Shaving is the most common method but is time consuming, inconvenient and results in only a few days of hair free skin, requiring constant maintenance. Tweezing or plucking the hair is another alternative , except for small areas this method can be very tedious and impractical. Waxing can treat broad areas and results may last for a month or more. The process can be painful and may distort the follicle, resulting in ingrown hairs and irritant reactions. Until the last several years, electrolysis was the only long-term method of hair removal. In electrolysis, a needle is inserted adjacent to each hair follicle and then the follicle is heated using a galvanic current. This process is a tedious, time-consuming and painful process. It typically takes months or even years of repeat treatments. The effectiveness is also dependent on the skill of the technician, and can result in pinpoint scarring. While all of these methods are effective over the short term, they are in turn inconvenient, messy, painful or associated with significant risk such as infection or scarring.