Hair Removal Methods Research Articles

Pubic hair removal methods and associated factors on female sexuality in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Background Pubic hair removal (PHR) is a popular practice among women. They remove pubic hair by different methods, usually for visual, esthetic, or psycho-sexual aspects, as being more attractive and feminine to affect their sexual life. Objectives To assess the impact of different methods of PHR on sexual function among sexually active females in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. And to understand factors affecting the choice of methods used in this grooming practice. Patients and methods This cross-sectional study included 500 sexually active women who completed the study structured questionnaire, which included demographics, reproductive and medical history data, assessment of sexual function in the past 4 weeks using Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), PHR items, and the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale-9 in the last 2 weeks. Results Almost all the participants (99.2%) preferred to remove pubic hair, and the most frequently mentioned method is shaving and creams (43.8%). The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction was 50.5% of our participants. There was a significant difference in the mean FSFI scores between different methods of PHR; with laser, users, had higher FSFI scores of arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction domains (P<0.05). Wax or sweet users and laser users were more satisfied with their body image than shaving users. Conclusions Female sexual dysfunction is a widespread problem; it may result in depression and may be affected by the type of method used for PHR. Laser users had better sexual functions than users of other methods.

Intersection-union dual-stream cross-attention Lova-SwinUnet for skin cancer hair segmentation and image repair

Skin cancer images have hair occlusion problems, which greatly affects the accuracy of diagnosis and classification. Current dermoscopic hair removal methods use segmentation networks to locate hairs, and then uses repair networks to perform image repair. However, it is difficult to segment hair and capture the overall structure between hairs because of the hair being thin, unclear, and similar in color to the entire image. When conducting image restoration tasks, the only available images are those obstructed by hair, and there is no corresponding ground truth (supervised data) of the same scene without hair obstruction. In addition, the texture information and structural information used in existing repair methods are often insufficient, which leads to poor results in skin cancer image repair. To address these challenges, we propose the intersection-union dual-stream cross-attention Lova-SwinUnet (IUDC-LS). Firstly, we propose the Lova-SwinUnet module, which embeds Lovasz loss function into Swin-Unet, enabling the network to better capture features of various scales, thus obtaining better hair mask segmentation results. Secondly, we design the intersection-union (IU) module, which takes the mask results obtained in the previous step for pairwise intersection or union, and then overlays the results on the skin cancer image without hair to generate the labeled training data. This turns the unsupervised image repair task into the supervised one. Finally, we propose the dual-stream cross-attention (DC) module, which makes texture information and structure information interact with each other, and then uses cross-attention to make the network pay attention to the more important texture information and structure information in the fusion process of texture information and structure information, so as to improve the effect of image repair. The experimental results show that the PSNR index and SSIM index of the proposed method are increased by 5.4875 and 0.0401 compared with the other common methods. Experimental results unequivocally demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, which serves as a potent tool for skin cancer detection, significantly surpassing the performance of comparable methods.

A Method of Skin Disease Detection Using Image Processing and Machine Learning

Skin conditions are prevalent health issues globally. The dangers posed by these infections are unseen, leading to physical discomfort and mental anguish. In severe cases, skin diseases can even progress to skin cancer. Consequently, the identification of skin diseases from clinical images remains a significant challenge in medical image analysis. Furthermore, manual diagnosis by medical professionals is time-consuming and subjective. Therefore, there is a need for automated skin disease prediction to expedite treatment planning for both patients and dermatologists. These studies presents a digital hair removal method and de-blurs or denoise the images. To extract essential patterns from the skin imagesand statistical features techniques are utilized. Two efficient machine learning algorithms, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classifiers, are employed with the extracted features to accurately classify skin images as melanoma (MEL), melanocytic nevus (NV), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), actinic keratosis (AK), benign keratosis (BKL), dermatofibroma (DF), vascular lesion (VASC), and Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The models are validated using the ISIC 2019 challenge and HAM10000 datasets, with SVM demonstrating slightly superior performance compared to the other classifiers. Furthermore, a comparison with state-of-the-art methods is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

A review of hair removal modalities in pediatric patients: Ethical and clinical considerations.

