Electrical Epilators are another alternative to shaving.

Electrical Epilators

Two types of devices use electric current to remove hair: the needle epilator and the tweezers epilator.

"Needle epilators introduce a very fine wire close to the hair shaft, under the skin, and into the hair follicle," explains Anthony Watson, a materials engineer in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "An electric current travels down the wire and destroys the hair root at the bottom of the follicle. The loosened hair is then removed with tweezers. Every hair is treated individually."

Needle epilators are used in electrolysis. Because this technique destroys the hair follicle, it is considered a permanent hair removal method. The hair root may persist, however, if the needle misses the mark or if insufficient electricity is delivered to destroy it.

Successful electrolysis usually requires considerable time and money. Mona Wexler, an electrologist in Bethesda, Md., says she is careful to explain the process to her clients at their first appointment.

"Electrolysis requires a series of treatments over a period of time. It's not just a one-, two- or three-time thing," she says. "For example, the process for a forearm takes a series of appointments once a week for about a year. You may have a first clearing of both forearms in about eight hours of treatment over two months. After that, you have to catch the hairs that are coming in on a different cycle of growth. For the best results, you want to treat each hair during its active growing stage."

Electrolysis may not always be the best approach, Wexler adds: "Some men who begin electrolysis to get rid of the hair on their back soon stop, because it can be a huge, costly, and very time-consuming job, depending on the amount of hair."

More often, she says, men are treated for the area between the eyebrows, around the outside of the ears, and the shoulders.

"Women mostly come in for facial hair--the lip, chin, eyebrows, and neck, but I also do a tremendous amount of body work--bikini line, abdomen, breast, forearms, underarms," says Wexler.

The major risks of electrolysis are electrical shock, which can occur if the needle is not properly insulated; infection from an unsterile needle or other infection control problem; and scarring resulting from improper technique.

There are no uniform standards governing the practice of electrology. Only 31 states require electrologists to be licensed, and, among those, the licensure requirements vary.

"Training requirements vary from as few as 120 hours to 1,100 hours," says Trudy Brown, president of the International Guild of Professional Electrologists. "Some states may require continuing education classes, others not, and there are no national standards for testing," she adds.

Home-use electrolysis devices work the same way as those for professional use and carry the same health risks. The risks are not very great, however, FDA's Watson says, because the voltages and currents for the home-use devices are not very high. Neither the home-use nor the professional devices use great amounts of current, he adds.

The American Medical Association's Committee on Cutaneous Health and Cosmetics says the success of electrolysis self-treatment depends largely on the condition of the hair and skin, the equipment, and the level of skill developed. The committee recommends limiting self-treatment to readily accessible areas, such as the lower parts of the arms and legs. Because working on facial hair requires use of a mirror, and, therefore, reversed movements, this area is best done by a professional.

Like needle epilators, tweezers epilators use electric current to remove hair. The tweezers grasp the hair close to the skin, and applied current travels down the hair shaft to the root. And, like needle epilators, electric shock is possible if the tweezers touch the skin instead of grabbing the hair. Tweezers epilator manufacturers can claim permanent hair removal if they can provide supporting data.

"Tweezers epilators are relatively new," Watson says, having been brought into the market only about 20 years ago. "Because they don't use a needle, they are supposed to be less painful than the older devices, which have been around for more than a hundred years," he says.

Needle epilators are exempt from premarket notification; tweezers epilator manufacturers, however, must submit to FDA data showing their devices are substantially equivalent to similar devices already on the market. FDA is currently reviewing this policy.

"On Aug. 14, 1995, FDA published a Federal Register notice requesting manufacturers of tweezers epilators to submit safety and effectiveness data," Watson says. "After the information is analyzed, the agency will decide what kind of clearance will be required for these devices."