Photodynamic Therapy for Hair Removal
March 2013
in “
QScience Connect
”
Studysummary This study found that low power He:Ne laser and methylene blue successfully damaged hair follicles in mice while preserving the epidermis, suggesting a potential for improved long-term hair removal options. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study explored the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for hair removal, focusing on the application of methylene blue (MB) and low power continuous wave (CW) He-Ne laser on mice skin tissues. The research divided the tissues into six groups, including controls and various combinations of MB and laser treatments. Results indicated that methylene blue, due to its cationic property, was selectively absorbed by actively growing hair follicles. The combination of MB and laser treatment led to the destruction of hair follicles while leaving the epidermis intact. The study concluded that this PDT system was effective in selectively damaging hair follicles, offering a better outcome than traditional laser hair removal methods by ensuring complete destruction of hair follicles without affecting the surrounding skin.