Laser Treatment for Female Facial Hirsutism: Are Quality-of-Life Benefits Sustainable?

The study assessed the long-term quality of life (QoL) benefits of laser hair removal (LHR) in 142 hirsute women who underwent NHS-funded LHR between 2010 and 2012. Participants completed questionnaires before and up to 30 months after treatment to measure the impact of hirsutism on their QoL, including the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the number of days spent removing hair per week, and a 10-point scale for emotional burden. Out of the initial participants, 63 women responded to the post-LHR questionnaire. The results showed that while LHR improved QoL, the number of days spent removing hair returned to baseline levels at 12-30 months post-treatment, and the emotional burden improvement significantly declined over time (P = 0.04). However, there was no significant difference in the improvement of DLQI scores (P = 0.12). The study concluded that LHR provides some functional QoL benefits that last up to 30 months post-treatment, but emotional benefits diminish over time, indicating a need for further LHR treatments to maintain QoL improvements.