Case Studies

A comparative study of hair removal at an NHS hospital: Luminette intense pulsed light vs electrolysis
Karen Harris, Janice Ferguson & Samantha Hills
Withington Community Hospital, Manchester, UK
Lynton Lasers Ltd, Cheshire, UK

Twenty-five women, previously referred for NHS hair removal by electrolysis, were enrolled in a split face study to treat facial hirsutism. Each patient was treated on just six occasions, one half of the face with electrolysis, the other side with an intense pulsed light source. Patients were evaluated with respect to reduction in hair counts, side effects and discomfort during treatment. All patients treated, except one with very sparse, fair hair growth, preferred treatment with the Intense Pulsed Light and rated their average hair reduction with this method as 77% after 5 treatments. The overall patient satisfaction rates as determined by Visual Analogue Scales were 8.3 out of 10 for IPL and 5.4 out of 10 for electrolysis.
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A retrospective study of the efficacy of intense pulsed light for the treatment of dermatologic disorders presenting to a cosmetic skin clinic
Paul Myers, Patrick Bowler & Samantha Hills

Background One hundred seven patients presenting to a cosmetic skin clinic were treated with intense pulsed light (IPL) over a 12-month period. The main categories of patients offered treatment were those with vascular problems such as rosacea, facial telangiectasia, and spider nevi; pigmentation disorders such as solar damage, lentigines, and hyperpigmentation; and assorted problems such as scarring and poikiloderma.
Methods Each patient who entered into the study had the full medical history taken and a dermatologic assessment. Polaroid photographs were taken and the images used for comparison before and after treatment. Outcomes were assessed by physicians’ global assessment and a patients’ postal questionnaire. Patients were treated with a Lumina IPL (Lynton Lasers Ltd) using a multiple pulsing facility with variable interpulse spacing, incorporating a 585-nm head. Fluence levels varied between 10 and 40 J/cm, although the average fluence over all patients was 25 J/cm. The delay was set between 10 and 30 ms and two to four pulses were used.
Results Excellent results were seen in 80% of patients treated. There was a high patient satisfaction rate and low prevalence of side effects.
Conclusions IPL has been shown to provide a safe and effective noninvasive treatment for a wide range of dermatologic disorders and is suitable for wider use in primary care.
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Hair removal using a combination of conducted radiofrequency and optical energies–an 18-month follow-up
Neil S Sadick & James Shaoul

OBJECTIVE: Multiple lasers and intense pulsed light sources have been shown to provide long-term hair removal; however, the management of all dark skin phenotypes and lightcolored hair remains problematic.
The present study examined the long-term photoepilatory effect of a combined intense pulsed light (IPL) (680–980 nm)/radiofrequency (RF) (10–30 J/cm3) light source and its efficiency for the treatment of multiple skin phenotypes and varied
hair colors.
METHODS: Forty adult patients (skin phenotypes II–V) with varied facial and non-facial hair colors were treated with a combined IPL/RF technology. Four treatments were carried out over a period of 9–12 months at 8–12-week intervals. Light energy
ranged from 15 to 26 J/cm2, while RF energy varied from 10 to 20 J/cm3.
Hair counts and photographic evaluation of skin sites were obtained at baseline, and months 1, 3 and 5 after the final treatment session. H&E biopsies were examined at 1 week in five randomly selected study cohorts.
RESULTS: Maximum hair reduction was observed at 6–8 weeks after each treatment. An average clearance of 75% was observed in all body locations at 18 months. No significant adverse sequelae were reported. Results showed no significant dependence on skin color: lighter and darker skin types responded similarly to treatment. Histologic evaluation revealed thermal damage to hair
follicles with vacuolar degeneration.
CONCLUSION: The combined IPL (680–980 nm)/RF light source with contact cooling is a safe and effective method of long-term hair reduction in patients of diversified skin types and varied hair colors and is associated with excellent patient safety.
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