The Problem
Unwanted hair causes many problems. Women who suffer from hirsutism or hypertrichosis have embarrassing amounts of hair, sometimes in body areas not normally associated with hair. This causes a variety of psychological, social and cosmetic problems. Other people, both men and women, have hair in areas where they do not desire them. For example, on the upper lip or chin in women.
Unwanted hair is an intractable problem. While there are a number of ways to deal with unwanted hair on a temporary basis, no conventional method promises a permanent end to this problem.
Non-Laser Solutions
There are several non-laser solutions to the problem of unwanted hair. Common amongst these are:
Waxing: In waxing, hot wax is spread on the skin, and a piece of cloth is stuck to the wax on the other side, wherein the hot wax sticks to the hair on one side, and to the cloth on the other side. The cloth is yanked suddenly off the skin, causing the wax and the hair sticking to it comes off the skin too.
Waxing is one of the most common ways of dealing with unwanted hair over large areas like the legs and arms. It leaves the skin very smooth. However, while waxing causes some trauma to the hair follicle, and thus some growth delay, it does not cause a permanent reduction in the hair. It is quite painful, and there is the risk of burns if one is not careful with the wax. It requires lifetime visits to the beauty parlour, or fortnightly or monthly sessions at home.
Threading and Plucking: Both these techniques yank out individual hair from areas which are not large, like the eyebrows and the lips. However, these are painful, not permanent and require frequent use. They also result in some growth delay.
Shaving: Here, the hair is shaved off, either with a manual or an electric shaver. Sometimes, electric shavers are combined with machines which pull the hair. Shaving is an easy way of getting rid of unwanted hair. However, it has no growth delay (unless combined with pulling, in which case a small growth delay is obtained). It causes the skin to become thicker, which makes the hair bristly. Finally, it can also cause small nicks and cuts, which do not look nice.
Electrolysis: In Electrolysis, thin needles are inserted into the skin, to try and contact with the hair follicle. A small electric current is passed, which hopefully would damage the hair follicle. Electrolysis is quite painful and slow, with the technician targeting individual hair follicles. It requires repeated sessions, and can cause fine scarring on the skin. Finally, though permanence is claimed, several studies show the efficacy with regards to permanence as doubtful.
The Principle of the Laser Solution
Laser Hair Removal is based on the principle that red or short infra-red light gets highly absorbed in black colour. Such light has poor absorption in water and blood, the other components of skin. On the other hand, hair contains a black pigment called melanin, which absorbs such light. The laser light penetrates through skin, and heats up the melanin in the hair follicle, thus causing heating up of the hair follicle, and its destruction. During this heating up phase, it also heats up the areas surrounding the hair follicle, like the matrix cells and the bulge, thus causing damage to those structures of the skin which are responsible for new hair follicle formation. Thus, the overall effect is two-fold:
a) a destruction of the existing hair follicles and
b) a disabling of the mechanism for new hair follicle growth. Thus, permanent hair removal or reduction is possible.
Since there is melanin in the skin too, which gives skin a dark colour, the lasers have special mechanisms to deal with this problem. This is achieved by cooling the skin prior to applying the laser, which limits the skin's temperature, and also by choosing a laser pulse width carefully, which allows the skin to cool down, even as the hair gets heated up. Thus, while the best candidates for laser hair removal have dark hair and fair skin, we can easily tackle even the darkest individual. However, patients who have white hair are not good candidates, since they have no melanin in the hair follicles.
Another thing to recognize is that hair grows in phases, and there are dormant as well as active growing phases. It is only in the active growing phase that hair follicles are full of melanin. Thus, it is only in this phase that laser hair removal is effective. Since only a small percentage (depending on person and body area) of hair is in the active growing phase at any one time, it is only that hair which is affected by laser hair removal. Thus, several sessions are necessary to achieve removal of a large percentage of hair. The number of sessions necessary is dependent on the person and the body area to be treated.
