Hair Removal Technology

Humans have been trying to get rid of hair since the dating scene left the savannah for greener pastures. The Egyptians used razors from at least 4000 BCE. Tweezers thought to be used for hair removal were discovered in a Chaldean tomb in the city of Ur, dating from about 3500 BCE. Depilatories were also invented during this period, although many of the ingredients were caustic and poisonous. Some women removed hair by rubbing their legs either with abrasive substances or with threads that would catch and pull out hairs, and others covered their bodies with a sugar-based substance that would stick to the hair, then was pulled off. If any of these techniques were really very effective, there would not be such a desperate quest for newer and better methods, but it was not until the 20th century that new methods of hair removal were invented.

With the invention of the laser in the 1950s, a new possibility for hair removal became available: photoepilation. The laser was first investigated for use in hair removal during the 1960s, but the technology did not come into common usage until much later. Although the first lasers were used commercially in the 1970s, it was not until 1995 that the FDA approved the first laser for hair removal. Even more recently, an even less invasive method using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) has also been approved.

Laser hair removal can be very effective. Following three to five treatments, a patient can see up to a 95 % hair removal that lasts for a year or longer, and some permanent reduction in hair density is expected. IPL hair removal is somewhat less successful, with a 76 % removal rate after 2-4 treatments, with significant reduction in hair density. In addition, hair targeted with photoepilation tends to grow back finer and lighter.

To learn more about recent advancements in hair removal technology, please contact Face Beautiful Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery today for a consultation.