Dermatologic Surgery Procedures Removal of unwanted hair has become one of the most popular cosmetic treatments in recent years for women as well as for an increasing number of men. Treatments include the more traditional and often temporary methods, ranging from depilatories, epilators, shavers, waxing kits and electrolysis, to high-tech procedures such as intense pulsed light and laser systems. In many cases unwanted hair is considered a cosmetic problem. In particular, women often experience additional hair growth during both pregnancy and menopause.
Some diseases also have excessive hair growth as a symptom, but they are less common.
Both the bulb and the shaft are embedded within the skin, leaving only the hair visible to the naked eye. For long-term hair removal, the hair follicle must be destroyed along with its germinating centers that are in the bulb. Another challenge to the hair removal process is the ability to produce long-term effects. This is due to the fact that hair is destroyed only during the active phase of the growth cycle. As a result of these staggered growth cycles, patients usually require multiple treatments over several weeks to months for long-term hair removal results.