Tag: scars

How Laser Hair Removal Works on Different Skin Types and

How Laser Hair Removal Works on Different Skin Types and Hair Color

The effectiveness of laser hair removal is dependent upon several factors including skin type and hair color. Lesser factors include the condition of the skin, sun exposure, and the cycle of the hair.

There are four basic skin types – Caucasian European, African descent, Eastern Asian, and Middle Eastern / Mediterranean. Each of these four skin types have several things in common, such as the thickness of the dermis and epidermis, the number of hair follicles, and the skin’s layered components. However, there are many characteristics of each skin type that are very different.

Caucasian Europeans have the most varied skin type of all the groups. This group has light skin with great variation in skin color amongst the people which is determined by heredity. The people from this group are the best candidates for laser hair removal. Generally, they will need fewer treatments and attain the best results. Overall, the effectiveness of laser hair removal on individuals from this group is dependent upon a combination of their hair and skin color.

Individuals of African descent, with dark brown skin or poor candidates for laser hair removal. This is because the laser light is absorbed into the skin pigment, causing possible burns, scars, and keloids. The dark skin causes the laser beam to b drawn away from its target area.

People in Eastern Asian descent, which includes China, Japan and Korea, generally have the least amount of facial and body hair. They are usually good candidates for laser hair removal because their hair is dark, and they have minimal skin pigmentation.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean people tend to have the most facial and body hair. Their skin color can very from dark white to medium brown. Those people with lighter skin generally make better candidates for laser hair removal. Skin bleaching agents, such as 4% hydroquinone, are sometimes used by people in this group to lighten the skin as much as possible. This is done to make the laser treatment as effective as possible and reduce the risk of burning the skin. This ethnic group has an increased risk of hyperpigmentation.

Hair color combines with skin type to further determine the effects of laser hair removal. Black or dark brown hair is usually coarser and contains the most pigmentation. These factors make it the easiest to treat because the laser light is most easily absorbed by the dark pigmentation. Lighter brown hair usually requires more treatments than darker hair. The lighter the hair color, the more difficult laser hair removal becomes. Red and light blonde hair contain phemelianin pigment which makes light absorption very difficult. Grey or white hair does not contain any pigmentation at all, therefor, they cannot absorb light. The Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype Scale and the Lancer Ethnicity Scale are used by professional technicians to determine the effectiveness of laser hair removal based on skin type and hair color.

The best combination of skin type and hair color for laser hair removal is light skin with dark hair. These people will have the best results with the least treatments.

Basic Laser Hair Removal Terminology

It is important to understand the basic terminology used in laser hair removal techniques. This gives you a better understanding of what the procedure entails. It also helps to put many people at ease to completely understand the words used in the treatment.

Absorption is the uptake of one substance into another.

Active medium is the part of the laser that absorbs and stores energy.

American bikini wax, is a standard bikini wax in which hair is removed from either side of the panty line at the top of the thigh.

Anagen is the growth phase in the hair cycle in which a new hair is synthesized.

Brazilian bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed in the pubic region, including the hair on the buttocks and labia.

Catagen is a transitional stage of a hair’s growth cycle, occurring between the growth and resting stages.

Chromophore is a group of atoms in a molecule that produces color through selective light absorption.

Coherent light are light waves that travel in parallel, and in the same direction.

Dermal scattering is the change that occurs between the laser’s spot size at the surface of the skin and the spot size deeper in the tissue.

Dermis is the underlying or inner layer of the skin.

Electrons are stable, negatively charged elementary particles that orbit the nucleus of an atom.

Energy source is the device in the laser that supplies energy to the active medium.

Epidermis is the thin outermost layer of the skin.

Excited states is the conditions of a physical system in which the energy level is higher than the lowest possible level.

Fissure is a crack or cut in the skin.

French bikini wax, is a bikini wax in which all of the hair is removed from the pubic region except for a stripe of hair on the pubis.

Hair follicle bulb is the bulbous base of the hair follicle that houses the dermal papilla.
Keloids scars are raised areas of fibrous tissue.

Melanin are grains of pigment that give hair and skin its color.

Monochromatic light is of one wavelength, and therefore appears as one color.

Nanometers are each one billionth of a meter.

Optical cavity is a part of the laser that contains the active medium.

Polychromatic light consists of light of multiple wavelengths, appearing as different colors.

Pulse duration is the duration of an individual pulse of laser light, which is usually measured in milli-seconds.

Selective photothermolysis is the selective targeting of an area using a specific wavelength to absorb light into that target area sufficient to damage the tissue of the target while allowing the surrounding area to remain relatively untouched.

Spontaneous emission is the process or an excited atom, after holding extra energy for a fraction of a second, releases its energy as another photon then falls back to its grounded state.

Spot size is the width of a laser beam.

Terminal hair is hair found on the scalp arms legs Alexa lay in pubic areas.

Vellus hair is generally fine, non-pigmented hair found on the face that is often called peach fuzz.

Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks or troughs in a wave.

Acne in Adolescents

Acne is one of the most common problems in adolescent teens affecting nearly seventeen million people in the United States. Acne is nothing but a disorder involving sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Acne results from the clogging of sebaceous glands leading to the formation of pimples and cysts. The condition usually begins with the onset of puberty. Going by the facts, as teens attain puberty the androgens also called male sex hormones are produced in high number leading to sebaceous glands becoming over active which results in sebum being produced in high proportions.