Unwanted hair is a common concern among patients presenting to pediatric dermatology clinics, and parents and patients alike inquire about the safety of methods employed for elective removal. Various methods of hair removal exist with different levels of invasiveness and permanence, from simple mechanical depilation to light-based therapies. All methods of hair removal appear to be safe and generally well tolerated in children, and there are no age restrictions to any modality. In this review, we aim to address the available literature on the safety and efficacy of hair removal modalities in pediatric patients and propose guidance on how to manage requests for at-home and in-office therapies within an ethical framework.

Body hair removal: A cross-sectional survey among women in the north of Morocco

ABSTRACT Objectives: Our study aimed to determine the prevalence and techniques of body hair removal. In addition, we also looked at the various complications that had arisen in our patient group. Materials and Methods: An online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted in the north region of Morocco to collect data that was sent to participants who live in one of the cities of northern Morocco. IBM SPSS, version 25, was employed to analyze the data with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A total of 660 randomly selected women responded to the questionnaire. The mean age was 31.02 ± 8.89 (SD). Pubic and axillary hair were the most often depilated areas (90–94%). The main reason was hygiene (46.9%). Age, income, family situation, and social status were significantly associated with body hair removal areas and methods. The complications that occurred in different parts of the body were minimal and similar to those already reported in the literature for pubic grooming. They were mainly associated with the technique of removal. Conclusion: Younger women were more likely to remove hair from the face, forearms, and legs when compared to the older. Traditional techniques such as waxing and shaving were still the most often employed. Key words: Body areas, Complications, Hair removal, Regional survey, Techniques What is known about this subject in regard to women and their families? Hair removal is above all a women’s issue. Although the practice is highly popular, there are still complications related to various hair removal methods. What is new from this article as messages for women and their families? There is no previously published data on the prevalence, techniques, and complications of body hair removal among women in our region. More effort is needed to educate women to choose the most appropriate technique with fewer complications.

Mechanical epilation exerts complex biological effects on human hair follicles and perifollicular skin: An exvivo study approach.

Electrical epilation of unwanted hair is a widely used hair removal method, but it is largely unknown how this affects the biology of human hair follicles (HF) and perifollicular skin. Here, we have begun to explore how mechanical epilation changes selected key biological read-out parameters exvivo within and around the pilosebaceous unit. Human full-thickness scalp skin samples were epilated exvivo using an electro-mechanical device, organ-cultured for up to 6 days in serum-free, supplemented medium, and assessed at different time points by quantitative (immuno-)histomorphometry for selected relevant read-out parameters in epilated and sham-epilated control samples. Epilation removed most of the hair shafts, often together with fragments of the outer and inner root sheath and hair matrix. This was associated with persistent focal thinning of the HF basal membrane, decreased melanin content of the residual HF epithelium, and increased HF keratinocyte apoptosis, including in the bulge, yet without affecting the number of cytokeratin 15+ HF epithelial stem cells. Sebocyte apoptosis in the peripheral zone was increased, albeit without visibly altering sebum production. Epilation transiently perturbed HF immune privilege, and increased the expression of ICAM-1 in the bulge and bulb mesenchyme, and the number of perifollicular MHC class II+ cells as well as mast cells around the distal epithelium and promoted mast cell degranulation around the suprabulbar and bulbar area. Moreover, compared to controls, several key players of neurogenic skin inflammation, itch, and/or thermosensation (TRPV1, TRPA1, NGF, and NKR1) were differentially expressed in post-epilation skin. These data generated in denervated, organ-cultured human scalp skin demonstrate that epilation-induced mechanical HF trauma elicits surprisingly complex biological responses. These may contribute to the delayed re-growth of thinner and lighter hair shafts post-epilation and temporary post-epilation discomfort. Our findings also provide pointers regarding the development of topically applicable agents that minimize undesirable sequelae of epilation.

