Permanent Hair reduction/removal can be defined as any means by which unwanted hair is removed from the face or body by means of an Aesthetic Machine. This includes different methods, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light), Laser and electrolysis (epilation).

The removal of hair can be either permanent or temporary. Different methods have different indications, procedures, effects and side-effects.

Hair removal is governed by two different things – hair type and hair growth cycle.

There are three types of hair:

• Lanugo hairs are found on foetuses. They are fine, soft and colourless. They are shed in utero and are replaced by secondary vellus hairs around the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy. Lanugo hair on the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes are replaced by terminal hair.
• Vellus hairs are fine, downy and soft and are found on both the face and body. They are often colourless, rarely longer than 20mm and their base is very close to the surface of the skin. If these hairs are stimulated by any temporary means of hair removal, the shallow follicle of the vellus hair can grow downward to become a follicle that produces terminal hairs.
• Terminal hairs are longer and coarser than vellus hairs and most are pigmented. They vary greatly in shape, diameter, length, colour and texture. The follicles from which they grow are situated deep within the dermis (second layer of the skin) and have well developed bulbs (this is the reason why these hairs tend to bleed when removed during waxing/threading). Terminal hairs can be subdivided into asexual, sexual and ambisexual hair.

There are three types of hair growth in the hair growth cycle:

• Anagen is the actively growing stage of the hair. This is when the follicle has reformed; the bulb is developing, surrounding the life-giving dermal papilla and the new hair forms, growing from the matrix in the bulb.
• Catagen is the stage when the hair separates from the papilla. Over a few years it is carried by the movement of the inner root sheath, up the follicle to the base of the sebaceous (oil) gland. It will remain here until it either falls out or is pushed out by the new hair growing from the follicle. This phase can be very rapid, with a new hair growing almost immediately; or slower with the papilla and follicle degenerating and entering a resting stage (telogen).
• Telogen is the resting stage in which hairs may be loosely inserted in the shallow follicle. One could say that the follicle is dormant in this stage.

Aesthetic Machine hair removal is influenced by these stages as all light therapy only coagulate protein of follicles in the anagen stage. The anagen stage of any individual can be anywhere from eight to fourteen months apart, which means that permanent hair removal is often more permanent hair reduction.

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a gentle, safe and non- invasive solution to remove unwanted hair on all areas of the face and body. IPL uses the concept of selective photo thermolysis to eliminate unwanted hair and its potential for regrowth without damaging the surrounding skin.

During treatment the IPL emits a high intensity light that is absorbed by the melanin (pigment) of the hair. This absorption raises the temperature of the hair follicle and thermally disrupts the cells in the follicle responsible for regrowth. In essence, the heat causes the protein in the follicle to coagulate.

Hair grows in different growth stages and the hair follicles can only be destroyed when the hair is in the active growth stage (then the hair is present all the way down the follicle and attached to the root). Therefore you will need to complete a series of treatments to ensure all the hairs have been treated in their active growing cycle.

This may vary according to individual response, but on average a series of 6-8 treatments will be required. These treatments are done once every 4-6 weeks.

As the process is designed to reduce the density of the hair growth, you will see the hair reduced after every treatment. A 20%-30% reduction can be seen after the first treatment already.

The pictures below illustrate how this process works:

Before
(Hairs showing)

During

6 weeks later
(2 hairs showing)

This demonstrates that after one treatment the hair follicles from the hair in the active growth stage has been destroyed (3 & 5).

After 6 weeks, the hair that has (at the time of the first treatment) been in a resting phase starts to grow out (2 & 6).

At the same time the hair follicles in the dormant growth stage (1& 4) starts getting active (although the hair will not appear on the surface yet and will have to be treated in a third treatment.

SHR works by emitting a precise beam of light energy, which gradually heats the dermis (lower layer of the skin) by safely transmitting through the skin. The light is absorbed by the melanin (pigment) in the hair follicle and converts to heat at a temperature of about 48 degrees (low energy, high frequency) that causes thermal damage, effectively damaging the hair follicles. This gradual heating process disables the stem cells responsible for new hair growth, but does not negatively affect the surrounding tissue.

With SHR technology one does not need single pulses with high energy.

The SHR application method safely works on a high repetition rate of short pulses that are delivered deep into the dermis, achieving a high enough power and therapeutically effective heat build-up.

This procedure is referred to as the so-called “in-Motion” methodology, because the treatment head is moved over the area in sliding movements, whilst the treatment head stays cool, which in turn makes for a virtually painless treatment and prevents superficial burning.

As SHR works on a low energy, high frequency principle of heating the tissue, even lighter and finer hair can be treated and removed permanently.

