Hair removal using optical pulses
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing an applicator in contact with the skin surface in said skin region;
(b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval; and
(c) utilizing said applicator at least during step (b) to cool the skin surface in said skin region to a selected depth;
said selected fluence and said predetermined time interval being selected such that there is at most minimal heating of skin in said skin region to said selected depth, while causing sufficient heating of at least one of hairs and follicles below said selected depth to at least damage said hairs and follicles without causing significant damage to tissue surrounding said follicles.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for simultaneously effecting the removal of multiple hairs from a skin region by using light energy to destroy hair follicles in the region. Light energy is applied to the region through an applicator which converges the light energy to enhance destruction of desired portions of the follicles, is preferably pressed against the skin region to deform the upper layers of the skin reducing the distance from the skin surface to portions of hair follicles which are to be destroyed, including the bulge and papilla of the follicles, and which applicator is preferably cooled to minimize or eliminate thermal damage to the epidermis in the region being irradiated. Parameters for the irradiation, including pulse duration, are selected to effect complete damage of desired portions of the hair follicles in the region with minimal damage to surrounding tissue and to the patient'"'"'s epidermis.
517 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing an applicator in contact with the skin surface in said skin region; (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval; and (c) utilizing said applicator at least during step (b) to cool the skin surface in said skin region to a selected depth; said selected fluence and said predetermined time interval being selected such that there is at most minimal heating of skin in said skin region to said selected depth, while causing sufficient heating of at least one of hairs and follicles below said selected depth to at least damage said hairs and follicles without causing significant damage to tissue surrounding said follicles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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11. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing an applicator in contact with the skin surface in said skin region; and (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval; said applicator converging the optical radiation applied to said skin region.
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12. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing an applicator in contact with the skin surface in said skin region; and (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval; pressure being applied to the applicator during steps (a) and (b) so as to cause the applicator to deform the skin region thereunder. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) utilizing an applicator to form a fold of the skin in said skin region, said applicator being in contact with the skin surface in said skin region on two substantially opposite sides of said fold; and (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval, the optical radiation being applied to said two substantially opposite sides of the fold. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing an applicator in contact with the skin surface in said skin region, said step including the step of providing a substantial refractive index match between the applicator and the skin surface in said skin region; and (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said applicator to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence to said skin region, said applying step lasting for a predetermined time interval; and (b) cooling the skin surface in said skin region to a selected depth prior to step (a) and during step (a), said selected fluence and said predetermined time interval being selected such that there is at most minimal heating of skin in said skin region to said selected depth, while causing sufficient heating of at least one of hairs and follicles below said selected depth to at least damage said hairs and follicles without causing significant damage to tissue surrounding said follicles; whereby at least one of the hairs and follicles is heated and damaged without causing significant damage to the skin surface in said skin region up to said selected depth. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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27. Apparatus for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region containing said plurality of hairs, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the apparatus comprising:
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an applicator which is adapted to be in pressure contact with a portion of the skin surface containing a plurality of hairs in said skin region; a source of optical radiation of a wavelength between 680 and 1,200 nm, a fluence between 10 and 200 J/cm2 and a pulse duration between 50μ
s and 200 ms; andmeans for applying the optical radiation from said source to said applicator, the optical radiation being passed through the applicator to said skin region. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for the simultaneous removal of a plurality of hairs from a skin region, each hair being in a follicle extending into the skin from a skin surface, the method comprising the step of:
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(a) positioning an element over said skin surface in said skin region through which optical radiation may be passed; and (b) applying optical radiation of a selected wavelength and of a selected fluence through said element to said skin region to simultaneously remove a plurality of hairs from said region, said applying step lasting for a duration of from 2 to 100 ms.
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Specification