Chemicals used in depilatories

Calcium thioglycolate is a commonly used active ingredient in a depilatory. It breaks down the disulfide bonds in keratin and weakens the hair, allowing it to be easily scraped off from where it emerges in the hair follicle. Gels, lotions and aerosols are some of the forms in which chemical depilatories or hair removal creams are sold in the market.

How to use chemical depilatories

The safe way of using hair removal creams is to begin with conducting a small test for skin allergy or sensitivity to chemicals. Only then should the cream be applied in larger quantities.

Make sure, then, that you follow the instructions given on the cover of the product. If you test safe the cream should be applied to the hirsute area and allowed to act on the hair for five to 15 minutes. How long it takes will depend on the coarseness or fineness of the hair being removed. The solution is then wiped off the body with a towel or cotton. The area applied upon should be rinsed to remove the chemical traces.

Chemical depilatories are inexpensive, unlike laser hair removal, and available in all drug stores. The preparations that come in several brands can be applied at home, and ensure painless hair removal. There are brands in the market that cause even the coarsest hair to dissolve in a matter of minutes. One must, however, remember to pick the brand carefully because not all hair removal creams are suitable for doing facials. Another major advantage is that they can work on hair of any length and the hair removal is entirely painless. What’s more, a chemical depilatory can be used on large parts of the body, and the hair takes far longer to grow than it does after shaving,

The effect of hair removal creams lasts only for a short period, unlike that of electrolysis or laser hair removal. The hair can start growing after just two to three days of application.

The second disadvantage is that dark-skinned users can be left with a visible “shadow” under the skin.

The third, and by far their biggest, drawback is that depilatories can cause allergies or skin irritation in some users. It is for this reason that they are not used on broken skin or too frequently. They are also smelly and leave a mess behind that one needs to clean up.

Forms of abrasives

Among the different methods of hair removal abrasives occupy a special place. This method of body hair removal uses pumice stones or special hair removal gloves to remove fine hair from the body. The gloves have a lining similar to sandpaper. Discs, belts, blast machines and sandblasters, as well as sheets, rolls, and handpads, also have abrasives implanted in them. Abrasives are materials that are used to smoothen or roughen surfaces through rubbing. These are used to scrape off metal, ceramics, glass, plastic and paint granules from a surface.

Types of abrasives

Abrasives are of several types. Aluminium oxide, zirconia alumina, silicon carbide, ceramic, borazon, grinding wheel, powdered glass, pumice dust, sand and sandpaper are some common abrasives. Some are used on bench or back stand grinders, while others on portable or hand-held grinders or sanders. Fine-grained graphite papers are used in metal and woodworking. Pumice stones made from powdered pumice rock are then pressed into solid "stone" shapes. These are available in shops, and their rough texture is ideal for removing dead skin from the feet.

The use of abrasives for hair removal was popular among the ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, who were familiar with pumice stones, volcanic glass and other such hair removing substances.

Application tips

Application is simple. The gloves with abrasive linings, also called abrasive stones, are moved around the skin surface in a circular motion. The pressure applied should be light, and only the skilled practitioner knows just how much will suffice and not harm the skin. Abrasives are generally used on the scalp and the legs, and almost never on the face or wherever the skin is soft. When abrasives are rubbed over the skin the mechanical friction thus generated wears down the hair to the skin surface. It is advisable to trim the body hair before applying abrasives. Stubble is easier to wear down than long hair. The use of abrasives for hair removal is most popular in the African-American community.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of using abrasives is that it is long lasting. It can take as long as three weeks for new hair to appear. Abrasives are also cheaper, easy to use and cause less irritation than do chemical depilatories or waxing.

Disadvantages

It is not an entirely painless method, though the irritation caused is minimal and mostly endurable. But the biggest drawback of abrasives is the time they take to work. It’s a long, slow and tedious process that, most definitely, is not for the impatient city-bred sophisticate. Then also, abrasives provide only temporary relief, making them quite unlike the laser beam or electrolysis. Be warned moreover that overuse of abrasives can cause serious harm to the skin. So a moisturizer or lotion should be kept handy at all times. As they do not remove the hair below the skin surface abrasives need to be applied frequently, which surely can’t do much good to the skin even if it doesn’t do perceptible harm.

