TLDR Photodynamic therapy with methylene blue and a laser effectively destroys hair follicles better than traditional laser hair removal.
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.
759 citations
,
February 2009 in “Current Biology” Hair follicles are complex, dynamic mini-organs that help us understand cell growth, death, migration, and differentiation, as well as tissue regeneration and tumor biology.
21 citations
,
January 2007 in “Journal of Drugs in Dermatology” The laser effectively removes hair for skin types IV and V but is less effective for type VI.
82 citations
,
May 2005 in “Dermatologic therapy” Laser hair removal has advanced to effectively reduce hair for various skin types and hair colors.
115 citations
,
January 2002 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” 85 citations
,
January 2002 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Lasers and intense pulsed light can safely and effectively remove hair by targeting hair follicles.
16 citations
,
April 2020 in “Dermatology practical & conceptual” Laser treatment can effectively reduce unwanted hair growth, particularly for people with fair skin and dark hair.
November 2015 in “Springer eBooks” Laser hair removal can be effective for people with darker skin tones.
1 citations
,
January 2009 in “Elsevier eBooks” The chapter explains why and how women remove unwanted hair, comparing methods like shaving and waxing.
39 citations
,
July 2005 in “Current medical research and opinion” Topical cream eflornithine 11.5% can slow hair growth and may help reduce hair removal frequency.
4 citations
,
April 1999 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Long-pulsed ruby lasers effectively reduce hair for up to 2 years with minimal pain.
