The current methods, such as electrolysis, waxing, depilatories or laser procedures, available to the millions of men and women seeking to remove unwanted hair are often painful and time-consuming. The new EpiLight Hair Removal System (ESC Medical Systems) is an intense light energy system, which offers a superior alternative to current hair removal systems with less maintenance and discomfort and rare adverse effects. The EpiLight device provides a broad wavelength spectrum of 590nm to 1200nm and an energy fluence from 30 to 65J/cm2 to overcome the limitations in laser systems and to penetrate deeply enough to the target melanin with sufficient energy to damage hair follicles without harming surrounding skin tissue. These flexible parameters allow the physician to customize the treatment to the particular body area, specific hair color and exact skin type of the patient. In particular, the device's large spot size, 8 x 35 (2.8cm2) or 10 x 45mm (5.6cm2) covers a greater area with each pulse and decreases the overall treatment time.

In this study, six patients were treated with the EpiLight device by Dr. Jay to remove unwanted hair from various parts of the body.

METHODS

Six patients were treated with the EpiLight device by Dr. Jay to remove unwanted hair from various parts of the body. The treatment area was prepared by clipping the hair to a length of about 1mm. No waxing or application of a messy, black carbon tar solution was necessary with the EpiLight device. A transparent cooling gel was then applied to the treatment site to aid in skin cooling during the pulse sequence and to improve coupling of the light to the skin. No local anesthesia was administered due to the minimal discomfort produced with this treatment method.

RESULTS

The treatment of the six patients represented a wide variety of treatment characteristics. The flexibility of the EpiLight device allowed Dr. Jay to customize the treatment parameters to the various skin types and treatment sites. Darker skin type (type IV) is often challenging to treat successfully. In addition, laser resistant areas were successfully treated with the EpiLight instrument. Follow-up sessions revealed that the six patients had been successfully treated with the EpiLight device. The clearance ranged from 64% to 95%, and in the case of one patient, 80% clearance was observed sixteen months after the initial treatment session. This study suggests that the EpiLight device is a proficient tool for easier hair removal and possibly long-term epilation.