This history of human hairlessness is a slightly mysterious one. Researchers have several theories circulating as to why humans are the only primates without fur, but our baldness doesn’t just stop at biology. Voluntary hair removal has become a way of life in Western culture, and American women in particular will spend an estimated $10k on shaving in their lifetime. They will also spend an average of two whole months of their lives on the act of hair removal.
Women are not alone in this, either – nearly 60% of American men regularly groom or remove the hair below their neck, which makes the hair removal industry an incredibly profitable one. Simply Googling hair removal techniques will reveal slew of options, available at many different price points, for those looking into hair removal strategies and procedures.
A History Of Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal was first – and accidentally – discovered in 1963, but really came into being in the early 1980’s. The original theory of selective photothermolysis as developed by Anderson and Parrish, however, did not necessarily provide permanent hair removal. It wasn’t until 1998 that Dierickx and associates finally reported finding a long-term solution for laser hair removal.
Since then, the procedure of laser hair removal has come a long way and gained immense popularity. In 2014, nearly 1 million procedures were performed in the U.S. Multiple methods have developed, including the Pulsed Light, the Diode Laser, the Nd: YAG Laser, the Alexandrite Laser, and the Ruby Laser.
The Aerolase Hair Removal Method
The Nd: YAG Laser was originally developed in the 1960s and has many uses – not all of which have to do with dermatology. Historically, the Nd: YAG has received criticism for not providing a permanent solution to hair removal. In 2007, however, a study was conducted to evaluate the Nd: 1064nm laser for long-term hair solutions, and found great success – up to 93% in some cases!
This is because, unlike other lasers and light-based equipment, the Nd:YAG 1064nm – which is the technology used in the Neo – uses a 0.65-millisecond pulse duration, which is shorter than the Thermal relaxation time of the skin around the hair follicle. This enables the heat from the laser to be sealed within the follicle without spreading to the surrounding skin. Technicians can therefore perform this procedure without using skin cooling or gels and still achieve accurate, long-term results. The result has led to a comfortable, cost-effective procedure that many modern consumers are more than satisfied with.
Regardless of whether you believe evolution played a role in the general hairlessness of humans, the scientific evolution of lasers certainly had a hand in the development of better products on the market today. If you’re interested in incorporating the unique quality of the Neo into your own practice, be sure to contact us today.