Waxing is an effective method of removing large amounts of hair at one time. In this method wax is warmed to allow it to be spread easily over the skin in the direction of hair growth. The hair becomes embedded in the wax, which cools and firms up grasping the hair. The wax is then quickly pulled off in the opposite direction of the hair growth, pulling the hairs out of the follicles. Cold waxes are available usually attached to strips, which are patted onto the skin. Wax that is still left on the skin must be peeled or scratched off. Caution must be used when heating wax so as not to burn the skin.

Advantages

Disadvantages

Reactions to waxing

Some individuals may find following a waxing treatment a slight reaction to the skin. This may be a slight reddening, occasional blood spots often in the under arm or bikini line area or in some cases a slight tingling sensation.

These reactions are completely normal and will pass in a few hours. All of this will be discussed with you at the time of your appointment with your therapist who will then explain the after-care advice to you following your treatment. If you follow your after-care advice for 24 hours after treatment you should not experience any problems.

Each individual reacts very differently to waxing and may find one type more suitable for their skin than others. It is possible that different wax types are required to specific areas of the body depending on the skin's sensitivity.

Electrolysis is a good alternative to laser hair removal. It is especially useful for people with light skin and grey hair.

Hair is desirable only when it grows in the right places. When it does not we look for treatments to be rid of the unwanted hair. Growth of unwanted hair has been linked to both hereditary factors and hormonal imbalances - such as when hair grows around a woman's upper lip or chin.

The electrolytic method of removal of unwanted hair is nearly a century old and works on most of the body parts, including the face, the thighs, the abdomen, the breasts and the legs.

The two methods of electrolysis

There are two methods of conducting electrolysis - the galvanic and the thermolytic. In the galvanic method the hair follicle is destroyed chemically. It is an old method for removal of unwanted hair, but requires several treatments. In the thermolytic method the hair follicle is destroyed using heat. But regardless of which method is employed for removal of unwanted hair it is important to consult a well-trained professional.

The electrolytic treatment uses short-wave radio frequency to destroy the hair's growth center through devices called epilators. The unwanted hair strands are removed by inserting a fine probe into the hair follicle on the skin surface.

While this process may be slightly painful, it is a good alternative to the laser hair removal treatment. In the electrolytic method of permanent removal of unwanted hair a needle directs electrical or radio energy into the hair follicle, destroying it.

Electrolysis is thus unlike shaving, which is not a permanent solution. In electrolysis hair is removed over several sessions, their number varying from person to person. Most clients show up once a week or at least every other week. A session can last from 15 minutes up to an hour. At the end of the treatment you would have said goodbye to all the unwanted hair on your body!

Side effects

For all its advantages the electrolytic method for removal of unwanted hair has some side effects as well. The treatment is both expensive and time consuming, and mostly used to remove unwanted hair on the upper lip, the underarms and the eyebrows. Post-treatment blues include dry skin, scabs, inflammation and scarring. And if the instruments are not thoroughly sterilized there is also a chance of infection. Make sure, then, to get a qualified electrologist to treat you.

7. Intense Pulse Light therapy

In this method, the hair is removed by bombarding the skin with high intensity pulses of light.  Intense Pulse Light therapy is popular among beauticians as an advanced method of getting rid of unwanted hair. It is also used to treat skin problems that result from sun damage, such as induced dyspigmentation, poikiloderma of civatte, acne rosacea, broken capillaries and pigmented birthmarks. The technology offers 'dual mode filtering' and other important advances that help in effective and safe hair removal. All this makes it superior to treatments that use chemical depilatories.

How it works

Intense Pulse Light therapy can be used on people of any age. If the treatment area is numb, the physician employing the Intense Pulse Light therapy method applies a soothing gel on it and covers it with a prism.

The treatment involves passing an intense flash of light or pulse through the prism, which directs the healing rays to the affected area. The light treatment is initially administered to prevent possible damage to the skin and to ascertain its tolerance level. The doctor proceeds only after he is convinced that the patient's skin is capable of undergoing further intensive treatment.

