Electrolysis Practice Exam

What method does galvanic hair removal use to achieve its effect?

1. Thermal alteration

2. Chemical decomposition

3. Mechanical extraction

4. Heat application

The correct answer is: Chemical decomposition

Galvanic hair removal is based on the principle of chemical decomposition. This method employs a small electrical current that passes through the hair follicle, leading to the breakdown of the natural substances in the hair follicle, primarily through electrolysis. The process results in the creation of sodium hydroxide, which effectively destroys the hair follicle's ability to grow hair by causing a chemical change. While thermal alteration and heat application could relate to other hair removal methods, such as laser or thermolysis, they do not apply to galvanic hair removal, which focuses on the chemical reaction caused by the electrical current. Mechanical extraction, on the other hand, refers to physically pulling hair out of the follicle, which is not the method used in galvanic techniques. Thus, the identification of chemical decomposition as the process in galvanic hair removal is accurate.