Study on hair removal in males

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Study on hair removal in males

The last report carried out by Instituto Médico Láser was performed on over 28,000 treated anatomical regions. The first conclusions yielded by the study on the total number of treated patients during the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 are:

18% males and 82% women were treated.
76% of patients treated over this period of time achieved a permanent clearance of hair density above 95%.
The rest of patients achieved a mean hair density clearance of 80-85%. These patients continue to be treated at 4 to 5 month intervals and they expect to achieve the desired results with a total of 12 sessions, which is slightly higher than the average.
The reasons why some treatments take longer than others in time or require a larger number of sessions or a longer follow up period, are constant and are mainly due to the following factors: skin sensitivity, the degree of tolerance to the discomfort caused by the laser, the type of melanin in hair and skin, the depth at which hair is located and the gender.
The highest patient satisfaction is found in the groin area and armpits, where in just 3 to 4 spaced sessions, a hair clearance over 85% is achieved. This is because the total hair density to be eliminated is stable, and under normal physiological conditions, women do not grow new hair in those areas.

This study has helped us clarify some misconceptions or discard some old theories we had just a couple of years ago, such as: “Contrary to what we believed, experience has shown us that it is possible to destroy hair in the telongen phase, that is when hair growth is at rest, using high doses of energy with a percentage of hair elimination that is three times higher than average per session.”

IML Study on laser hair removal in males

With regard to hair removal in men

The percentage of patients who have benefited from laser hair removal has increased in recent years. Now nearly 20% of our patients who come for hair removal are men.

Preferred areas for hair removal in men are as follows (in decreasing order):

Lower part of the beard.
Back and shoulders.
Thorax and abdomen.
Space between the eyebrows.
Ears.
Hands.
Cheeks.
Rest of the body: legs, arms and buttocks.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT CERTAIN PECULARITIES WHEN REMOVING HAIR IN MEN, as these peculiarities influence the results:

Males who have hair on their backs and thorax usually start to grow hair at around the age of 20, being physiologically able to continue producing hair up until the age of 50 approximately. This means that hair density in the trunk of young males is not stable. Men who have their hair removed from these areas must be aware that they may need a touch up session every few months to have the entire completely clear of hairs.

Hair in men is located deeper and the dermis is usually thicker. On occasions, men present more than one dermal matrix per each hair follicle. These features make hair removal a bit harder in men. Lasers that work the best are those with a longer wave length (more penetrating), longer pulse length (for thicker hair longer wavelengths are more effective) and a larger spot size (impact) (hence, more penetrating light).

Based on the above, Instituto Médico Láser has achieved the best results using the "Long Pulse" diode laser and the “long pulse and high potency” of the Neodymium YAG laser.

Hair density per sq centimetre in the male is higher. There is more hair to be destroyed and more sessions are thus necessary. The ideal interval between sessions is as follows:

Trunk, every four months.
Beard, once a month.
Ears, cheeks and hands every two months.
Rest of the body, every four months.

Hair removal lasts for over two and a half months in men after each laser session. This is why it is quite common for men to have a session just before the summer season begins so that they show a hair-free skin through the summer.

“We must agree that current fashion trends show men with no body. This is seen in men models wearing swimming trunks or TV spots in which showing totally hair-free and shiny torso. This is why the most epilated regions are the back and shoulders and mainly the procedure in carried out in young males.

As regards epilation of the space between the brows and ears, the procedure is performed in older men, when hairs in the auricular region grow and reach the greatest calibre and length.

Shaving problems and the irritation caused by friction with shirt collars are the main reasons why men seek hair removal of the lower beard (lower facial hair). Some of our patients undergo hell when they shave due to the strength and density of beard hairs.

Some of these patients choose to have it removed completely, whilst others prefer to undergo just a few sessions, the aim of which is to weaken the hair to make shaving more pleasant.

Buttocks, hands, legs, are epilated less frequently. Generally speaking, men can have the same areas as women epilated. Why not?

INSTITUTO MÉDICO LÁSER is to-date the best equipped laser platform in Europe. It is a reference centre for a large part of the medical community. Presently, Instituto Médico Láser offers the following systems: