Treatment of unwanted hair is a major cosmetic problem. Until the onset of lasers to the commercial market for use in hair removal, people with excess or unwanted hair were forced to use temporary hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, and using chemical depilatories. In addition to providing only temporary hair removal, these techniques tend to be irritating to the skin.<sup>9Richards R.N., Marguerite U., Meharg G. Temporary hair removal in patients with hirsutism: A clinical study Cutis 1990 ;  45 : 199-202

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Electrolysis has been shown to produce 15% to 50% permanent hair loss; however, only small areas can be treated at a time and scarring may occur.<sup>7Kligman A.M., Peters L. Histologic changes of human hair follicles after electrolysis: A comparison of 2 methods Cutis 1984 ;  34 : 169-176

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Lasers provide an option that allows patients to have large areas treated in a relatively short amount of time and with greater effectiveness.

Ruby lasers have been in clinical use in dermatology for treatment of tattoos for over 30 years. The Toshiba normal-mode ruby laser has been used for over 10 years in Japan for the treatment of tattoos and pigmented lesions. The first ruby laser was tested by Dr. L. Goldman in the 1960s. It was a flashlamp-pumped, normal-mode ruby laser used primarily for removal of tattoos and pigmented skin lesions. The use of the ruby laser for hair removal was revolutionized by Dr. Rox Anderson at Harvard Medical School. He designed the ruby laser for hair removal with the same wavelength and similar fluences, pulse-widths, and spot sizes as these older ruby laser models. Dr. Anderson invented a unique feature for his ruby laser hair removal system—an actively cooled sapphire handpiece. He showed that this greatly reduced epidermal injury.

Several hair removal laser systems are available. The Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) was used in conjunction with a carbon-mineral oil suspension whereas the Alexandrite laser systems (755 nm) and long-pulsed ruby laser systems (694 nm) use the principle of thermokinetic selectivity to target melanin in the hair shaft and follicle. Clinical studies have indicated that the Alexandrite and long-pulsed ruby laser systems are more effective than the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.<sup>2Connolly C.S., Paolini L. Study reveals successful removal of unwanted hair with LPIR laser Cosmetic Dermatology Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 1997 ;  10 : 38-40

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 5Goldberg D.J. Various mechanisms of laser hair removal Cosmetic Dermatology Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 1997 ;  10 : 36-38

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 6Grossman M.C., Dierickx C., Farinelli W., e al. Damage to hair follicles by normal-mode ruby laser pulses J Am Acad Dermatol 1996 ;  35 : 889-895 [inter-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 8Nanni C.A., Alster T.S. Optimizing treatment parameters for hair removal using a topical carbon-based solution and 1064-nm Q-switched neodynium:YAG laser energy Arch Dermatol 1997 ;  133 : 1546-1549 [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> This article describes the techniques of laser hair removal using a long-pulsed ruby laser.