DepiCool UK – Blog

Compatibility and efficacy of a skincare regimen with a single IPL treatment

Hanh Pham, MS, Mary Kay, Inc., Addison, TX, United States; James Leyden, MD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Alphonsus Dang, PhD, Mary Kay, Inc., Addison, TX, United States; Brian Jones, PhD, Mary Kay,
Inc., Addison, TX, United States

Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment is a dermatologic procedure often used to reduce facial spider veins, tighten skin, reduce wrinkling, facial hair, and for addressing skin pigmentary problems associated with red or brown color. IPL acts by delivering filtered, multi-spectral light to target chromophores in the skin.
Typically, a series of 3 to 5 treatments are necessary to achieve desired results.

The aim of this 12-week clinical study was to evaluate the compatibility and efficacy of a skincare regimen when used in conjunction with a single treatment of IPL. A doubleblind, randomized, vehicle-controlled study was conducted consisting of 36 subjects applying the skincare product regimen daily and a control group consisting of 25 subjects utilizing a vehicle control product twice daily.

At baseline, all subjects underwent an IPL treatment. Dermal compatibility assessments for erythema, scaling/peeling, edema, burning/stinging and itching were evaluated at baseline and weeks 1, 4, 8, and 12. Additionally, expert-grader visual assessments were conducted by a dermatologist at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 for the following attributes:
even skin tone, discreet pigment, mottled pigment, blotchy erythema, persistent erythema, fine wrinkles, coarse wrinkle, and overall photodamage. Further, color photographs were taken at baseline and week 12. The results demonstrate the use of the facial skin care regimen was compatible with an IPL treatment and provided
continued, significant improvement of all visual test attributes and all time points measured after a single IPL treatment.

**taken from http://www.aad.org/meetings/previous/_doc/Posters_2007%20Annual%20Meeting.pdf, accessed on 28/04/09**

Hormones and Hair Removal

The presence of male pattern facial hair is high on the list of obsticles to overcome for most transwomen if transition from male to female is going to be successful. Many would even say removal of beard growth is essential to being accepted as a woman in day to day life. After all being regarded as any other woman in the street is the ultimate aim and no genetic woman I know would be happy with male pattern facial hair. Often the list of jobs to be tackled in order to achieve successful transition can seem daunting, so much so that many wonder where to begin and if indeed anything at all can be achieved whilst still in stealth. Removal of male pattern facial hair prior to needing to present oneself in public, even to the doctor or GIC would be on everybodies wish list. The question is, is it possible before starting hormone treatment and is it possible to keep it under wraps?

Chris Hart from Cristianos Laser Clinic has more experience than most when it comes to providing varying methods of hair removal for the Trans community. We asked her opinion.
“Yes, facial hair can be removed before taking feminising hormones. Our experience over the past 11 years has been spread over treatment of genetic male, genetic female, transvestite, transsexual male to female and female to male clients. Firstly we need to understand some basics about hair growth. The number of hair follicles we have is set before birth, during puberty these follicles respond to the level of androgens (male hormones) circulating in the blood stream. Some follicles will produce a coarse hair for example armpits, bikini line, male facial hair whilst others will produce a fine, vellus hair for example female facial hair. Increased male hormone levels will only alter the nature of the hair but will not produce more hair follicles. So for example a female to male client may start taking male hormones which will make their existing vellus hair growth much stronger and coarser. Therefore if hormones can only affect the nature of the hair growth but not produce more follicles it follows that eventually all the follicle in any given area can be removed and no amount of hormones can cause them to regrow.

In the situation of a male to female client wanting to remove male pattern facial hair this hair has developed in response to hormonal activity at puberty, stimulating the follicle to grow a coarse hair. The destruction of these follicles by any method electrolysis, laser or IPL is not reliant on the hormone level and therefore can be achieved regardless of the client being prescribed feminising hormones. Although there is some evidence that fine body hair can be reduced by female hormones they appear to have no effect on reduction of male pattern facial hair and this would certainly be our experience. Many people seem to be under the misapprehension that hair removal can only be successful if the client is taking female hormones. We have successfully treated many transvestite and genetic male clients wishing to have their beard growth removed the only long term difference being the need for a once a year top up treatment for these clients. In instances where we have treated female to male clients hair removal has taken more treatment sessions but has still produced long term results. If hair removal can be achieved under these scenarios than clients who have their facial hair removed and are subsequently prescribed feminising hormones at a later date are in the most commanding position of all.