Targeting Pharmacological and Nanotechnology Based Therapeutics for Management of Hirsutism: A Comprehensive State-of-the-Art

Hirsutism is characterized by the excessive growth of coarse hair in women, resembling the typical pattern seen in men. It affects between 5 to 10 % of females of reproductive age. Excessive hair growth often leads to significant mental and emotional anguish. Hirsutism is the result of an overabundance of androgens being secreted by the ovaries or adrenal glands. This article offers a comprehensive review of numerous causes that might provoke hirsutism which includes polycystic ovarian syndrome, Cushing syndrome, idiopathic hirsutism, insulin resistance, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, ovarian or adrenal tumors, menopause, and the use of certain drugs. Polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian tumors are frequent underlying factors of hyperandrogenism, which subsequently results in the development of Hirsutism. Mechanical and cosmetic hair removal methods are viable options for managing hirsutism. This study examines the pharmacological therapies that have proven essential in enhancing the quality of life for patients. These treatments include oral contraceptives, antiandrogen therapy like spironolactone, cyproterone acetate, flutamide, and finasteride, specific insulin-lowering medicines, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists, and topical treatment such eflornithine hydrochloride cream (13.9% w/w cream). This review also explored significance of nanotechnology-based methods like nanostructured lipid carriers, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, cerosomes, and nanogel in enhancing the effectiveness of medications used to treat hirsutism. A comprehensive update has been made to the latest information on clinical studies and patents linked to the treatment of hirsutism.

Formulation and Evaluation of Hair Removal Cream by Using an Herbal Base

The cosmetic and hygiene industry and the hair removal market are growing in importance. Teenage girls and women often worry about unwanted hair. This study highlights the importance of choosing herbal hair removers over herbal depilatories due to their high efficacy, safety and lack of side effects. Hair removal herbs and their composition in herbal creams, as well as other hair removal methods, are being studied. Hair removers are cosmetic products designed to remove hair from the skin. Chemical hair removers mostly contain salts of thioglycolic acids as active components. The following ingredients are needed to make the hair cream: thioglycolic acid, cetyl alcohol, turmeric powder, neem and Tulsi extract, ginger and papaya powder, liquid paraffin and the required amount of orange oil. The pH, viscosity, spreadability and homogeneity of the depilatory cream composition were evaluated. The results showed the composition and excellent properties of F3.

The clinical effectiveness of waxing or epilation compared with other methods of hair removal in reducing the incidence of surgical site infections: a protocol for a systematic review

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) represent a significant challenge in healthcare, contributing to morbidity, mortality as well as economic burden. Traditional preoperative methods of hair removal are under scrutiny, with some methods potentiality increasing the risk of SSIs. This systematic literature review (SLR) protocol outlines the assessment of the clinical effectiveness of waxing and epilation compared with other methods of hair removal in reducing SSIs. Methods: Using PRISMA guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Synthesis Checklist, this review aims to evaluate all interventional and observational studies that compare waxing or epilation against other methods or, indeed, no hair removal. The SLR has been prospectively registered with PROSPERO (ref: CRD42023423798). A comprehensive search strategy across Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, Clinicaltrials.Gov and CINAHL is planned, complemented by handsearching references of key articles. Important inclusion criteria include adult patient population, English language studies, and SSI reporting at 30 days. Both the Cochrane Risk of Bias (RoB2) tool and Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool will be employed. Data extraction will include study characteristics, participant characteristics,intervention and comparator details, and primary outcome data. The primary outcome is overall incidence of SSIs and, if feasible, a quantitative analysis including meta-analysis will be performed. Discussion: This review has the potential to fill a knowledge gap around waxing and epilation as methods of preoperative hair removal, examining their impact on SSI incidence. These techniques offer theoretical advantages, such as extended hair-free periods and possible promotion of wound healing, but also have potential risks due to increased microtrauma. Due to the paucity of high-level evidence, there is a lack of consensus around their use. The outcomes of this review could reaffirm current guidelines or guide future practices. The high incidence of SSIs in areas like vascular surgery highlights the therapeutic potential of new evidence. One limitation of the study might be the small volume of literature on the subject, which could decrease statistical analysis power and make quantitative comparison challenging. If no high-quality evidence is found, this would indicate an unexplored area, potentially informing the design of primary research into waxing and epilation as SSI prevention methods. Conclusion: This protocol lays the foundation for a comprehensive review of the clinical effectiveness of waxing and epilation in the prevention of SSIs. The insights gained could shape current clinical practice, influence guidelines or guide future research, ultimately contributing to the reduction of the substantial burden of SSIs.

