In order to permanently remove hair growing in subcutaneous (below the skin's surface) tissue and to do so permanently, the hair and its root structure is epilated (vaporized) in an ablation cavity of essentially the same size and shape as the volume occupied by the root structure which includes follicle, the follicle bulb and the dermal papilla. Optical energy is used which is of a wavelength and fluence sufficient to cause epilation in the cavity without relying upon selective photothermolysis thereby limiting damage to tissue outside of the hair root structure. To find and restrict the optical energy to the epilation cavity, an optical system, which may be constituted of a single lens, having a numerical aperture of F/5-5.8 is used. The beam is generated by a laser which may be operated in a pulse mode and contained in a hand piece having the optical system at the end thereof. In order to facilitate epilation, a medium such as a cold compress or a freezing agent, may be applied before application of the laser energy in order to cause the root structure and the hair to move to a location generally perpendicular to the surface of the skin. During application of the laser energy, the root structure and the hair, if present, is progressively ablated and vaporized until the bottom of the hair bulb is reached at which time the beam is turned off. Because of the shaping effect of the optical system, the beam is diffused so as to have insufficient fluence to damage the tissue below the bottom of the hair follicle bulb.
A method of attaining depilation by laser beam more effectively by enabling a laser beam the output of which is repressed to an extent of avoiding exertion of an effect on the peripheral tissue to reach a depth in the approximate range of 5-6 mm from the surface of the skin. The method of depilation attains required depilation by pulling out the skin of a subject and compressing the drawn skin thereby transforming part of the skin into a flap and emitting a laser beam to the region of the skin transformed into the flap.
A method for permanently removing hair utilizes the hair shaft and hair ducts to transmit light into the tissue sustaining the hair follicle, thereby permanently destroying or modifying the tissue in a manner which desirably mitigates hair growth. The method includes the steps of covering the patient's skin area with a high reflectance substance so as to substantially protect all skin components other than those sustaining the hair. The hair is optionally shaved or pulled out, and then the skin is illuminated with either a large-area electromagnetic radiation field for simultaneous destruction of multiple hair-follicles, or alternatively with a tightly-focused beam which destroys one hair at a time. Optionally, the beam may be rapidly scanned so as to destroy single hairs quickly in succession. The surrounding skin region is left substantially free of injury. This mitigates pain and enhances post hair removal healing.
This invention teaches an optical source (10) for performing photomedicine. The optical source includes a Nd:YLF laser (12) having an output providing light having a wavelength of 1.053 micrometers; a frequency doubler (13) that is optically coupled to the laser output for converting a portion of the light to frequency doubled light, the frequency doubler having an output providing frequency doubled light having a wavelength of 526.5 nm; coupled to the output of the frequency doubler, a unit (14) for shifting the frequency doubled light to light having a longer wavelength of about 630 nm; and means (16) for conveying the light having the longer wavelength to the region of tissue. In one embodiment of this invention the shifting unit includes a device for performing stimulated Raman scattering of the frequency doubled light. The invention teaches the optical source and methods for using the optical source for performing photomedicine, such as, for treating a region of tissue to remove port wine stains, to remove a tattoo, and to remove one or more hair follicles, disposed therein.
A method of reducing sebum production in human skin, used primarily for cosmetic purposes, including the prevention of acne vulgaris, comprising the use of pulsed light having a wavelength, if monochromatic, or a wavelength range, if produced by a filtered non-monochromatic source, which targets the lipids contained within the sebaceous gland, thus destroying the differentiated and mature sebocytes by photothermolysis without damage to the surrounding and overlying tissue or to the basement membrane of the sebaceous gland.
A method of hair removal, used primarily for cosmetic purposes, comprising the transcutaneous use of laser light having a wavelength which targets the keratin components of hair, thus destroying the hair by photothermolysis without damage to surrounding skin or tissue; this primary method may be supplemented by the use of intrafollicular hair removal methods utilizing a second wavelength of light produced by the same source used to generate the primary light wavelength.