Being greeted each morning with male beard growth is soul destroying for any transwoman no matter where they may be on their transitional journey. Certainly removal of dark facial hair by means of laser or IPL is easily achievable without raising the concerns of other people.
Electrolysis would prove a little more difficult. Being able to move forward toward your goal is a great boost psychologically as well as physically.”

**Taken from http://carolrobson.co.uk/doc/Hormones_and_Hair_Removal_09.pdf, accessed on 24/04/09**

Permanent Hair Removal by Intense Pulsed Light or IPL

Of permanent hair removal techniques, IPL or Intense Pulsed Light hair removal is considered the latest although the US FDA gave permission for it’s use as a tool of permanent hair removal in 1997, a year before laser hair removal. This is because the technology was developed as flashlamps to treat other conditions and doctors and patients observed hair loss as a result. Unlike laser hair removal, there is a lot more information in circulation about IPL hair removal and the FDA do certify it for efficacy and safety.

Although both laser hair removal and IPL hair removal use light to cause thermal damage to the hair folicle, there are big differences. IPL uses specific wavelengths of light that are the optimum for absorption by the melanin pigmentation in hair yet at the same time minimising the trauma to the skin. IPL differs from laser by being able to deliver greater energies at optimum wavelengths while causing less damage to the skin. It is even said to be safe for dark skinned people, though being as I’m very fair I have no personal experience to testify to that.

Another similarity is that neither laser or IPL hair removal is effective where there is no pigment, so white, grey and red hairs aren’t suitable and will need to be removed through electrolysis. It’s also not something you should do if you get epileptic fits, or if you are a genetic woman who is pregnant. Equally don’t try and get a tan while taking a course of IPL treatments.

IPL as I said earlier, was initially developed for other purposes and so it is also used to treat thread veins and rejuvenates the skin – now that’s not bad for a side effect! On light skin it is pretty much completely safe as far as my research tells me and though IPL treatments are typically taken 6 weeks apart, studies have shown it to clear between 54 and 77% of hair in a given area in just 6 months, something that is just totally unheard of with electrolysis. Clearing a beard with electrolysis takes between one and four years with an average being around three, so this is a seriously big improvement.

Naturally with a newer technology, long term studies on regrowth have not been done, and certainly IPL hair removal is not subject to the same type of controvesy of skin damage and recurring regrowth that has dogged laser hair removal. As with all things to do with beauty, I have taken it upon myself to trial it for you all. Oh, the things I do for you! Nah, I’ll be honest, I’m interested in beauty and I’ve always wanted to be hairless so I’ve tried electrolysis and found it to be effective but slow, painful, costly and a possible source of scarring. I tried laser hair removal but hey Captain, those laser weren’t set to stun, they were set to kill! It gave me a massive red angry swelling on my test patch and I took the hint. So I investigated IPL hair removal and this is what I found:

• For the amount of coverage you get, it’s probably cheaper than getting a once over clearance by an electrolysist, though you will need to save up if you are used to just parting with a few pounds
• The amount of pain I experienced was so minimal, I hardly noticed it. I was told to expect a feeling “like being slapped with a hot rubber band” and my toes were starting to curl under before my first hit. After I had it, I was just like “have you done it yet?”
• In terms of the amount of hairs killed in one session, don’t expect to walk out hairless after one treatment. You’ll be needing somewhere between 6 and 10 typically on each area depending on your skin and hair type and the growth phase the hair is in. I’d still say I lost significantly more through one treatment than I would have done with a similar expenditure on electrolysis in fact one treatment I had removed close to 50% of the hairs in that area and kept me grinning for weeks!

Another great perk of IPL hair removal is that shaving the hair is mandatory! It can only be performed when the hair is short, so unlike electrolysis where full time girls are traumatised to have to actually grow their beard in order to get it treated, IPL hair removal clinics may actually charge you if you turn up unshaven!

**taken from http://www.danistroom.com/inspirations/beauty-and-health/beauty-therapies/ipl-hair-removal.htm, accessed on 11/04/09**