Method of high frequency depilation

• US 5,522,814 A
• Filed: 02/04/1994
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bernaz, Gabriel
• Original Assignee: Bernaz, Gabriel
• Inventors: Bernaz, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Stephen D.
• Application Number:
  US08/190,150
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 606/36, 606/43, 606/44, 606/133, 606/222
• US Class Current: 606/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00452 Skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00476 Hair follicles
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/054 with electrotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis

Abstract

The method of treating the skin (2), in particular long-lasting depilation or hair regrowth treatment, involves inducing a high-frequency electromagnetic current through the skin by means of a conductive gel (3) loaded with treating product and applied to the skin at the desired location, the electromagnetic current causing the product to penetrate the pores of the skin. The apparatus comprises a handleable member (1) making contact with the skin (2) and having a non-conductive body (10, 12) provided with a rectangular contact surface (17) having a row of individual conductive points (15) for electromagnetic emission. Said points (15) are exposed through openings in the surface, preferably recessed with respect to the latter, to make contact with loaded conductive gel (3) applied to the skin. An electric circuit (26) supplies pure emissive high-frequency current to the emission points (15), which emit it through the gel (3).

Claims

1. In a method of cosmetic treatment comprising applying to an area of a person'"'"'s skin which has follicles containing hair roots a treating product able to act on the hair roots and applying a high-frequency electromagnetic current, the improvement comprising the steps of:

applying to said area of the person'"'"'s skin (2) a layer formed of a mixture of this treating product and of a non polymerisable conductive gel (3) of a type used usually for coupling ultrasound probes with the skin,

contacting the applied layer of gel/product mixture with an electrical non-conductive body having a non-conductive contact surface with a plurality of discrete electromagnetic emission points, said applied layer forming a conductive interface layer between said emission points and said area of the person'"'"'s skin,

emitting the high-frequency electromagnetic current from the plurality of discrete electromagnetic emission points into the conductive interface layer of gel/product mixture applied onto said area of the person'"'"'s skin to produce a high frequency electromagnetic field in the conductive interface layer which progressively releases from the gel/product mixture a conductive solution containing the treating product, and

continuing to emit said high frequency emission into the conductive interface layer for at least a few minutes to cause the product, within said conductive solution derived from the mixture, to penetrate into the follicles of the skin down to the hair roots over said area of the person'"'"'s skin.

2. A method according to claim 1 for long lasting depilation of an area of skin of a person'"'"'s body which has hairs growing from follicles containing hair roots, comprising applying to the skin (2) a conductive interface layer made of a mixture of said conductive gel (3) and of a product producing atrophy of the hair roots, causing this product to penetrate into the follicles of the skin down to the hair roots by the high-frequency emission in the conductive interface layer, and removing the hairs by suitable means acting over said area of the person'"'"'s skin.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the hairs are removed by means of wax.

4. The method according to claim 2, for long lasting depilation wherein said method comprises the step of preparing said mixture of the conductive gel and said bioactive treatment product and wherein said product comprises a lotion able to atrophy the hair roots, comprising plant extracts and essential oils.

5. A method according to claim 1 for cosmetic treatment of baldness, characterised in that a mixture of said conductive gel (3) and of a hair regenerating product is applied to the scalp, and this product is caused by the high-frequency emission to penetrate into the follicle of the skin down to the hair roots.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising the step of emitting a pure high frequency emissive current into the conductive interface layer (3) by one or several rows of discrete electromagnetic emission points (15).

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said high frequency emission into the conductive interface layer is continued for about 10 to about 20 minutes to cause the product, within said conductive solution derived from the mixture, to penetrate into the follicles down to the hair roots over said area of the person'"'"'s skin.

8. A method for long lasting cosmetic depilation of an area of a person'"'"'s skin which has hairs growing from follicles containing hair roots using an apparatus for transcutaneous induction of a high-frequency electromagnetic current, said apparatus comprising a handleable member (1) for contacting the skin (2), having a non-conductive body (10,13) provided with a non-conductive contact surface (17) adapted to be applied to the skin, this non-conductive surface (17) having a plurality of discrete conductive electromagnetic emission points (15),

said method comprising the steps of

applying said contact surface (17) to said area of the skin to be treated (2), covered with a conductive interface layer formed of a non-polymerisable conductive gel (3) of a type used usually for coupling ultrasound probes with the skin, loaded with a product able to atrophy the hair roots,

emitting a high-frequency emissive current by said points into the applied conductive interface layer to produce a high frequency electromagnetic field in the conductive interface layer which progressively releases from the gel/product mixture a conductive solution containing the treating product,

causing the product within said conductive solution derived from the mixture to penetrate into the follicles of the skin down to the hair roots over said area of the person'"'"'s skin by continuing emission of said high frequency emissive current emitted by said points (15), into the conductive interface layer for at least a few minutes, and

removing the hair afterwards by suitable means acting over said area of the person'"'"'s skin.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the hairs are removed by means of wax.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein said high frequency emission into the conductive interface layer is continued for about 10 to about 20 minutes to cause the product within said conductive solution derived from the mixture, to penetrate into the follicles down to the hair roots over said area of the person'"'"'s skin.