CLINICO-TRICHOSCOPIC EVALUATION OF HIRSUTISM TREATED WITH INTENSE PULSED LIGHT IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN EASTERN INDIA

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of Intense Pulsed Light in treating hirsutism after three sittings, as evaluated through clinical and trichoscopic assessments, in patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India. Methods: This was a Descriptive Longitudinal study conducted at the Dermatology Outpatient Department (OPD), Government Medical College, Kolkata, from March 2019 to February 2020. The study included 40 cases of Dermatology OPD attendees who complained of hirsutism. Trichoscopy was used to evaluate treatment response. Data were analyzed using Medcalc. Results: Seventy percent had functional while 30% had organic hirsutism; 65% patients had PCOD and 27.5% had idiopathic hirsutism. All the patients had significant improvement with intense pulsed light with regard to terminal-vellus hair ratio and Terminal hair density observed with trichoscopy irrespective of their medical treatment. The mean modified visual analog score was 6.75±1.1209. According to the modified visual analog score, 57.5% had good reduction while the rest had a moderate reduction. Conclusions: The majority had functional hirsutism. Polycystic ovarian disease and idiopathic hirsutism are the most common causes of hirsutism. Intense pulsed light is an effective and safe method of hair removal, regardless of medical treatment, and trichoscopy can be used to evaluate treatment response.

Photoepilation with high power LED - holonyak: evaluation of efficacy, satisfaction and incidence of side-effects

Background: Devices that use light, especially lasers, have become popular and are commonly used in aesthetics and hair removal. Laser-assisted photo epilation was originally described in 1996 and the proposed mechanism is based on the destruction of the follicular unit. Diode laser has been demonstrated to be an effective method for hair removal, however, the safety of patients with different skin types and colours is questionable due to thermal damage as the main side-effect. In this sense, the technological innovation of Photoepilation using high power LED equipment with high head cooling efficiency represents a great advance for the area. In this work, we evaluated the results of photoepilation using high-power LED in 117 patients with phototypes 01 to 06. Methods: A High potency LED equipment (Holoniak® – Adoxy Equipments – Brazil) was used. The LED allows the therapist to customize illumination parameters according to the sensitivity of the patients. All 117 participants were submitted to an initial sensitivity test to the LED irradiation, in order to determine adequate parameters to each participant. Sensitivity test was performed in both stationary and scanning modes. In scanning mode the test started with the following parameters – temperature of the at 10oC, fluence of 5 J/Cm2 and frequency 2 – 3 Hz. In stationary mode the sensitivity test started with temperature of the probe at 10 oC, fluence of 10 J/Cm2 and frequency of 0.8 Hz. No phototype restrictions were applied. To analyze the satisfaction of results, we created an arbitrary scale ranging from 1 to 4, where Grade 1 was considered unsatisfactory, Grade 2 - little satisfactory, Grade 3 - satisfactory and Grade 4 - very satisfactory. We also analyzed the number of sessions needed to achieve the hair removal result for each skin phototype. Results: Analyzing the percentage of satisfaction after LED photoepilation, satisfaction grade 3 and 4 represent approximately 95% of the participants. Surprisingly, there was no statistical correlation between the increase in skin phototype and the number of sessions needed to achieve the complete photoepilation effect. Unlike laser technology, which usually requires a high number of sessions for higher phototypes. No correlation with age was also reported. Conclusion: We can conclude that high power LED technology with effective tip cooling was able to achieve highly efficient results for 95.7% of treated patients, without the need to increase the number of sessions for phototypes 4 to 6.

