Laser Hair Removal for Home Use

Laser hair removal has moved gradually from the physician’s office to medi-spas that have only a peripheral connection with a physician, but the biggest potential market is for home use. In this prospective, controlled study, 121 subjects with unwanted hair selected themselves as appropriate or inappropriate for treatment, based on their review of instructional material provided by the manufacturer of an 810-nm diode laser designed for home use. The device’s safety features allow it to be listed as a class I laser device (safer than a laser pointer); it puts out a maximum energy fluence of 22 J/cm² with a 10-mm spot size. A total of 77 subjects selected themselves as appropriate (having light brown to black hair and Fitzpatrick skin types I…