Laser‐assisted Hair Removal

Current options for hair removal include shaving, epilation, depilatories, electrolysis, and, more efficiently, lasers. Lasers are fast, safe, and effective when used appropriately. Selective photothermolysis is the key concept in laser hair removal. By varying specific parameters such as wavelength, pulse duration, and fluence, certain specific chromophores may be targeted while protecting other tissues. Melanin is the main endogenous chromophore in hair follicles. In permanent hair reduction, heat from the laser must spread from the hair shaft to the bulb and the bulge of the hair. Adverse effects reported after laser‐assisted hair removal including erythema, perifollicular edema, crusting, vesiculation, hypopigmentation, and hyperpigmentation

Laser‐Assisted Hair Removal

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Biology of hair follicles Basic concepts of laser‐assisted hair removal Preoperative management Description of techniques Radiofrequency combinations Other removal methods for non‐pigmented hair Postoperative management Complications Conclusion

Inguinal hyperhidrosis misdiagnosed as urinary incontinence: treatment with botulinum toxin A

Hyperhidrosis is a psychosocially embarrassing condition with a treatment history of varied success, including topical application of antiperspirants with aluminum salts (e.g., Drysol), oral anticholinergics, iontophoresis, and endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy. The use of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) in humans for the treatment of hyperhidrosis didn't emerge until 1996. Botulinum toxin A is a safe and effective treatment for hyperhidrosis, and it has been shown to improve the quality of life in affected patients. The toxin works by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, and affecting the postganglionic sympathetic innervation of sweat glands. The authors report a case of inguinal hyperhidrosis treated with botulinum toxin A. Very few cases with similar treatments have been found in the medical literature. More work should be done to find the optimal dose for treating this area, and affected patients should be informed of the potential benefits of botulinum toxin therapy

Short anagen syndrome in an African American woman

Short anagen syndrome is an uncommon condition characterized by the inability to grow long hair and an increase in the number of hairs in telogen. The incidence of short anagen syndrome is poorly documented in the medical literature. In all reports, patients are Caucasian and usually have fine blond hair. We report a case of a 38-year-old African American woman with short anagen syndrome

Pigment Lasers and Lights

The versatility of lasers has truly manifested itself in various medical and cosmetic procedures. Patients consider a number of benign pigmented cutaneous lesions objectionable because of their color, size, number, or location. These lesions include lentigines, café-au-lait macules, ephelides, junctional nevi, seborrheic keratoses, dermal melanosis, and tattoos [1]. Removal of these lesions involves destroying the epidermis to remove the unwanted lesion. For superficial lesions, physicians can treat these lesions with multiple modalities. In addition, almost all epidermal injuries heal without scarring. For deep dermal pigmented lesion, however, selective damaging to the lesions usually is performed by using the Q-switched laser systems