The Efficiency of Intense Pulse Light in the Treatment of Hirsute Ladies

Abstract

Background: Hirsutism results in severe cosmetic and psychological problems. Many types of lasers and intense lights have been developed for the treatment of hirsute ladies. Intense pulse light (IPL) is one of the most useful broadband light for hirsutism. Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of IPL in ladies with hirsutism. Material and Methods: This prospective study was conducted at the private dermatological clinic in Hit city, Anbar province, Iraq from May 2018 to May 2019. A hirsute ladies subjected to 6 sessions of IPL were enrolled in the study. The age of the females, Fitzpatrick skin type, site, history of polycystic ovary disease, patient satisfaction, and hair reduction rate were recorded and analyzed. Results: The mean age of the enrolled 62 patients was 32.02 years ± 7.939 (range 18-51 years). The highest age group affected was 18-40 years (n = 55, 88.7 %). Most of the patients were of skin type 3 (n = 36, 58.1 %). The most common site was "upper lip, chin, and sides of the face" in 23 patients (37.2 %). Thirty-five (56.5 %) ladies were with polycystic ovary disease. Good and Excellent hair reduction rates to IPL treatment were 62.9 and 25.8 % respectively. The satisfied and very satisfied feeling of the treated ladies was 71 and 25.8 % respectively. No statistically significant difference between treatment response and age of the patient, skin type, and site (P-Value > 0.05). While there was a high statistically significant difference (P-Value = 0.000) between hair reduction in relation to patients' satisfaction and history of polycystic ovarian disease. Most patients complained from transient erythema after treatment for 1- 2 hours. Conclusions: IPL is a safe and efficient mode for facial hair removal in hirsute ladies.