Intense Pulse Light therapy involves passing intense light through the tissue of the skin until it strikes the hair shafts or the hair roots, where the melanin is located. The light striking the dark-colored melanin gets converted into heat energy causing most of the hair roots and shafts to vaporize. The heat radiated by the light also destroys the hair-producing papila or the entire hair follicle. The treatment is usually performed every 3-4 weeks.EffectivenessThe effect of Intense Pulse Light therapy is both long lasting and capable of treating large areas of the skin simultaneously. The therapy - that is also used to treat all kinds of skin hyper pigmentations - is considered a permanent solution, as are the laser hair removal and electrolytic methods. The duration of the treatment depends on the kind of complaint that is being addressed, but generally lasts for up to six months.

Aftercare

While those undergoing Intense Pulse Light therapy can resume normal workday activities immediately after the therapy, they need to protect the treatment area from exposure to the UV rays that are present in sunlight and tanning beds.

Side effects

The treated area could redden slightly or show a mild swelling that subsides after some days. If it doesn't the patient must consult his physician. The endurance threshold for pain varies from person to person; but most of those undergoing the treatment report a warm tingling sensation - as you would if a rubber band were snapped against your skin.

Some people could also suffer from blistering, hyper-pigmentation or slight bleeding. In Intense Pulse Light therapy it can take from three to 12 months to be fully cured of pigmentation. Then the normal skin tone returns. In some rare cases, however, patients have reported permanent skin pigmentation changes and even scarring.

The laser hair removal therapy - first conducted on an experimental basis some 20 years ago - became commercially available in the mid 1990s. In addition to passing laser beams, some epilators also use a xenon flash lamp that emits full-spectrum intense pulsed light (IPL).

Laser is used in a variety of cosmetic surgery procedures. Apart from hair removal, it finds use in the treatment of facial and leg veins and age spots. In hair removal treatments the laser energy is transformed into heat. This disables the follicle and leaves the surrounding skin unchanged, thus arresting hair growth.

How it works

Hair removal laser surgery involves localized damage. Laser beams are passed through the dark matter that is responsible for hair growth causes this. Thus only the affected portion is heated, leaving the rest of the skin untouched. The therapy works on the simple principle that dark objects absorb light. The chromophore, or the dark target matter, can be either natural or artificial.

The procedure adopted in hair removal laser surgery varies depending on the individual undergoing it. The laser beam is passed through a small hand-held instrument, and the patient is provided with safety eyewear. Even so, some people might experience a mild degree of discomfort while undergoing treatment. The discomfort threshold of course varies according to the patient's constitution and endurance level. Some might even need to be administered local anesthesia. The duration of the treatment would depend on factors such as the size or number of areas being treated, and a session could last for just a few minutes or take hours. The area treated by laser may slightly redden in some cases, but all patients can resume normal everyday activities immediately after undergoing hair removal laser surgery.

However, while the number of sessions required for laser hair removal treatment varies from patient to patient, it must always take into account their gender and the problem area. The average run is three to six sessions, though some body parts require prolonged treatment. The intervals between the sessions can also vary, depending on the area that is being treated. When removing moustaches and chin hair an interval of 6 to 8 weeks is usual.

Advantages

Hair removal laser surgery is a long-lasting treatment for unwanted hair growth. Till it arrived on the scene those looking for permanent cures went for electrolytic treatment. But electrolysis, besides being time consuming, works well only over small areas. This is because the electrolytic method removes the hair individually. Other methods of hair removal, such as shaving, and applying eflornithine creams and chemical depilatories provide only temporary relief. Hair removal laser surgery is not only long lasting; it is also a far safer method. The laser beam removes unwanted hair without damaging the skin's delicate pores and structures. It is also faster than electrolysis - treatment of some problem areas taking no more than 45 minutes.

Side effects

There are no major side effects of hair removal laser surgery. Most patients take the treatment well, though some might report a mild discomfort or stinging sensation. There are of course cases where local anesthesia or a painkiller may need to be used while treating certain sensitive areas.

