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 The problem
of undesirable hair growth and its removal exists since ancient times. For long
time people used only different depilation techniques for hair removal - such
as shaving, waxing, chemical and bio-depilation. However, these methods had a
short-term effect. Photoepilation is an up-to-date technology that allows
removing hair follicles using light without hurting the skin. Photoepilation
destroys the hair follicle (hair) using controlled flashes of light.
When we
expose an object to the sun, it gets warm; and if that object is black, it gets
even warmer, because it absorbs more solar energy. The same happens to hair: it
absorbs the light projected by the device and the intense heat destroys it.
This heating is painless. In order to obtain the best results with
photoepilation, all light energy sent by the machine needs to be absorbed by
the hair and not by the nearby tissues.
The
photoepilation must be performed on the clean skin in order to reduce
sensibility and discomfort, hair is shaved up to 1 mm above the surface of the
skin in order to concentrate the pulses of light strictly inside the follicle.
A cooled optical coupling gel is applied onto the skin and the pulses of light
begin. During the procedure you might have sensations of stinging, burning or a
slight pain. After the procedure the treated area is cooled until the feeling
of burning goes away. The skin may become reddened which will resolve within
the next 2 hours. In rare cases a temporal pigmentation disorder may appear
(the skin may become darker or lighter, even more rarely the procedure can
cause first-degree and second-degree burns. Within 7 days the hair disappears.
The interval between the sessions depends on the area of application, as
different areas of the body have different hair growth cycles. On average the
interval is 6-8 weeks, the exception is the upper lip area and the chin; these
can be treated for another time after 3-5 weeks. The course takes 4-8 sessions.
However,
one should be aware of the risks that may be associated with this procedure. First
of all, do not forget that there are some contraindications, when hair removal
using photoepilation is not recommended. These may include acute and chronic
diseases of the skin, malignant and benign tumors, inflammatory processes or
infectious diseases, mental disorders, glaucoma, progressive high myopia diabetes,
varicose veins, heart diseases, pregnancy, as well as a predisposition to form
keloids.
If there
are no contraindications, the intake of certain medicines increasing
photosensitivity during 2-4 weeks before the session should be discontinued. Otherwise
photoepilation can cause burns. For the same reason the use of massage and essential
oils during photoepilation is not recommended. Also, the procedure can not be
performed on the tanned skin. As experience suggests, the best results of are achieved
with dark hair and pale skin. With sensitive or dark skin, photoepilation
procedure can result in burns and scarring, especially skin type was determined
incorrectly or outdated equipment was used.
The problem
of burns after photoepilation is related to the method of the procedure. Photoepilation
devices are equipped with so-called krypton lamps, which emit a wide range of wavelengths,
including those dangerous for humans. To ensure the safety of the procedures,
various filters are used, but sometimes even their protective properties are
not enough to prevent the absorption of radiation in the skin. That's why the skin
in the area of treatment is heated, which increases the risk of skin burns. In
the absence of skin cooling, photoepilation procedure may be quite painful and
cause not only burns, but scarring. Fortunately, nearly all modern
photoepilation devices are equipped with appropriate skin cooling systems, and
that's why this procedure can only be performed in salons with the up-to-date
modern equipment.
Another risk
of photoepilation procedure is hyperpigmentation of the treated areas.
Therefore, prior to the procedure, a photoepilation professional can recommend
testing for photosensitivity, especially if you have darker skin. The results
of this test help to evaluate skin susceptibility to hyper-or hypopigmentation.
To avoid hyperpigmentation, after the photoepilation you should keep from the
sun exposure and tanning in solarium within 1-2 weeks and use additionally a
cream with UVF 20 and higher.
Generally, it
should be noted that photoepilation procedure, if performed using up-to-date equipment
and careful observations of all the post-procedure recommendations, does not
involve any serious health risks. The problem is that most beauty and spa salons
can not afford buying advanced expensive models. A particularly important
aspect is the proper use of photoepilation equipment, the choice of appropriate
procedure settings depending on the individual characteristics of each client.
In
conclusion it should be mentioned that today photoepilation is one of the best
aesthetic techniques of unwanted hair removal and its growth reduction. The
epilation effect lasts up to 5-8 years, especially in the areas of axillae,
groin and legs.
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