THE ANSWER
Waxing removes the hair. Electrolysis removes the follicle. That is the whole difference, and it is why waxing has to be repeated forever and electrolysis does not. Waxing is much cheaper today and costs considerably more across a decade, and it carries a folliculitis risk that electrolysis does not.
Why
Waxing pulls hair out from below the surface. The follicle is left intact and undamaged, so it grows another hair, which is why regrowth arrives on a predictable four to six week schedule. Nothing about repeated waxing trains a follicle to stop.
There is a second effect people notice less. Pulling hair repeatedly can distort a follicle so it no longer runs straight. A distorted follicle is harder to treat permanently later and needs more sessions, so years of waxing makes future electrolysis slower than it would have been.
Waxing also breaks hair below the surface and opens follicles, which is why inflamed spots a few days after a wax are so common. Clinical work on hair removal folliculitis identifies waxing as carrying higher risk than most other methods.
Electrolysis destroys the growth cells in the follicle, so that follicle is finished. It takes far longer up front and then it stops.
Does waxing eventually stop the hair from growing?
No. Some people report hair growing back finer over many years of waxing, but the follicle is not destroyed and growth continues. If waxing permanently removed hair, nobody would need a schedule for it.
Why does hair keep coming back after waxing?
Because the follicle is still there and still producing. Waxing removes what has grown; it does not affect the structure producing it. The regrowth cycle is the follicle working normally.
Treating folliculitis after waxing
Small inflamed spots a few days after a wax are common, and if it happens every time, that is a pattern rather than bad luck. Removing the follicles in the affected area ends it. See ingrown hair and razor bump treatment.
What the evidence says
Post-hair-removal folliculitis has been examined in clinical literature, with waxing associated with higher risk than other common methods. Follicle distortion from repeated pulling is described consistently across independent electrology sources. Electrolysis is the only method the FDA recognises as permanent.
What to do next
Do the arithmetic before your next appointment. Count what you spend on waxing one area in a year and multiply by the number of years you expect to keep doing it. That number is the real comparison, not the price of a single session.
If you have waxed the same area for years, stop waxing before starting electrolysis and shave instead. See facial hair removal or body hair removal.