Hair on your back, like hair on other parts of the body, is made up of the follicle under the skin and the protein shaft above the skin, made mostly of keratin. The base of the follicle, like a perennial flower bulb, will continue to send out a new shoot of hair after the shaft has been cut or plucked. As long as the base of the follicle is undamaged, hair will keep growing back. Permanently removing hair means killing that follicle for each hair shaft.
Types
The soft, short "peach fuzz," called "vellus" hair is found from head to toe. It is usually less than 1/2 inch long and isn't attached to sebaceous glands. The longer, often darker and coarser hair is called "terminal" hair which increases after puberty with the rising levels of androgens. There is noticeable increase in terminal hair under the arms, in the pubic area and with some people, marked growth on the arms, chest, legs, face and back.
Considerations
Of the various types of hair removal, the "no pain, no gain" rule seems to apply. Cutting or shaving hair, the easiest method, lasts the least amount of time. Plucking individual hairs with tweezers or epilators is more painful and lasts longer (sometimes weeks as opposed to only days with shaving). Hair inhibiting medications and lotions can melt away hair with about as long between applications as plucking. But the only permanent methods are electrolysis and laser treatments.
Electrolysis
In electrolysis, a needle is inserted into the follicle of each hair and an electrical charge damages the follicle so it does not send out a new shaft. This can be tedious, is especially slow for large areas like the back, and must be done during the active period of hair growth. If the hair follicle is in a dormant stage, the electrolysis will not be effective and will need to be redone.
Laser
Laser treatments also damage the follicle so it won't send out new shafts. It is somewhat faster than electrolysis, so is more appropriate to large areas, like the back. As with electrolysis, the treatments must be done while the hair shaft is in active growth and can result in burning or irritation of the skin. This method seems to work best with dark haired, light skinned people. Still, several treatments may be necessary to achieve satisfactory results.
Significance
According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, laser treatment is a good choice for back hair removal because it treats several hairs at a time as the low-power laser beam travels through the skin to the pigmented hair follicles. Some swelling and redness may happen with some patients and sunscreen should be used on the affected areas immediately after treatments to avoid sunburn. Side effects include possible skin color changes at the treated site. Laser treatments can be expensive as well. If the patient doesn't respond well to laser treatments, electrolysis may be the best option.
Electrolysis treatments may take longer, but the only side effect is a slight reddening of the skin after treatment, according to MedicineNet.
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