In any case side effects, such as blistering, soft scabbing and redness, disappear quickly within a few days. All that might happen is that some skin patches may appear slightly lighter or darker after treatment. A good physician always informs the patient about the likely side effects that they could suffer. He is also likely to ask you to avoid sun exposure for two to four weeks, both before and after laser treatment. Doing this greatly minimizes the risk of complication.

Why laser hair removal is preferred

Laser is used in various medical procedures. Laser treatment is preferred because it is a long-lasting method of hair removal, unlike shaving or threading. Laser treatment is used to remove facial hair and age spots. The principle is simple: laser energy is transformed into heat, which disables the hair follicles leaving the surrounding skin unchanged. This instantly arrests hair growth.

The laser wavelengths used in hair removal laser surgery include visible light to near-infrared radiation. Laser wavelengths are determined by the lasing medium that is used to create them and are measured in nanometers (nm).

Pulse widths are crucial in laser treatment. It has been observed that longer pulse widths are the safest for dark skins.

It is also known that the spot size, or the width of the laser beam, can make all the difference. Lasers generally have a round spot about the size of a little finger. The width of an ideal beam should be about four times as wide as the target is deep.

Energy level, also known as fluence, is another important aspect of hair removal laser surgery. It is measured in joules per square centimeter (J/cm2).

Besides these, repetition time is also taken into account. If two or more pulses are shot at the same target with a certain delay between the pulses it helps in heating up the problem area.

Damage to the Hair Shaft

3 Types of lasers used for hair removal

1. Red-light systems (694-nm ruby),
2. Infrared-light systems (755-nm Alexandrite, 800-nm Diode, and 1064-nm Nd:YAG), and
3. Intense pulsed-light sources (590- to 1200-nm).

1. 694-nm RUBY LASER

A ruby laser is a solid-state laser that uses a synthetic ruby crystal as its gain medium.
The ruby laser produces pulses of visible light at a wavelength of 694.3 nm, which appears as deep red to human eyes. Typical ruby laser pulse lengths are on the order of a millisecond. These short pulses of red light are visible to the human eye, if the viewer carefully watches the target area where the pulse will fire.

Ruby Laser such as the EpiTouch or the Epilaser is best suited for people with lighter skin. The ruby laser can be used at a lower power on darker skin types. It is good for smaller areas because it has a small spot size. The Ruby laser for hair removal provides a comfortable treatment.

2. Infrared-light systems

a. 755-nm Alexandrite
b. 800-nm Diode
c. 1064-nm Nd:YAG

a. 755-nm Alexandrite

The alexandrite laser is a shorter wavelength system with a specific light energy of 755nm. The long-pulse alexandrite laser achieves deep penetration into the dermis where the hair follicles are located. The heat build-up in the hair shafts disables those follicles in the active growth phase. However, it frequently produces side effects such as pigmentary changes (lightening or darkening of the skin), or worse, for patients of all but quite light skin.

The alexandrite laser produces reddish light just at the limit of visibility at 755nm. Alexandrite lasers have a large spot size (up to 18mm) over which the laser light spreads. It also has a high repetition rate. These properties mean the alexandrite laser is the fastest hair removal laser, and is suitable for rapid treatment of large body areas in patients with complexions that are light to olive in color. The entire back of a person can be treated in less than 30 minutes with an alexandrite laser. Along with the diode laser, the alexandrite is the most widely used laser for hair removal and can be found in many laser hair removal clinics.

b. 800-nm Diode

These 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 laser's 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 colors than the Ruby or Alexandrite.

Because the Diode is the most recently introduced of the hair removal lasers, there is less experience and less long-term data in evaluating the Diode's claims. Newer Diode

Newer Diode lasers such as the SLP 1000 are attempting to deliver longer durations of light (up to 1000 milliseconds) in order to protect the epidermal pigment thereby producing fewer side effects while producing better hair removal. There is just not enough experience with these newer machines, which have only been on the market since early 2001 (after having been re-modified)! These longer durations are designed to emulate the longer durations available for five years with the UltimateTM Light treatments. Surprisingly, the pulse durations on the Quantum, Aculight, or Vasculight systems have been made shorter, while lasers try to lengthen their durations to catch up with the UltimateTM Light pulsed light.

c. 1064-nm Nd:YAG

Nd:YAG laser hair removal is the newest form of laser hair removal. "Nd" stands for Neodymium, and " YAG" stands for yttrium aluminum garnet. These lasers are often used for tattoo removal as well as age and sun spots on the skin, but can also be used for hair removal.