Does method matter? Characterizing the effect of preoperative hair removal method on outcomes following penile inversion vaginoplasty

Does method matter? Characterizing the effect of preoperative hair removal method on outcomes following penile inversion vaginoplasty

SG-APSIC1207: Effectiveness of a surgical-site infection bundle in reducing postoperative infection in cesarean deliveries in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Malaysia

Objectives: Surgical-site infections (SSIs) cause significant increases in mortality, morbidity, and prolonged hospitalization after cesarean deliveries. We assessed the effectiveness of the implementation of an SSI bundle in reducing postoperative infections in cesarean deliveries in a tertiary-care teaching hospital in Malaysia. Method: We conducted a quality-improvement study on all women who underwent labor and scheduled cesarean sections at the University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) between May and December 2020. The preintervention period was May–June 2020 and the postintervention period was September–December 2020. Patients were followed for 90 days after their operation. Before the intervention, SSI rates and compliance with prevention practices were documented. A multidisciplinary team was formed, and education regarding the elements of the SSI prevention bundle was conducted before they were implemented. The care bundle focused on monitoring compliance with preoperative bathing, contact time for skin preparation, hair management, and antibiotics prophylaxis given within 60 minutes prior to incision, as well as patient education. Result: With the implementation of the SSI bundle, we observed a significant reduction in the SSI rate by 50%, from 7 per 100 procedures to 2 per 100 procedures. Compared with the preintervention period, overall compliance with bundle elements improved greatly for preoperative bathing (0 vs 95.7%) and contact time for skin preparation (0 vs 98.8%). In the postintervention period, the method of hair removal was documented, compared to no documentation during the preintervention period. The administration of prophylactic antibiotics within 60 minutes prior incision decreased from 99% to 92.3%. Conclusion: Implementation of an SSI prevention bundle successfully reduced the rate of SSI after cesarean section. The SSI prevention bundle together with improvements by multidisciplinary teams and a good patient-safety culture helped reduce SSI rates. Patient education on pre- and postoperative infection prevention also played an important role in reducing this infection rate.

Comparative Study Between Normal Traditional Methods in Hair Removal and Recent Laser Technology

The types of laser instruments used for patients’ treatment were: Cynosure Elite Laser, Epicare Alexnrite Laser, Candle Gentle Yag Laser hair removal machine, Diod Lser hair removal, Gentle Laser plus. The studies' goal is to comparing traditional hair removal methods (such as wet shave or waxing) with laser technique in order to conduct clinical trials. The findings of the first group, in which 165 people took part, revealed that pain produced by wound infection in the time following the process is significantly associated with the existence and severity of postoperative wound infection. When it comes to preoperative hair removal, namely after shaving, it is highly connected with the existence and severity of skin injuries of various ranks suffered during the procedure. The second group, which included 190 competitors (160 females, 30 males). The findings revealed a breakdown of the adverse effects that were noticed and documented during the course of the research. 44.1 percent of the population has skin sensitivity, 2.8 percent has skin irritation, 14.5 percent has erythema, 24.1 percent has burns, and 14.5 percent has hyperpigmentation, according to the study. Additionally, a comparison and contrast of ethnicity, as well as the effects of traditional and laser treatment methods, were included in the study. The samples, which were identified by ethnicity, were collected from several clinics around the state and compared to the results of the study (which used traditional and laser methodologies) conducted in Erbil. There was no statistically meaningful variation between the two groups based on those assessments.

