Hair removal device and method
First Claim
1. A Process for the permanent removal, from a section of human skin, of a plurality of hairs growing in hair ducts from follicles at the bottom of said ducts and being nourished by skin tissue immediately surrounding said follicles essentially without damage to skin tissue except to said skin tissue immediately surrounding said follicles, comprising the steps of:
- a. selecting a contaminant capable of infiltrating said hair ducts and having a high optical absorption of at least one frequency band of light which will penetrate said section of skin,b. applying said contaminant to the surface of skin in such a manner as to cause a quantity of said contaminant to infiltrate said hair ducts,c. at least partly removing said contaminant from said section of skin but leaving at least a portion of said contaminant in said hair ducts, andd. illuminating said section of skin with said at least one frequency band of light, a significant portion of which penetrates the section of skin and is absorbed in said quantity of contaminant in said hair ducts, said quantity of contaminant in said ducts and the energy absorbed in it being sufficient to cause a reaction which destroys said hairs by causing death of said follicles or of the skin tissue feeding said follicles.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device and process for the permanent removal of unwanted human hair. Hair on a section of skin is contaminated with a substance having high absorption of a frequency band of light. The skin is illuminated with light at this frequency band at sufficient intensity and duration to kill the follicles or the skin tissue feeding the hair. Specific embodiments are disclosed to produce death of the follicles or the skin tissues feeding the hair by heating and by photochemical reaction.
370 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A Process for the permanent removal, from a section of human skin, of a plurality of hairs growing in hair ducts from follicles at the bottom of said ducts and being nourished by skin tissue immediately surrounding said follicles essentially without damage to skin tissue except to said skin tissue immediately surrounding said follicles, comprising the steps of:
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a. selecting a contaminant capable of infiltrating said hair ducts and having a high optical absorption of at least one frequency band of light which will penetrate said section of skin, b. applying said contaminant to the surface of skin in such a manner as to cause a quantity of said contaminant to infiltrate said hair ducts, c. at least partly removing said contaminant from said section of skin but leaving at least a portion of said contaminant in said hair ducts, and d. illuminating said section of skin with said at least one frequency band of light, a significant portion of which penetrates the section of skin and is absorbed in said quantity of contaminant in said hair ducts, said quantity of contaminant in said ducts and the energy absorbed in it being sufficient to cause a reaction which destroys said hairs by causing death of said follicles or of the skin tissue feeding said follicles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification