This means you reduce the amount of hairs you have by removing them from your body. To see a list of different methods for removing hair, and some information about how they work, see Ways of removing hair.

You can do some of these things yourself, at home, like shaving and using hair-removal creams. Others, like waxing and electrolysis, are often done at beauty salons. The important thing is to find the method that works best for you. That might involve trying a few different methods.

How can it help?

It's hard to say exactly how these treatments can help, because there's been so little research looking at how well they work. But, if you find unwanted hair upsetting, removing it in a way you find convenient can help you feel better about yourself and the way you look.

Some research has found that laser treatment can reduce unwanted hair by around 50 percent.[1] One study involved 88 women who had between four and five treatments on their faces, over six months. Half had laser treatment and half had a dummy treatment (a placebo) using a low-powered laser.[2]

The women who had the actual laser treatment said they had much less hair on their faces by the end of the study. The women who had the dummy treatment didn't notice much difference.

Lots of private clinics offer laser hair removal. If you decide to have this treatment, make sure the clinic you choose is registered with the Healthcare Commission. Clinics providing laser skin treatments must register by law. You can ask to see a certificate of registration, or check at the Health Commission's website.

Why should it help?

Some types of hair removal, for example shaving and hair-removal creams, cut off or dissolve the hair that is visible above the skin. So the hair is gone, but only for a short time, until it grows k.

Others, like waxing, take the hair out by the roots. So, it may take a bit longer for the hair to grow again.

Electrolysis is meant to destroy the hair root (follicle), so that a hair can't grow back in the same place. And some types of laser treatment also seem to damage the hair follicle and slow down how quickly hair grows back.

But we don't know for certain how well treatments like electrolysis and lasers work at stopping the hair from growing back. There's not enough research to say.

Can it be harmful?

Removing hair can have side effects. For example, shaving can irritate your skin. Waxing can cause in-growing hairs, which can be sore. But we don't know how likely you are to get these, because the studies we found didn't look at this.

What's the evidence for hair removal?

References

Haedersdal M, Gotzsche PC. Laser and photoepilation for unwanted hair growth. In: The Cochrane Library. Wiley, Chichester, UK.

Clayton WJ, Lipton M, Elford J, et al. A randomized controlled trial of laser treatment among hirsute women with polycystic ovary syndrome. British Journal of Dermatology. 2005; 152: 986-992.

Glossar placebo

A placebo is a 'pretend' or dummy treatment that contains no active substances. A placebo is often given to half the people taking part in medical research trials, for comparison with the 'real' treatment. It is made to look and taste identical to the drug treatment being tested, so that people in the studies do not know if they are getting the placebo or the 'real' treatment. Researchers often talk about the 'placebo effect'. This is where patients feel better after having a placebo treatment because they expect to feel better. Tests may indicate that they actually are better. In the same way, people can also get side effects after having a placebo treatment. Drug treatments can also have a 'placebo effect'. This is why, to get a true picture of how well a drug works, it is important to compare it against a placebo treatment.



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Wanting to remove unwanted hair is much better to use the best methods. Since all of these methods has it's side effects then let all user be carefull of using it and always read the instruction carefully.