The life of the hairs

Dr Catherine De Goursac: The hair cycle varies by area. It is for example 4 to 5 months on the face, but can reach 12 to 18 months or more to other parts of the body. We must understand that hair grows in bursts. To remove hair, it is important to exhaust every salvo, which takes time (several sessions spaced hair removal are required).

To also know that hair will decrescendo women: they have less and less hair from 25 years, a trend that progresses until the end of life. But in the face, the opposite happens: the hair growing from quarantine, particularly around the mouth. It is a hormonal phenomenon.

In men the hair also decrease with advancing age, especially on the arms and legs. In contrast, the hair tends to increase up to 40-50 years on the back and torso.

Thus, when we destroyed the hairs in a woman, they will not grow back (except hormonal problem, for example). In humans, they do not grow back, except on the back and torso, specifically in places where hair had never existed.

To eradicate the hair of any board, laser hair removal treatment is most effective (more effective than flash lamps or pulsed light).

What do you think of small personal laser epilators?

Dr Catherine De Goursac: You can buy, including the Internet, small laser epilators use yourself at home. But beware, their use may be risky. Indeed, they can work on areas where hair is in sharp decline, however, where the hairs grow, they may make them stronger and to stimulate hair growth. The greatest risk with these devices involve facial hair removal for women and areola and hair removal from the shoulders, back, ears and torso in men.

Why leads one to such a stimulating hair? Because these devices are not powerful enough. Result, they damage the hair instead of eliminating them, which strengthens them.

The beauticians were facing the same problem. Indeed, as they are not doctors, they do not have access to sufficiently powerful lasers. But any lack of laser power may stimulate hair growth instead of eliminating them. Thus, since July 2008, laser hair removal can be performed by a physician or to the rigor by a nurse and state under the supervision of a physician. How does laser hair removal?

Dr Catherine De Goursac: The heat produced by the laser destroys the hair root. The laser hair removal with a wavelength absorbed by the chestnuts, it produces energy when it encounters the color brown. Thus it destroys the hair at the root where the pigment concentrates. In contrast, the laser does not work on white hair, fair transparent, red, or on the down. Also note that the skin, even if it absorbs 30 times less than that of laser hair bubble, should not be too loaded with melanin pigment that colors the skin, the risk of burning. Hair removal laser skin very dull or bronzed is delicate. Ultimately, the ideal candidate for laser hair removal is a light-skinned brown-haired. In these conditions the best results are obtained.

Interview: No child under the sun!
Laser hair removal: to end definitively with hair
The sun: yes but …

How many laser hair removal sessions are required?

Dr Catherine De Goursac: The conventional procedure consists of 5 to 6 sessions at intervals of increasingly longer (6 weeks, then 2 months and 3 months apart). At first it is necessary to close the sessions, just before the regrowth of hair.

This approximation also allows sessions to circumvent our biggest problem, stimulating hair growth which occurs whenever the hair is only scratched and not destroyed. For sensitive areas (growing hair), very close sessions, high power, and with a very suitable material, can achieve good results.

At what age can you get laser hair removal?

Dr Catherine De Goursac: There is no set age. However, it was noted that the adult hair growth is not fully achieved before 20-25 years. Thus, for the same result, a girl under 25 years will do more laser hair removal sessions. Beyond 25 years, the number of sessions decreases.
What are the side effects of laser hair removal?

Dr Catherine De Goursac: Laser hair removal can cause burns in many ways. If the skin is tanned, the laser will target the melanin, the pigment of the skin and cause burns. Note that the melanin in skin is bronzed surface, while a matte skin naturally contains melanin in depth. Therefore, at equal color, tanned skin may burn more readily than dark skin.

Burns can also occur when dealing with difficult hair, that is to say risk of stimulation, because the laser power must be increased.

But practiced by experienced professionals, the laser is not dangerous because the risks are controlled and burns are benign (they form scabs that fall within a few days).

The other problem with laser hair removal is the result of failure, which occurs more often in people with hormonal disorders or who are highly razed before the meeting.

Note that in women who have significant facial hair due to hormonal disorder, a support treatment by social security is possible. This applies, for example young women who received hormone therapy (anti-estrogen) in breast cancer or women with polycystic ovaries.

Finally, when the laser hair removal does not work, it relies on small areas of electrolysis (a technique quite painful). That such a solution in cases of white hair, red or transparent resistant laser.