Posted by deirdrehbrt on October 22, 2003, at 22:30:59
In reply to Re: this is driving me insane, posted by sarita0001 on October 22, 2003, at 21:00:57
Sara,
That's not at all a fun problem that you have, but I do have a little experience with removing facial hair.
Other than waxing, depilitories, and other temporary measures, here is what I have found.
The only medically proven means of PERMANENTLY removing hair is electrolysis. There are three types of electrolysis: Galvanic, Thermolysis (sp?) and blend. Galvanic is where you hold an electrode, and a fine probe is inserted into the hair follicle. A direct-current electrical charge causes a chemical reaction in the hair follicle that destroys the hair root.
Thermolysis doesn't require the electrode, and the probe is inserted the same way as above. A radio frequency pulse is delivered via the probe which cauterizes the blood vessels in the follicle.
Blend uses a combination of the two methods.There is also a topical medication called Vaniqa which slows down hair growth, and it may help in your case. Unfortunately, many insurance companies do not cover this medication.
I can't comment on laser hair removal other than to say that for some skin types it isn't the best choice. I worked with an optical engineer who designed some laser hair removal equipment. He said that the difficult part is in assessing the skin, and delivering a pulse that would destroy the hair without harming the skin. Another difficulty was in educating doctors to the fact that more power didn't mean that the hair would be destroyed faster. As the laser vaporizes the undesired hair, the vapor also gets in the way of the laser light. If the laser is set too high, some cells might be vaporized, and that gas will interfere with the laser. Other cells though (in the skin, e.g.) might be damaged by the laser.
In the hands of someone well-trained, and for someone with the correct type of skin, laser seems to work. I don't know though, how long it lasts. In many states, laser hair removal is not permitted to advertize as permanent.
I hope this helps.
Dee.
poster:deirdrehbrt
thread:271667
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20031020/msgs/272103.html