Hair reduction using a new intense pulsed light irradiator and a normal mode ruby laser.

OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this clinical study was to compare the effectiveness of an intense pulsed light irradiator system (IPL) and a normal mode ruby laser for hair removal.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients were treated 3 times with a new IPL system on one side of the chin and neck and with a normal mode ruby laser on the other side. After 6 months, nine of the patients received 3 additional IPL treatments and 11 patients received 3 additional ruby laser treatments. All treatment intervals were 2 months. Hair reduction was measured by hair counts on close-up photographs.

RESULTS: Hair reduction was obtained by 93.5% of the patients after 3 IPL treatments and by 54.8% after 3 ruby laser treatments. The average hair count was reduced by 49.3% after IPL treatments and by 21.3% after ruby laser treatments. Three additional IPL treatments following 3 IPL treatments resulted in only 6.6% further hair reduction--in total 55.9%, whereas 3 IPL treatments following 3 ruby laser treatments resulted in an additional 35.5% hair reduction--in total 56.8%.

CONCLUSIONS: The IPL was found to be 3.94 times more effective than the ruby laser for hair removal. In the chin and neck region, more than 3 treatments with the IPL did not improve the therapeutic result significantly.