Electrolysis is the oldest method of permanent hair removal, and it is the only one currently recognised as truly permanent. It has been used for well over a century, long before laser was invented, and yet most people I speak to have either never heard of it or assume it is something brand new.
In simple terms, electrolysis works by inserting a very fine probe into the natural opening of the hair follicle. A small amount of electrical current is then applied. This current is what disables the cells responsible for producing hair, so once the follicle has been properly treated it can no longer grow a new hair from that point.
It is gentle, methodical work. Each follicle is treated individually, which is why electrolysis is slower than laser. It is also why it can succeed where laser cannot.
For decades, electrolysis was the standard. Then laser arrived. Laser was faster, more dramatic looking, easier to market and easier to roll out at scale. Clinics across the world moved toward laser, and electrolysis was quietly pushed into the background. People started to think of it as old fashioned, or only for very specific situations.
In the last few years, that perception has started to shift, and it is shifting for good reasons.
More people now understand that laser is not suitable for everyone. Laser relies on pigment in the hair, so it does not work well on blonde, red, grey or white hair. It can be harder to use safely on melanin-rich skin if the technology and settings are not right. It can also stimulate paradoxical hair growth in some cases, particularly on the face. None of this is laser's fault. It is simply how the technology works. But it does mean a lot of people have been left without an option that suits them.
At the same time, there is much more open conversation now about PCOS, hormones, and the kind of facial and body hair that does not respond well to laser. People are asking for treatments that suit their actual hair and skin, not treatments that are easy to market. Electrolysis answers that.
There is also a generational shift in how clients think about treatments. Many people are tired of being sold long packages and quick promises. They want something honest, considered, and genuinely permanent, even if it takes longer. Electrolysis fits that mindset.
It is not new. It is just being rediscovered by a generation of clients who have been looking for it without knowing the name.
Vivian, Founder of Hills Electrolysis