Hair Removal in Hirsute Women with Normal Testosterone Levels: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Long-Pulsed Diode Laser vs. Intense Pulsed Light

In a study involving 31 hirsute women with normal testosterone levels, both intense pulsed light (IPL) and long-pulsed diode laser (LPDL) treatments were found to significantly reduce facial hair counts. The study, which measured results at 1, 3, and 6 months after the final treatment, showed median hair count reductions of 77%, 53%, and 40% for IPL and 68%, 60%, and 34% for LPDL at these respective time points. By the 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in hair reduction, patient assessment of hairiness, or patient satisfaction between the two treatments. However, IPL was associated with higher pain scores compared to LPDL. The efficacy of both treatments declined over the 6-month period. Only 23 of the initial participants were included in the efficacy assessments due to the requirement of maintaining normal or medically normalized testosterone levels throughout the study.