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Hirsutism
is a condition in which there is excessive
growth of hair on the face or body. It can occur in both men and
women without discrimination and is caused by hair follicles that are overly
sensitive to male hormones (called androgens). It can also be caused
by abnormally high levels of these hormones.
Some medicines promote
Hirsutism,
such as birth control pills, hormones and anabolic steroids. Women of
Mediterranean ancestry, Hispanic women and African American women tend to
have more body hair t han
women of Native American or Japanese ancestry. The
condition seems to run in families and your doctor may want to run some
tests to find out what the underlying cause may be.
What can you do to
get rid of the excess hair? If you're overweight, lose it.
This reduces the amount of androgen hormones in your body that causes increased hair
growth. Stress can also elevate your
androgens significantly. |
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Beyond diet,
there a many options available. Below are a list of medically established
methods to eliminate excess or unwanted facial and body hair:
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Transdermal Electrolysis:
One
of the easiest procedures to perform currently available. No needles are
used making it very safe and popular among "needle phobic"
clients.
Waxing and Tweezing:
This
is a great way to temporarily relieve the embarrassing condition of unwanted
hair. Results usually last 2-4 weeks and can be incorporated with more
aggressive, as well as permanent, treatment options.
Topical Formulations:
The
sodium-hydroxide suspension Liquid
Electrolysis damages follicle tissues on
contact. This is one of the most substantial advancements in the field of
epilation cosmetology in many years.
Anti-Androgens:
Carefully
formulated androgen blocking agents
designed to interrupt the hormonal signals which tell hairs to grow.
Short-Wave Probeless:
This
procedure has been in use for many years, providing excellent result. It is
virtually painless, making it perfect for the extra-sensitive areas like the
face and bikini line.
Laser Epilation:
An
exciting new technology which is faster than
electrolysis. Laser is also
non-invasive, so there is no risk of infection by poor sterilization
procedures.
Conventional Electrolysis:
Blend
or Galvanic, generally considered the most reliable and efficient method of
permanently removing unwanted hair.
Microlysis:
The newest of all hair removal procedures available with a strong popularity in
Europe. Works similar to
Transdermal, but incorporates powerful anti-growth liquids to the
protocol.
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YES, you
can rid yourself of that ugly hair!
Choosing
the right system is the most important step in the entire process of hair removal. There are so many procedures available it can be
rather confusing. We encourage our customers to fully educate themselves
before making an investment in epilation equipment or committing to a
treatment schedule at a professional establishment.
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Important
Factors To Consider
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Method |
Discomfort level 0-10 |
Face friendly? |
Self-treat? |
Operator friendly? |
Treatment time per hair |
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Needle Galvanic |
4 |
yes |
yes |
Requires some skill |
15-30 seconds |
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Needle Blend |
7 |
Uncomfortable for some. |
yes |
Requires some skill |
1-2 seconds |
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Laser |
5 |
Uncomfortable for some. |
Not Recommended |
Requires moderate skill |
1-2 seconds |
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Transdermal |
2 |
yes |
yes |
Easy to work with |
15-30 seconds |
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Microlysis |
2 |
yes |
yes |
Easy to work with |
15-30 seconds |
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Short-Wave Probeless |
1 |
yes |
yes |
Very easy to work with |
2-7 seconds |
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Liquid Electrolysis |
2 |
Not Recommended |
yes |
Requires some skill |
5 minute treatment |
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Anti Androgens |
0 |
yes |
yes |
Easy to work with |
N/A |
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Hair Removal The growth of unwanted hair on the face,
arms, legs, back, or bikini line is often a cause of concern. See
Excessive Hair Growth. Many methods of hair removal are available; they
include shaving, chemical depilatories, waxing, threading, electrolysis,
and laser.
