The Retrospective Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of IPL (Intense Pulse Light) in Hair Removal

Background and Design: There are numerous therapeutic methods for hair removal with various success rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Intense Pulse Light (IPL) method for hair removal.Materials and Methods: Ninety patients, who applied for their unwanted hair, were included in the study. IPL was applied to the face, neck, axillary areas, bikini line, sternal area, periareolar areas, and upper and lower extremities. An IPL device (L900 A&M, France) was used for hair removal. The results were evaluated according to the clinical improvement (0-25%, 25-50%, 50-75%, 75% and more) and patients? satisfaction (very satisfied, satisfied, less satisfied, not satisfied). All results were analyzed using Chi-square test and statistical analysis was performed by SPSS 15.0 for Windows. Results: There were eighty-eight female (97.8%) and two male (2.2%) patients. The mean age of the patients was 33.62±11.11 (15- 55) years. 13.3% of patients had polycystic ovary syndrome. The mean number of treatments was 6.5 (min-max= 2-11). 53.2% of patients had 50-75% clinical response and 53.2% of patients were satisfied. There were no side effects except mild erythema. Conclusion: We observed that IPL for hair removal was safe and moderately effective in our patients.