Maculopathy secondary to accidental laser beam exposure during alexandrite laser device repair

Lasers have become widely used in various sectors such as industrial, military, social settings, and as well as cosmetic. Laser epilation is an increasingly popular method of hair removal. However, if not used with care, it can cause serious ophthalmological and psychological disorders; this may lead to job loss and economic loss. Eye injuries in the workplace are quite common worldwide, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. The retina is the most vulnerable tissue to laser-related injury, which can lead to serious needless visual impairment. Therefore, precautions need to be taken to prevent such injuries, which could become a critical public health problem. This report relates to a 41-year-old female esthetician with unilateral maculopathy. An acute visual field defect occurred inadvertently with unplanned laser exposure while trying to repair Alexandrite laser device without any eye protection. Fundus examination, colour, red-free photography, fluorescein angiography (FFA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed. This report is important because it will raise awareness within both the medical and public sectors about the risks of misuse of laser epilation devices.

Comparison of submillisecond pulse (FRAC3) and long-pulse 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser hair removal.

BackgroundLaser hair reduction gained popularity in the last decade and is presently the most frequently used long‐term hair removal method. It works on the principle of selective photothermolysis—the laser damages the hair follicle without damaging the skin. Shorter Nd:YAG pulses are also effective in hair reduction, while maintaining better comfort for the patient.AimsThe aim of this study was to compare the short and long pulsed methods of Nd:YAG for facial hair removal on darker Fitzpatrick skin types (IV–V).Patients/MethodsThis prospective split face, evaluator‐blinded comparison of short‐pulse Nd:YAG laser versus long‐pulse Nd:YAG laser study included 10 untanned healthy women. There were two outcome measers, two blinded dermatologists compared baseline photographs with those taken 3 months after last session and FotoFinder was used to compare the terminal hair count reduction at the baseline and 3 months after 6th session.ResultsBoth blinded assesors observed significant hair reduction with both lasers; excellent results were achieved in 20% with long pulse and in 55% with short pulse. Both treatment options showed reduction in number of terminal hair with statistical significance using FotoFinder. Comparison of the efficacy of the two pulse durations measured by percent reduction in the number of terminal hair 3 months after the last session showed no significant difference between the groups.ConclusionHair reduction using 1064 nm Nd:YAG is a safe and effective method of hair reduction especially in darker skin types. We have shown that short pulses are better or at least equally safe and effective as the “gold standard” long pulses.

Assessment of 2 Hair Removal Methods in New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Rabbits are frequently used as surgical models in research. However, studies assessing the effects of various hair removal methods on wound healing and surgical site infection (SSI) in rabbits are sparse. Here we evaluated the effects of 2 hair removal methods-clipping with electric clippers and using a commercial depilatory agent-on wound healing and SSI as assessed via wound scoring and histology. Incisions were assigned ASEPSIS scores on days 3 and 7. To assess whether the hair removal methods influenced aseptic preparation, swabs for bacterial culture were obtained just after hair removal on day 0, after aseptic skin preparation on day 0, and on day 1. For histopathologic assessment, full-thickness punch biopsies were obtained on days 0, 1, 3, 7, and 21. Histopathology revealed significant differences between the 2 methods, with the depilatory method having consistently higher scores (that is, more abnormalities). We conclude that for a surgical preparation regimen, clipping is safer, more efficacious, and less traumatic to tissues in rabbits.

Comparison of efficacy of diode laser in patients of facial hirsutism with normal dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and dihydrotestosterone versus deranged dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and dihydrotestosterone level-A longitudinal study.

