EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF HYPERTRICHOSIS WITH PULSED-LIGHT - A REPORT OF2 CASES

Hypertrichosis is an often stigmatizing cosmetic problem not only for women but also for male-to-female transsexual patients, The hitherto d escribed therapeutic measures include chemical epilation, razoring, ca mouflage, electrolysis and thermolysis, and waxing. All of these measu res are transient, more or less painful, and may lead to severe side e ffects (e.g., inflammatory responses and scarring), We report the succ essful treatment of the perioral and mandibular area of two transsexua l patients (male to female), who we treated with a recently introduced intense, pulsed light source - the PhotoDerm VL. Two days after the n early painless treatment, hair could be epilated easily with forceps, Biopsies of the treated area show an atrophy of the follicles, which c an be contributed either to direct thermal injury or to an indirect ph otothermolytical effect, Six months after the last treatment, there is no local recurrence and no side effects.