Sebum, which is nothing but oil is produced by sebaceous glands which travel to the skin surface through hair follicles. But, skin cells block the follicles which results in oil also being blocked. When these hair follicles are blocked it results in the development of skin bacteria known as Propionibacterium Acnes within the follicles which in turn results in swelling of the skin called Acne. If the hair follicles are partially blocked it results in blackheads. If the follicles are completely blocked they result in whiteheads. But if these plugged follicles are not treated they ultimately burst causing the oil, bacteria and skin cells to spill all over the skin resulting in irritation and formation of pimples. Acne can be shallow as well as deep in various individuals depending on the nature of skin and amount of oil produced.

There can be various causes why Acne forms. Apart from rising hormone levels due to puberty it can also be attributed to certain other factors like intake of drugs which contain lithium, barbiturates and corticosteroids. Acne can also be caused due to excess grease and oil in the scalp, due to cooking oil and use of some cosmetics can actually alleviate the acne problem. Acne problem many times is inherited also. Acne problem is worsened if the pimples are squeezed or scrubbed too hard.

Acne can form at any place of the body but they most commonly form in the areas where there sebaceous glands are present in high proportions like face, chest, shoulders, neck and upper back. The symptoms may differ from person to person but commonly seen symptoms are: formation of blackheads, whiteheads, lesions filled with pus and which are very painful and lastly nodules. One may get confused sometimes as symptoms of acne may be like some other skin condition and it is always advised to consult a doctor in this scenario.

There are lots of treatments available today to treat acne. The primary goal of the treatment is to reduce scars and better appearance. There are various treatments and the doctor decides which specific treatment you need based on: the extent of acne problem, age, medical history, overall health, tolerance to specific medications and procedures, expectations and last but not the least what patients prefer.

Treatment of acne is classified into topical and systemic drug therapies which are given based on extent of severity. In some instances the combination of both the methods might be the way to go for acne treatment. Topical medication is nothing but creams, gels, lotions, solutions etc. prescribed to patients for acne treatment. Some of the examples of topical medication are: Benzoyl Peroxide which kills the Propionibacterium Acnes bacteria, antibiotics helps in stopping or slowing down the growth of the bacteria and also reduces inflammation, Tretinoin helps in stopping the formation of new acne lesions and Adapalene reduces formation of comedo.

Systemic drug therapies involve prescription of systemic antibiotics primarily for the treatment of acne problem which is moderate to severe in nature. The examples of antibiotics prescribed are Doxycycline, erythromycin and tetracycline. In some cases an oral drug called Isotretinoin is prescribed for teenagers with severe acne problem which shrinks down the sebaceous glands that produce oil. The results are pretty good and almost ninety percent of the adolescents have success with this oral drug. But the drug has some serious side-affects and thus it is very important that one consults a doctor before use.

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All About Contact Lenses

As most of us know, contact lenses are the best alternative to glasses. They are small, plastic shaped discs that are made to correct eyesight problems like nearsightedness, astigmatism, farsightedness, and other problems. Contact lenses are also used by those who have had cataract surgery, as they can help the eyes to heal a bit faster.

Contacts are used in the eye, where they will float above a sea of tears that rest in front of the cornea. You should always go to a doctor to be fitted, as the proper fitting and design is very important for safety, comfort, and the accurate vision. If you dont get fitted for your contacts, you could very well get a pair of contacts that could damage your eyes.

There are several types of contact lenses available in two main types – hard contact lenses and soft contact lenses. The hard contact lenses include gas permeable and the conventional hard lenses. Soft contact lenses include daily wear, extended wear, and disposable wear. These are all great contacts, although you should check with your optician to see what he recommends.

If you are just starting to wear hard contact lenses or have thought about them in the past, youll need a 2 – 4 week break period, where you will gradually wear the contacts longer and longer with each passing day. Soft contacts on the other hand, will take less time to get used to, as most people who wear them can break them in a few days.

Contact lenses, as we all know, have many different uses. They are mainly used to correct vision, although they can also be used for those who have just had cataracts, especially if the natural lens around was removed. Contacts can also be used in the treatment of various eye diseases, and scars on the cornea that have been caused by infections or injury.

Contact lenses are a great choice for those who have active lifestyles, such as athletes. They wont fall off like glasses when you run, nor do they hang off your face or fog up. They also offer you a full field of vision as well, which is great for sports. The lens and focus is the same as glass, meaning that you will get the same vision from contacts as you would with a pair of glasses.

A lot of people who have vision problems consider getting Lasik eye surgery to fix their vision problems so that they wont have to wear glasses or contacts. On the flip side, there are several risks and problems associated with this procedure, besides the fact that it is very expensive. Contact lenses arent expensive, and they are a safe alternative to vision correction.

Keep in mind that contact lenses arent available without a prescription. Although you can get certain contacts without a prescription, they wont correct your vision. To get contacts that correct your vision, youll need to visit an eye doctor and get fitted for them. Your doctor will tell you the health of your eyes, as well as the contacts you need to correct your vision.

For several years, contact lenses have been an ideal way to correct your vision. They are more popular than glasses, and they wont limit what you can and cant do. Contacts fit snugly in your eyes and they wont make you feel out of place. You can wear them with any type of clothing you desire – as it is very hard to tell if someone is wearing them or not.