Hirsutism is defined as an excessive terminal hair growth in female over male pattern distribution areas. Traditional methods of hair removal have been replaced by lasers. The aim of the study was to observe the effect of diode laser in hirsutism patient with normal and deranged dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) level. Fifty patients of facial hirsutism with skin type IV and V were enrolled. Eighteen patients with deranged DHEAS and DHT level were allocated in group A whereas 16 patients with normal level were allocated in group B. Three sittings of diode laser was done in all subjects with varying session within a period of 6 months. At first follow-up visit, the percentage of hair reduction was fair in 62.5% of patients in group B and 16.7% of patients in group A, whereas at second follow-up visit, it was good in 56.3% of patients in group B and 11.1% of patients in group A. Increase in vellus hair and reduction in percentage of terminal hair were more significant in group B. Hair free interval and satisfaction level was significantly higher in group B. Diode laser is effective mode of treatment in hirsutism patient irrespective of hormone level. But, the effect is observed to be more efficacious in patients with normal DHEAS and DHT level.

Detection of melanoma in dermoscopic images by integrating features extracted using handcrafted and deep learning models

Melanoma is amongst the most aggressive form of skin cancer. The manual detection of melanoma using dermoscopic images is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process, which requires a lot of expertise too. This necessitates the development of an intelligent classifier that detects melanoma accurately so that proper and timely treatment can be given to the patient. However, melanoma detection is a challenging task due to the presence of noise like air bubbles, hair, etc. in the dermoscopic images. First, we propose three methods to remove hair in dermoscopic images using various morphological operations. As the quality of features affects the performance of a classifier, we propose to use integrated features that are extracted using handcrafted (HC) feature extraction techniques and deep learning model (DLM) from dermoscopic images, to enhance the performance of the classifier. Two DLMs: ResNet50V2 and EfficientNet-B0 are employed for feature extraction and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used for classification. The proposed approach is evaluated using two datasets: the HAM10000 dataset taken from the ISIC 2018 challenge, consisting of 10,015 dermoscopic images belonging to 7 classes, and the PH2 dataset consisting of 200 dermoscopic images with 40 melanoma and 160 non-melanoma images. Experimental results show that the proposed hair removal methods along with the integrated features improve the accuracy of melanoma detection as compared to when (i) no-pre-processing is applied or (ii) HC or deep learning (DL) features are used alone. An accuracy of 94.9% and 98% is achieved on HAM10000 and PH2 datasets respectively when integrated features extracted using HC techniques and EfficientNet-B0 are used for classification along with hair removal techniques. The performance of the proposed approach on both datasets is comparable to the existing state-of-the-art classifiers for melanoma detection.

Hair removal in dermoscopy images using variational autoencoders.

In recent years, melanoma is rising at a faster rate compared to other cancers. Although it is the most serious type of skin cancer, the diagnosis at early stages makes it curable. Dermoscopy is a reliable medical technique used to detect melanoma by using a dermoscope to examine the skin. In the last few decades, digital imaging devices have made great progress which allowed capturing and storing high-quality images from these examinations. The stored images are now being standardized and used for the automatic detection of melanoma. However, when the hair covers the skin, this makes the task challenging. Therefore, it is important to eliminate the hair to get accurate results. In this paper, we propose a simple yet efficient method for hair removal using a variational autoencoder without the need for paired samples. The encoder takes as input a dermoscopy image and builds a latent distribution that ignores hair as it is considered noise, while the decoder reconstructs a hair-free image. Both encoder and decoder use a decent convolutional neural networks architecture that provides high performance. The construction of our model comprises two stages of training. In the first stage, the model has trained on hair-occluded images to output hair-free images, and in the second stage, it is optimized using hair-free images to preserve the image textures. Although the variational autoencoder produces hair-free images, it does not maintain the quality of the generated images. Thus, we explored the use of three-loss functions including the structural similarity index (SSIM), L1-norm, and L2-norm to improve the visual quality of the generated images. The evaluation of the hair-free reconstructed images is carried out using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (SNE) feature mapping by visualizing the distribution of the real hair-free images and the synthesized hair-free images. The conducted experiments on the publicly available dataset HAM10000 show that our method is very efficient.