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The Science of Laser Hair Removal
Hair grows in three cycles:
- Anagen
- Catagen
- Telogen
Laser hair removal works in the anagen cycle when hair is actively growing above the skin line to attract the laser beam.
People wish to have excess hair removed for several reasons:
- Hirsutism-hair growing in women in a male pattern due to endocrine disorders or side effect of medications.
- Hypertrichosis- excessive hair growth due to genetic make up or ethnic heritage
- Aesthetic reasons- less time in maintaining hair, self esteem issues
Hair Removal Lasers
Note: The newest technology is hair removal is microwave technology. Microwave technology, as well as the ESC Epilight light source, is not a laser. Microwave technology does not work by selective photothermolysis and does not rely on the the brown black color of hair to be effective. Microwave technology works by heating molecules (ions and diapoles) to create friction and thus heat. This heat destroys a target, a loss actor and is effective in various colors of hair and skin tones. Because the microwave instrument generates a lot of heat the skin must be cooled and may not be as gentle on the skin as a laser (similar to the Epilight system). The early prototype product is slow and not recommended for use in facial areas.
The science of laser hair removal is also a selective photothermolysis theory of the laser being attracted to the chromophore- melanin. Four generations of hair lasers have been on the market since 1998. All four work on this same theory of the laser being attracted to the dark color of the hair. The treatment is performed using the latest laser technology to remove hair with a minimum of pain, inconvenience and side effects.
The laser emits a powerful beam of invisible light that passes harmlessly through the skin, but is absorbed by the hair follicle. By selectively absorbing the laser energy, the hair follicles are disabled, impairing their ability to grow hair.
The key to the effectiveness of the laser is the principle of Selective Photothermolysis. By properly adjusting the pulsewidth (the amount of time the laser is on) the laser light is able to pass - unaffected -- through the thin layer of skin pigment and reach the deep hair follicle. At the follicle level, the laser energy is absorbed and transformed into heat that disables the follicle. As a result, hair growth is impaired without affecting the surrounding tissue.
By using the principle of Selective Photothermolysis, the laser "parameters" (guidelines for effective use of the laser during treatment) were chosen to match the pulse width to the size and location of the hair follicle.
The result is a safer, faster and more effective way to eliminate unwanted hair. |
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