For
centuries humans have looked for ways to permanently remove hair from their
bodies. A thousand years back ancient Arabic, Persian and Egyptian practised
hair removal. A hundred years back Gillette created the first safety razor for
women under the brand name Milady Decolletée. The first depilatory creams also
appeared in markets around the same time. Since then, there has been little
change in the methods of hair removal. You can either shave it off with a blade
or rub or remove it with a cream or wax. It was in 1963 that the first signs of
change appeared in the form of a new technology.
Enter
Major Laser
The
father of laser medicine, Dr Leon Goldman first used a ruby laser for treating
skin problems and published an article on the interaction between skin and
laser light. The first lasers used in the procedure were nothing compared to
modern-day technology and could only be used on people with fair skin and dark
hair colour. Darker skin types had a tendency to burn the hair and surrounding
skin.
The next
generation of alexander lasers were not capable of the required heat levels and
the time they took was too long to be considered effective. Things changed when
pulsed diode array lasers that could handle all skin types. Even currently,
there are a number of laser hair removal technologies that can be matched to
individual requirements. Some rely on a hybrid of laser and radio frequencies.
Let us look at the effectiveness of the different lasers used:
·
Intense pulsed light: 66.96% hair reduction (15.3 % incidence
of side effects)
·
Alexandrite lasers: 68.75% hair reduction (9.5 %
incidence of side effects)
·
Diode lasers: 71.71% hair reduction (28.9 % incidence
of side effects)
Since
the 1990s laser hair removal has really caught on and is an approved medical
(actually cosmetic) procedure. Laser hair removal treatments usually require a
minimum of seven sessions. Part of the problem is that laser only works on the
actively growing hair follicles and hair in other phases of growth are not
impacted. Additionally, you will have to wait for a minimum of three weeks
between sessions. Clearly, if you want more immediate results, you will be
better off using a good depilatory wax or cream like Veet Spawax or Hair Removal Cream.
However, laser hair removal is not the ultimate form of hair removal and
definitely not permanent.
Next
the Body Electric
When
scientists observed that placing an electrode about the same thickness as the
human hair in the hair follicle and electrified, it destroys the hair matrix
cells and the follicle is rendered incapable of future hair growth and the
first truly permanent hair removal method
was found. Unfortunately, electology takes forever. For complete removal of
facial hair, the treatment takes up to 2 years averaging one session every
week. Just eyebrow shaping could take up to 30 sessions.
While
these are two best options for long-term or permanent hair removal, we
do wish that the waiting for results wasn't equally long-term.