Unlike SHR, IPL technology is called “stamp technology” and the treatment area is heated up to 70 degrees.

A diode laser uses semiconductor (cooling) technology that produces coherent projection of light in the visible to infrared range. It uses a light beam with a narrow spectrum to target specific chromophores in the skin.

Compared to other laser systems such as the Ruby and Alexandrite, the 800nm diode laser wavelength offers the deepest penetration levels and superior melanin absorption.

These unique characteristics make the diode laser the most suitable technology for laser hair removal, enabling safe and effective treatment of all skin and hair types, in all body areas.

Diode systems deliver a longer wavelength than the Ruby (694 nm wavelength) and the Alexandrite (755 nm wavelength) lasers, but a shorter wavelength than the Nd: Yag (1064 nm wavelength) laser.

This longer wavelength enables the light to penetrate deeper and is theoretically safer than shorter wavelength lasers because it can better avoid the melanin pigment in the skin’s epidermis.

The Diode lasers longer wavelength of light thereby penetrates into the hair follicle without causing as much epidermal injury as the Ruby or the Alexandrite. This fact allows the Diode laser to be used on darker skin colours than the Ruby or Alexandrite.

Diode lasers use the principle of selective photothermolysis (abbreviated SPTL) to target specific chromophores in the skin, usually melanin or blood.

The lasers damage the chromophores by selectively heating them while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed. When treating unwanted hair, for example, the melanin in the hair follicles is targeted and damaged which results in the disruption of hair growth and regeneration.

A diode laser can be complemented by cooling technology, or other pain reducing methods which improve treatment efficacy and patient comfort.

Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet) is a crystal that is used as a laser medium for solid-state lasers.

The triply ionised neodymium [Nd(III)] dopant (ie a substance added in minute amounts to another pure substance to alter its conductivity), typically replaces a small fraction of the yttrium ions in the host crystal structure, since the two ions are of similar size.

The neodymium ion provides the laser activity in the crystal.

Nd:YAG laser has a wave length of 1064 nm and has the capability to reach deeper layers of skin tissue than other types of lasers.

In Q-switched mode, Nd:YAG produces 2 wavelengths, one in the infrared range (1064 nm) and a second beam of 532 nm wavelength which is useful for superficial skin lesions. Q-switching refers to the technique of making the laser produce a high intensity beam in very short pulses

Laser-assisted hair reduction

Though the long-pulsed lasers are gold standards for the removal of terminal hair, Q-switched laser has been tried with and without topical carbon suspension. Q-switched pulses produce a photomechanical impact on the tissue and also on hair shaft and hair follicle, causing reduction as well as delay in hair growth cycle. Since it is not colour dependent, it can be suited for all skin types, even on tanned skins without fear of pigmentary changes.

Nd:YAG laser may be used for hair removal in any location including underarms, bikini line, face, neck, back, chest and legs.

Nd:YAG laser is generally ineffective for light-coloured (blonde/grey) hair, but effective for treating dark (brown/black) hair in patients of Fitzpatrick types I to III, and perhaps light-coloured type IV skin.

Extreme caution is recommended in tanned or darker-skinned patients, as the laser can also destroy melanin, resulting in white patches of skin (leukoderma).
The longer-pulse (millisecond) 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser system has been shown to be more effective in safely removing hair than has the Q-switched (nanosecond) Nd:YAG system.

Light pulses target the hair follicle, which causes the hair to fall out and minimises further growth. Typical settings employed include pulse durations of 2 to 20 milliseconds and fluences of 10¬40 J/cm2.

E-light machine combines three advanced technologies: Bipolar Radio Frequency + IPL +Skin Contact Cooling.

When the three are united in one treatment, wonderful treatment experience and result can be expected.

The energy of Radio Frequency can reach the middle and deep layer of the skin and heat up tissue, thus, lower energy is applied during the IPL treatment. Uncomfortable feeling during the IPL treatment will be decreased significantly and better result can be expected. In addition, cooling system involved in E-light can also ease the uncomfortable feeling.

The absorbing of the energy of radio frequency is not concerned with melanin.

The E-light system combines both RF & IPL technology. First the IPL (intense pulse light) energy is used to preheat the target area which creates a thermal path for the RF (radio frequency) energy to travel.

Then the electromagnetic energy RF is delivered directly to the hair follicle or targeted vascular and pigmented lesions. E-light is very effective in the reduction and removal of unwanted hair, red vein and pigmented lesions. E-light produces three times more efficiency than traditional IPL.

Using the E-light system, unwanted hair can be removed from all parts of the body.  E-light combines the already proven IPL (intense pulse light) with RF (radio frequency) making it so effective that it can treat dark and light hair.  This includes blonde, white, red & ginger hair.