Laser Hair Removal and Hidradenitis Suppuritiva

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Lasers and Laser Hair Removal

As described in my previous blog Hidradenitis of the Armpits Hidradenitis occurs when a plug of dead skin in the duct of a gland emptying into a hair follicle initiates an infectious process as bacteria multiply within the plugged gland. As the gland swells a boil becomes visible. The obstructed gland or boil ruptures into the deep layers of the skin; adjacent glands become involved; and abscesses form. Subsequently, multiple draining sinuses or holes appear on the skin surface and the whole hair bearing area may become inflamed. Such inflammation may result in star shaped skin scars and tunneling, causing ridging of the skin. The association of Hidradenitis with hair follicles has fed the notion that removal of this hair early in the process can cure or ameliorate Hidradenitis. Since the 1990s laser treatment to remove unwanted hair has become increasingly popular therefore such treatments should to some degree treat Hidradenitis.

A laser is basically a container of some medium (such as a liquid dye, gas, etc) into which an electrical charge  or flash of light is introduced. The charge or flash excites electrons in the material at the molecular level and the material gives off a narrow band width of light as the electrons come out of excitation. The exact wavelength of light created depends on the material itself and the characteristics of the charge or flash. Mirrors inside the container bounce the light around to create a chain reaction of molecular excitation and the emitted light is allowed to escape through a pinhole. This single wavelength coherent light is then focused down into a hand piece so it can be applied to tissue. The effect on the tissues depends on which tissue components absorb the specific wavelength of light, the depth into the the tissue that the laser can penetrate, the duration of exposure to the light (pulse width), the power of the light at the point of tissue contact, etc.

Laser penetration is a factor of light wavelength with usually greater penetration for lasers with higher wavelengths of light. The wavelength also governs which tissue component will absorb a specific wavelength.
 
 

Home Laser and Cosmetic Devices

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A Google search on "home laser" yielded 154,000,000 website links overseas and 48,000,000 when searched in the US. Most of the initial listings are for hair removal devices but there are also ones for treating acne and for facial rejuvenation and others treat skin conditions like psoriasis, vitiligo and dermatitis. Many of these home laser and light or ultrasonic devices can be purchased on the Internet. Sellers tout the benefits of these products in treating acne, age spots, large pores, wrinkles, sagging skin, puffy eyes, rosacea, cold sores, and many other skin conditions. However, few of the devices have been studied or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Some of them sound sort of scary and could be a waste of money or at worst harmful. Sales of home cosmetic devices totaled $500 million last year, and are expected to nearly double to $950 million in 2015. Women have been removing hair from their legs for quite some time. Now it is a multibillion dollar per year industry.

Tips for Bikini Line Laser Hair Removal

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This is a guest post by Sachin from the Cosmos Clinic in Sydney Australia

Laser hair removal is a great way to get rid of hair on the bikini line, so follow these tips for the best results!

Are you tired of shaving your bikini line and seeing those red bumps and black spots? Does the idea of waxing down there seem way too painful to be worth it? Then you might want to look into Candela laser hair removal for your bikini line. Here are some general tips to choose a clinic, prepare for the removal and maintain the results.