Apr 17, 2009 10:00 pm US/Central
High-Tech Procedure To Treat Female Facial Hair
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Electrolysis and prescription medicines are other alternatives, but the laser improves the overall quality of the skin – though the effectiveness varies from patient to patient.
AP
For women, facial hair can be both embarrassing and frustrating, but there is a high-tech procedure that's painless and safe to get rid of it, CBS station WCBS-TV reports.
"It wasn't as bad at first," said Martine Dardignac, who suffered from facial hair growth. "One little hair, one ingrown hair, nothing too major."
But Dardignac's facial hair got worse over time.
"It was like a daily fight with the hairs on my face," she said.
Facial hair for women can often be an embarrassing and frustrating abnormality and can effect them emotionally.
"Patients can have their self esteem can be affected by excess hair, it may limit their activities," says Dr. Shilesh Iyer of the New York Dermatology Group.
About 20 million American women remove facial hair once a week. Many are just genetically inclined to have it, but medical causes could also be to blame including hormonal imbalances, obesity, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Dardingnac tried everything to treat the problem.
"Plucking, shaving, anything you can think of, waxing," she says.
So now she's come to Iyer's office for the latest laser treatment.
"The laser that we used today is called the 'long-pulsed indium yag' and it utilizes a wave length of light that is targeted by melanin which is the pigment in the hair follicle," says Iyer. "That light is absorbed by the pigment in the hair follicle, it's converted to heat, and it thermally injures and closes down the hair follicle."
Electrolysis and prescription medicines are other alternatives, but the laser improves the overall quality of the skin – though the effectiveness varies from patient to patient.
"It's largely dependent on the color of the hair, the size and density of the hairs. Darker hairs tend to do better. Most people can expect approximately a 10 to 20 percent reduction with each treatment," says Iyer.
You should undergo a complete medical evaluation before starting any treatment for excess hair growth. In addition to measuring hormone levels, a history and physical examination are crucial.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
CBS News Interactive: Healthwatch
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