Mammalian hair is depilated by pulsing a laser source emitting radiation in the range 600 to 1500 nm, each pulse having a duration of 1 &mgr;sec to 200 msec, and a radiation exposure dose of 2 to 25 J/cm 2 , so as to irradiate successive zones of a treatment area of a patient's skin and thereby destroy subdermal biological material associated with hair growth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a cross-section of the skin tissue region 10 , showing a hair (generally designated 12 ) passing through the tissue region and protruding therefrom. The hair 12 has a shaft 14 extending to the follicle 16 . The bulge region 18 of the hair follicle is in the dermal layer of the skin tissue region and is substantially distal from the papilla 20 (the latter being located in the subcutis layer). Destruction of the bulge region in a method according to the present invention will generally result in inhibition of hair re-growth. Referring to FIG. 2 , there is illustrated a laser source 50 provided with control means 60 for scanning the irradiated surface; i.e., for effecting irradiation of successive zones of the patient's skin tissue. Such means are typically arranged to provide movement of the irradiated beam and/or the apparatus relative to the subject's skin, so as to irradiate the skin tissue in a substantially boustrophedon manner. A pulsed beam 51 from the laser source 50 is directed at the skin tissue region 10 of the subject to be depilated. The beam impinges below the skin at the bulge region 18 . According to the invention, the laser source comprises either a ruby laser (wavelength 694.3 nm), a neodymium YAG laser (wavelength 1.0641 am), or another laser having a wavelength in the 600 to 1500 nm (visible red to near infra-red) range. The selection of a laser having a wavelength in the range of 600 to 1500 nm is advantageous in that radiation in this wavelength range is capable of selectively destroying cells or other subdermal biological material responsible for hair growth, whilst not being substantially absorbed by surrounding cells or tissue. According to the invention, the control means 60 causes the laser to be pulsed with a duration of 1 microsecond to 200 milliseconds, and preferably with a duration of 200 microseconds to 200 milliseconds, and each laser pulse provides a radiation exposure dose preferably in the range of 2 to 25 J/cm2, and more preferably in the range of 5 to 25 J/cm2. It is preferred that the laser source 50 be capable of variable pulse durations. This is advantageous in facilitation irradiation of selected intensity, depending on the required application of the laser. According to the presently preferred embodiment, a variable pulse duration ruby laser having a wavelength of approximately 694 nm is utilized to achieve the depth of penetration required to destroy the bulge area of the follicle. The laser is preferably applied at a dose of 5 to 25 J/cm2, typically in a substantially boustrophedon manner to the skin, in a manner such that the whole of the treatment area can be irradiated. More particularly, and advantageously, the irradiation zones are juxtaposed so as to substantially cover the treatment area of skin tissue. It is preferred to control the irradiation such that successive zones of the treatment area are irradiated by impinging successive pulses on different points on the treatment area, typically in a boustrophedon manner. The method preferably ensures substantially complete irradiation of the treated area of skin tissue. The irradiation generally destroys cells present at the bulge of individual hair follicles. The irradiation may further destroy cells present in the respective root regions of follicles. There have been described and illustrated herein embodiments of a method and apparatus for depilation. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as so claimed.