Shaving and Depilatories
Probably the most time-honored form of hair removal in the United States is
shaving or depilatories. Shaving is best performed when the hair has been
thoroughly hydrated, i.e. after a bath or shower. Although liquid or bar soap
may be used, shaving “creams” are most popular because they don’t run down the
neck, face, or leg in the process of actually shaving. They also serve as an
indicator as to “where you have been” in the shaving ritual. When hair is cut
with a razor, the tip becomes squared off.
This
makes the new growth feel stubbly or “thicker.” Shaving does not stimulate hair
growth. The new growth feels more coarse because the tip of the hair has a sharp
cut edge, rather than a natural tapered. Plucking, electrolysis, and laser
removal result in re-growth of a naturally soft tapered hair. Chemical
depilatories work essentially the same as shaving, but the tip of the hair
removed at the skin line, is somewhat blunted because it has been chemically
dissolved, rather than cut.
Waxing and Plucking
In
the process of waxing, a sticky heated bee’s wax preparation is spread on the
skin where the hair is present. The wax adheres to the hair, and when removed it
pulls out the hairs by their roots. Unfortunately, waxing is not permanent. In
fact, when the hair is pulled out, the follicle is stimulated to begin anagen
phase again, and a new hair grows within several weeks. Waxing has an advantage
over shaving and chemical depilatories in that the hair is removed with its
root, rather than removed at the skin line. The new hair, which is softly
tapered, takes a few weeks to reach the surface of the skin, and therefore
re-growth is delayed, rather than immediate.
Waxing is quick, although many find it uncomfortable. It has the disadvantage of
irritating the skin because of the heated wax burning, or the mechanical removal
of actual skin by adhesion of the wax to the skin’s top layer. Plucking with a
tweezer is commonly used to remove eyebrow hairs. It is convenient and rapid,
but somewhat tedious if large areas are to be treated.
Emergency rooms doctors are taught not to shave eyebrows if they have to do some
stitching in the area. Because 90% of the hairs in the eyebrow are in telogen
phase (as opposed to 10% of scalp hairs in telogen phase) it usually takes many
months or years before the growth phase naturally switches to anagen. For this
reason, shaved eyebrows seem to take “forever” before they re-grow. When a
telogen eyebrow hair is plucked however, the growth phase is disrupted and the
hair is immediately converted to anagen phase, with predictable re-growth.
Threading
Threading is a gentle, manual technique used for centuries in the near East and
India, but never popularized in the United States. With this unique method, hair
is removed by the roots, in manner similar to waxing. In distinction to waxing,
the top layers of skin are not peeled or traumatized in the process. The result
...a safe, simple, rapid, and highly effective method of hair removal. Because
there is minimal chance of irritation, it is very well suited for the sensitive
face and upper lip.
Electrolysis
For
those patients who prefer a more lasting form of hair removal. The procedure is
painless, non-scarring, non- discoloring, and is FDA-approved. In comparison to
traditional “needle” electrolysis, the method requires fewer visits and is
reported to destroy hair more effectively. An electric current is conducted down
the hair that has been moistened with an electrically conductive solution. With
“needle” electrolysis, the hair canal is entered with a fine needle that
conducts the electricity. Patients who have plucked or waxed for years are often
poor candidates for needle electrolysis. The reason being that their hair canals
are somewhat curved due to the repeated trauma ...the needle cannot be easily
passed down to the hair bulb.
Laser Hair Removal
The
high tech laser is quick, convenient, and long lasting. Because of its costly
advanced technology, it is more expensive than the other methods described. But
clearly, it is the fastest and most long lasting of the choices available. It is
important to emphasize that laser is not a “permanent” form of hair removal
using present technology. Lasers destroy tissue. However, they can be quite
selective as to what tissue they destroy; and that depends on the tissue’s
color. The hair removal lasers (ruby and NdYag) will destroy hair by affecting
only the colored pigment present in the hair. That means, if your hair is blonde
or light brown, the laser will not be effective! Dying the hair dark will not
get around the problem. The particular hair removal laser that we use is one of
most advanced available.
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