A carbon lotion is applied to the skin in order to penetrate the hair follicles that will be treated; the follicles absorb the Nd:YAG laser wavelengths. The Nd:YAG laser can be used for effective hair removal by all types of patients, including those who have tanned skin. Large areas of the body can be treated quickly with this type of laser. There may be slightly more discomfort with the Nd:YAG laser than with other laser hair removal machines.

The   ND Yag laser is considered to be especially useful in treating dark or tanned skin. It can also treat coarser hair well.
 

3. Intense pulsed-light sources (590- to 1200-nm)

IPL laser hair removal is a very popular method of hair removal. An IPL laser uses "intense pulsed light" to gently and safely remove hair on the face, legs, back, and bikini/pubic areas. The pulses of light focus their heat on the hair follicles, destroying them without burning or damaging the skin. IPL laser hair removal is quick and veritably painless. Side effects are few, but may include redness or swelling of the treated area; this should disappear rapidly.

Good candidates for IPL laser hair removal will have lighter skin and darker hair, since IPL targets pigment in the hair follicles. Many people have experienced permanent hair removal with this method; if hair does grow back, it is often sparse and finer in texture.

Photodynamic therapy involves the use of a photosensitizer and light to produce therapeutic effects. The mechanism of action is presumed to involve the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species, subsequent to the photochemical activation of the photosensitizer by light. The recent introduction of 5-ALA as a topical photosensitizer has opened up a variety of potential therapeutic options. Selective protoporphyrin IX synthesis in pilosebaceous units is a unique feature of ALA over other photosensitizers, and topical application circumvents the photosensitivity induced by systemic agents.

Photodynamic therapy may be a useful approach for hair removal. Because photosensitizers tend to localize in the follicular epithelium, photochemical destruction of all hair follicles, no matter what hair color or growth cycle, could potentially be obtained. Long-term data and large-scale studies are needed to determine the safety and long-term efficacy of this modality.

How Laser treatment works

Hair removal laser surgery works by causing localized damage by heating dark target matter (the area that causes hair growth) while leaving the rest of the skin untouched. It works on the principle of selective photothermolysis: it is that dark materials naturally absorb light. The skin's dark target area (the chromophore) is of three kinds - carbon, hemoglobin and melanin, and the laser beam targets one of these.

• Carbon is introduced in the hair follicle by rubbing a carbon-based lotion into the skin. This causes a shock wave which is capable of mechanically damaging nearby cells when irradiated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. This method has been abandoned because it is incapable of achieving permanent hair removal.
  
  
• Hemoglobin occurs naturally in blood and is responsible for this red color. It is not a primary target for laser hair removal and gets wavelengths from argons, rubies, alexandrites and diodes.
  
  
• Melanin occurs naturally in the skin and gives the skin and hair their colors. It is the main chromophore used in all laser hair removal treatment.

How many sessions of hair removal laser surgery a patient needs depends on several factors. Localization of the area treated and gender are important, as also the fact that certain areas of the body require longer treatment than others. Generally, though, three to six laser surgery sessions are considered good enough.

After Laser Hair Removal Treatment

Although patients can return to normal activities immediately after laser hair removal treatment, some swelling and redness may occur. These byproducts of laser hair removal treatment typically go away within 24 hours. Ice, anti-inflammatory creams, or aloe gels or lotions may also be applied to the treated area to minimize discomfort and the risk of complications. Many patients have compared the ensuing discomfort to a mild sunburn.

The majority of patients are scheduled for subsequent treatments four to six weeks after the initial procedure. Treatments will continue until the growth of hair has been eliminated.

After multiple laser hair removal sessions, the results of your treatment will be evident. Most patients enjoy an 80 to 90 percent reduction in hair growth. Although the laser hair removal results are permanent, some patients may need occasional touch-up sessions to treat individual hairs.