DEFINITIVE MEDICAL HAIR REMOVAL

Permanent medical laser hair removal or pulsed light is a medical procedure. It is even the most common medical procedure in switzerland. The effectiveness of definitive medical hair removal has been proven since the 1990s. Medical hair removal removes hair radically and definitely. It can be performed in both women and men.

The principle of medical hair removal relies on the selective photo-coagulation of the hair root. The light emitted will pass through the hair of the tip at the root. The melanin contained in the hair will absorb the light energy that will be transformed into heat. This heat must be high enough to destroy the hair definitely at the level of its root in order to prevent any regrowth.

On the medical side, there are numerous indications (hirsutism, hypertrichosis of drug origin …). Aesthetically, all areas can be affected, except eyebrows.

The final medical waxing of the woman will mainly concern the armpits, the jersey and the legs …

The definitive medical depilation of the man will concern rather the face, the armpits, the back and the torso …

Medical hair removal by flash or laser lamp will be contraindicated in the following cases:

-In case of tanning or recent solar exposure (less than 1 month), or when using self-tanning;

-In case of taking beta-carotene and taking photo-sensitizing medication;

-A case of photo-sensitizing illness (such as lupus);

-Isotretinoin (Roacutane®, treatment for acne) is a contraindication of principle to laser treatments;

-Pregnancy as a precautionary principle;

-The pubertal period is not conducive to medical depilation due to the climate of hormonal instability;

Laser hair removal is a delicate medical procedure, so it is important to consult a doctor beforehand to establish a complete and personalized diagnosis.

The examination and clinical examination will seek:

-The existence of contraindications or risk factors;

– Signs of hyper androgenism (acne, seborrhea, hyperpilosity “masculine”, disorders of the rules …), which will require to determine the cause and to set up a medical treatment;

-A medication that promotes hyper androgenism (second-generation oral contraceptives: Lutenyl®, Duphaston®, Mirena® IUD, implant Implanon®) or hair growth (corticosteroids, Minoxidil to fight against hair loss …)

Photographs will complete the questioning and examination.

An information sheet will be given to you at the end of the consultation, as well as an estimate of the treatment plan.

Whether it is a permanent medical depilation session for women or for men, It will be necessary to avoid any depilation by plucking (clamp, wax, electrical epilator) in the month that will precede the treatment. Dyeing and discoloration are prohibited.

The bristles should be as short as possible on the day of the session, to prevent a thermal surface effect due to the absorption of the light energy by their external part. They should be shaved a few days earlier (about 1 week before the session). Shaving will also be possible between sessions.

On the day of the session, the skin of the area to be treated should be clean, without makeup or moisturizing cream.

Eye protection is mandatory throughout the session.

The treatment is painless and is usually done without anesthesia. For certain topographies or for certain patients, a local anesthesia of contact with an anesthetic cream may be carried out. At the end of the session, a soothing cream will be applied to the treated area.

An LED session (link to LED care page) will be performed after your final medical hair removal session because the LEDs have beneficial anti-inflammatory effects.

Immediately after the session, the treated area may be a little red (erythema) and swollen (edema). These signs will disappear within a few hours to a few days.

Destroyed residual hair will be removed in a few days on the days following the final hair removal session.

In order to avoid any pigment problem after the final medical hair removal session, do not expose yourself to the sun for 1 month.

Complications are possible:

-Burnings: they concern the dark skins, bronzed or recently exposed to the sun. In the case of bronzed skins, the treatment will be preventative, by postponing the final medical depilation session. In the case of dark skins, the device must be specifically set to reduce the risk. If they occur, the burns will cause small crusts that will disappear most often;

-Pigmentary problems: hyper and hypopigmentations. Most often these disturbances will disappear in a few weeks to a few months;

-Appearance of white hair, rare;

-Hypersudation or malodorous sweating;

– Paradoxical regrowth: this is the appearance of hairs in areas where they did not exist before, most often bordering the treated areas, sometimes at a distance. The preferred areas are the neck and cheeks in women, the back in men. Dark skins promote this risk, but light skin can also be affected.

The results are variable according to the topographies: they are often very good under the armpits, at the level of the pubis and at the level of the legs. The results are somewhat less good in the face, back, forearms, thighs, and more generally areas of fine hair. Definitive medical hair removal is more effective for thick terminal hairs than for fine hairs, down, light and white hairs.

It should be borne in mind that definitive hair removal does not exist. If, after the first session, the treated area is well depilated, the result will remain a few weeks before the natural regrowth appears. Another final medical hair removal session will be required. It will also be followed by a phase of depilation, then a new regrowth, but less important than the previous one. As the sessions repeat, the regrowth will gradually decrease.

Most often, 5 to 8 consecutive sessions, depending on the zones, will be necessary in order to obtain the best result. An annual maintenance session will make it possible to perpetuate the result over time.

The frequency of the sessions varies according to the areas to be treated according to the cycle of the hair: 1 month for the face, 2 months for the legs, underarms, the bikini. It is of course adapted to the speed of regrowth.

In the case of the final medical removal of the torso and the back in humans, the hormonal climate, the instability of the hair and the deep implantation of the hairs may give an incomplete result and lead to recurrences. Maintenance sessions will be required.