THE ANSWER
No, they do not permanently remove hair. Devices that promise permanent removal without a probe entering the follicle have never demonstrated it, and the FDA has said so publicly and acted against manufacturers making those claims. If a device promises painless permanent hair removal with nothing entering the follicle, that promise has no evidence behind it.
Why
Electrolysis works because a current is delivered inside the follicle, at the growth cells, by a probe that follows the hair down. The energy is applied where the work needs doing.
Electric tweezers grip the hair at the surface and pass a current through the hair shaft, on the theory that it travels down to the root. Hair is a poor conductor and the current does not usefully reach the follicle. What the tweezer then does is pull the hair out, which is plucking. The result looks like hair removal because hair has been removed, and it grows back on the ordinary plucking schedule.
Transdermal and transcutaneous versions moved further from the follicle rather than closer. One replaced the tweezer with an electrified cotton swab; later versions used electrified patches on the skin surface. Neither delivers current into the follicle in any meaningful amount.
The commercial appeal is obvious. These devices promise permanent results without the needle, which is exactly what people looking at electrolysis would like to hear. That is why the category has persisted for decades despite the evidence.
Do electric tweezers actually remove hair permanently?
No. By the end of 1998 the FDA stated that electric tweezers had produced no statistically significant data showing they could achieve permanent hair removal. Published clinical data since has not changed that.
Does transdermal or transcutaneous electrolysis work?
There is no evidence that it does. These approaches grew out of the electric tweezer category, replacing the tweezer with a swab or patch, moving the point of contact even further from the follicle.
Why did the FDA act against Super Phaser Gold?
In April 2001 the FDA told the maker of Super Phaser Gold that it was in violation of federal law for claiming painless and permanent hair removal using transcutaneous patches. That action is a matter of public record.
Is painless permanent hair removal without a needle possible?
No method delivering permanent removal without something entering the follicle has been demonstrated. The word "painless" in this category is a marketing claim rather than a description, and it is one of the more reliable warning signs.
What the evidence says
The FDA stated by the end of 1998 that electric tweezers had shown no statistically significant evidence of permanent hair removal, and in April 2001 issued a warning to the maker of one transcutaneous device over painless-and-permanent claims. This history is documented publicly by consumer hair removal information sources. This page describes documented regulatory action and published findings, and makes no allegation against any currently trading company.
What to do next
Apply one test to any device promising permanent hair removal: does anything enter the follicle? If the answer is no, there is no evidence it can deliver permanence, whatever the marketing says.
If you have already bought one and had no result, that is the expected outcome rather than a mistake you made. See electrolysis consultation to find out what your hair actually needs.