This institute is part of the Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where 2,000 people work on future Philips products. The PCI carries out research into the basic functions of personal-care products, such as electric shavers, epilators and toothbrushes. An important part of this work is formed by fundamental research into the properties of skin and hair. The PCI cooperates with other institutes that have expertise in relevant fields, such as dermatology, the science of pain and dentistry. A knowledge of skin is required in order to reduce pain during epilation.
Skin contains certain receptors, including pain receptors that register external stimuli.
The pain receptors are activated when a hair is plucked out. Signals generated in this manner travel via the spinal cord to the brain, which registers them as pain. Apart from pain signals, other sensations travel to the brain via the same route. This can be used to influence the pain signals as they travel to the brain. We frequently make use of the phenomenon when we rub a painful area or blow cooling air onto a burn.