It is not the goal of laser hair removal to achieve removal of every single hair. Typically, 70-80% of the hair is removed after a few sessions. However, the remaining hair is also damaged, and thus grows more slowly, is thinner, and is depigmented. Thus, the overall cosmetic situation is quite acceptable.
The Technology
At New Look, we mostly use a state-of-the-art 810 nm diode laser (www.zeiss.meditec.com), as the technology of choice. This state-of-the-art, high powered diode laser has several unique features, including a patented step pulse system (which keeps the skin cool, even while heating the hair), and a unique skin cooling system. It is the fastest laser in the market, with a 12 mm laser spot, and a quick repetition rate.
Our laser technology has several advantages over other diode lasers, and Nd: Yag Lasers. The Nd: YAG lasers have no specific attraction to melanin, and because of this, they are claimed to work on all skin types. However, laser hair removal is dependent on absorbtion in melanin, and thus, Nd: YAG lasers need to be used at very high powers for effective hair removal. This results in non-specific effects on the skin, and much more pain than in our system.
Complications and Side Effects
While it is not possible to spell out all the possible complications and side effects, the common issues are:
Hyperpigmentation: Sometimes, the skin becomes slightly darker after laser hair removal. This is a temporary issue, and resolves relatively quickly in 2-4 weeks.
Hypopigmentation: Sometimes, in heavily tanned skin, the laser spots blow away the surface melanin, and cause hypopigmented patches. This is also a temporary phenomenon. It is better to use a sunscreen in between treatment sessions, so that surface tanning is reduced.
Burns: In extremely rare cases, the patient may suffer a skin burn. This usually resolves on its own, or with some medication. It is better to undergo a test patch, before the laser treatment, so that this problem is minimized.
FAQs
The ultimate answer for permanence lies in the destruction of the roots which lie on the other side of the skin. The only known method to go past the skin was to slit and go in. Now, since the advent of laser light, those methods like electrolysis are history. In a few seconds the laser light is guided to the hair roots. Hair contains a pigment (melanin) that absorbs the light and sends it to the roots past the upper layers of skin. The roots are destroyed and then are unable to produce new hair. To ensure optimal energy transmission to the hair, a thin layer of gel is applied to the skin and the hair is trimmed before laser application.
Yes. As the treatment relies on absorption of light in the active hair pigment, the most efficient treatment is seen in the hair that is in the active cycle. More hair in the active cycle, the more effective is the treatment. The intelligent software of the laser has pre-programmed settings for different hair and skin colours that adjust the energy output accordingly.
A large number of hair are targeted in one flash of light. A facial treatment takes around 10 minutes whereas a back or both legs may take 20 minutes.
No anesthetics are required and most people describe the sensation as similar to that of pin pricks on the skin.
The laser light is completely safe, so no special precautions are needed. However, it is important not to remove hair by epilation, waxing, plucking or threading 4 weeks before treatment to ensure that many hair follicles are in the active cycle and thus can be destroyed by the light. (You may use chemical depilatories or shave.) Since tanning takes place by accumulation of pigment (melanin) in the skin, it is also important to avoid tanning before and during the treatment sessions. Otherwise the skin will also absorb the heat which makes the treatment less effective.
Generally, no post-treatment is necessary but people with very sensitive skin may benefit from using a soothing cream for a few days. It is also recommended to limit sun exposure and to use a sun screen for a few weeks following the treatment.
Hair growth is cyclical as hair follicles go through resting and growing phases. Only follicles in the growth phase contain hair and are destroyed by the light. Resting hair follicles need to enter the growth phase before they can be destroyed by the laser treatment. It maybe, therefore, necessary to repeat the treatment at 1-2 month intervals until all hair follicles have been through the active phase. The length and timing of the growth cycles are affected by numerous factors such as body site, hair density and thickness, ethnic origin, hormonal status and age. The sittings depend on your hormonal metabolism. Some people are happy even with one or two sittings whereas others may require for 4-6 sittings, or even more.
