Efficacy and Safety of Intense Pulse Light in Idiopathic Hirsutism

Abstract

Background:  Unwanted facial and body hair can cause severe cosmetic, social and psychological problems. Light assisted hair removal, using lasers and intense pulse light sources, because of their long term results and safety, has emerged as a promising method in hair removal.

Objective:  To determine the efficacy and safety of intense pulse light (IPL) in the treatment of idiopathic facial hirsutism.

Setting:  Dermatology Department Unit-II, Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

Duration of Study:  Six months since 15^th October, 2009.

Study Design:  Experimental analytical.

Patients and Methods:  It is an ongoing study of 50 patients and so far 46 with idiopathic facial hirsutism have been enrolled. All selected variables were recorded on a printed Proforma. The starting fluence and pulse duration were deter-mined according to skin type. They were treated at 4 - 6 weeks interval for six treatments. Efficacy and safety was deter-mined at the end of treatment. Efficacy was graded according to a 4-point scale from excellent to poor.

Results:  Twenty eight percent patients in group A (completed 5 sessions), 11% patients in group B (completed 4 sessions) and 7% patients in group C (completed 3 sessions) showed excellent response i.e. > 75% hair reduction whereas 43% in group A, 56% in group B and 14% in group C showed  a good response i.e. 50 - 75% hair reduction. Persistent erythema was observed in 16%, folliculitis in 13% and hyperpigmentation in 10% of the patients.

Conclusion:  IPL is a safe and effective for treatment of idiopathic hirsutism.

Key Words:  IPL, Idiopathic hirsutism.