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New York dermatologists
slam dunk electrolysis
An article on the Internet, sponsored by drkoop.com and titled “Facial
and Body Hair Removal,” has recently been making some outrageous statements
about electrolysis and making a lot of professional electrologists irate.
In introducing readers to the different methods of hair removal, author of the
article, Beth Gilbert, gives a cursory overview of such things as tweezing, hot
waxing, depilatories, shaving and sandpapering, along the way calling upon two
dermatologists to rate the different methods.
Dr. Whalen, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of
Connecticut Health Care Center at Farmington, makes some fairly routine
statements about the various negative aspects of temporary hair removal and
saves his most acerbic remarks for electrolysis: “Essentially you’re paying
an experienced professional to stick a burning needle into your hair follicles,”
said Dr. Whalen. The professor responded more kindly to Ms. Gilbert’s
suggestion that cost aside, laser “is the most important of all methods
currently available.”
“Eventually, lasers will be very routine for hair removal and much less
expensive,” said Dr. Whalen. “In fact, in about five years, you’ll
probably be able to buy a little laser for home use in your neighborhood
drugstore.
After explaining that “some of us grow more hair than others – and dark hair
always shows more than light hair against our skin,” Dr. Alan Kling, assistant
clinical professor of dermatology at the Mt. Sinai School said, “if your
relatives have noticeable facial hair, chances are you will too. It’s all
absolutely normal. But if it becomes an issue, remember this – it’s almost
completely unnecessary.”
“Back hundreds of years ago there was a reason for body hair. It provided
warmth,” said Dr. Kling. “But today, with the exception of pubic hair –
which acts as cushioning and helps screen out germs from entering the body –
there’s no real need for body hair,” he explained. Other than his highly
unorthodox theory about pubes protecting the body from invading germs (which
might be particularly puzzling for male readers to comprehend), Dr. Kling has
little of interest or value to say. Like Dr. Whalen, he saved his most vitriolic
remarks to blast electrolysis.
After Ms. Gilbert described electrolysis as “tedious and very painful,” and
cautioned thousands of Internet browsers that electrolysis “can cause burns,
scarring, infection and usually temporary patches of darker pigment in the skin
– and is not permanent,” Dr. Kling added, “It’s barbaric: A thing of the
past.”
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