Hypertrichosis / Increased hairiness

What is hypertrichosis?

In hypertrichosis, there is increased hair on the body and face. In terms of hair density and thickness, this exceeds the usual, gender- and origin-specific measure or occurs in otherwise always hairless areas. It may be localized to individual areas, for example in congenital moles, or it may affect the entire body, with the exception of the palms and soles. The cause of this is unknown. However, some drugs can trigger increased body hair as a side effect. The active ingredient: minoxidil in antihypertensive medications, for example. Minoxidil in a 2% or 5% solution, when applied externally to the scalp, can even be used successfully to treat androgenetic alopecia (hormone-induced hair loss), in women and men! Hirsutism in women must be distinguished from hypertrichosis as a hormonally induced deviation of the sex-specific hair type. A gynecological-endocrinological clarification must take place and, if necessary, the triggering cause must be treated. All hair patterns that are somehow pronounced in excess and deviate from the “norm”, make the affected person feel sometimes very insecure in interacting with other people. The self-confidence must be very pronounced, if there are no concerns when wearing a bikini or swimsuit on the beach!

The hairiness of people today has already become significantly less overall, if you compare this with the representations of our ancestors, who still had to protect themselves from wind and weather through their hairiness. Women in particular, however, feel uncomfortable with their actually completely normal body hair, especially in the summer months. A strong trend in this direction is also apparent among men. A smooth, soft skin simply looks better and also feels more pleasant. The daily struggle with shaving or the regular epilation procedures with wax or depilatory devices on legs, armpits and in the bikini area do not have to be. Here and on almost all other body areas, as well as on the face, permanent hair removal can be performed very effectively with a special laser device, the diode laser.

Permanent hair removal

On almost all areas of the body, as well as on the face, permanent hair removal can be performed very effectively with a special laser device, the diode laser. Prerequisite for a good response is the dark pigmentation of the hair and ideally a skin as light as possible! The laser energy is delivered directly into the target structure: melanin, the dark pigment of skin and hair. The more directly the generated heat energy reaches the pigment-containing follicle cells of the hair root, the more effective their destruction and thus the treatment will be. Dark or well-tanned skin intercepts the laser energy before it reaches the hair follicle, not only reducing the effect but also significantly increasing the risk of burns. This essentially means three things! – First: Sun-/Solarium-tanned people and people with dark skin type cannot be treated! – Secondly: Light blond and white hair cannot be permanently removed! – and thirdly: The hair must not be removed mechanically before the laser therapy (by waxing or epilation), but only shaved, otherwise the hair root is removed as a target and the treatment is therefore ineffective!

Due to the hair growth cycle, epilation treatments must be performed at precisely defined time intervals. The hair follicles are most sensitive to the applied heat energy in the so-called anagen phase (growth phase of the “young” hair), and therefore most effective to treat. Normally, 8-10 treatments at intervals of 4 weeks are required to achieve up to 98% depilation. Consistent light protection after and also before the laser therapy is strongly advised to keep the skin pale on the one hand and to avoid hyperpigmentation (brown discoloration) of the skin after the treatment on the other hand. The pain of the treatment varies depending on the area of the body. Anesthesia is usually not required. Redness and swelling may occur temporarily, but usually disappear the following day. Short hair shaft remnants (1-2 mm long) are sometimes still expelled during the first few days. To avoid skin irritation, these should be left to themselves and not plucked. A final note: Fine blond hairs on the face in women, sometimes like a velvety fluff on the chin and cheeks – usually do not bother, but can be reduced with a cream containing eflornithine when used permanently.