Unwanted hair: evaluation and treatment with lasers and light source technology.

I n all members of the animal kingdom, hair functions as a sensory organ, provides insulation against the elements, and serves a variety of social and sexual behavior purposes. Humans for the most part consider hair solely for its cosmetic significance. Patients seeking treatment of excess or, more commonly, unwanted hair have a variety of psychosocial complaints. Lasers and light sources are now used to treat a variety of vascular and pigmented lesions with enormous success. More recently, there has been interest in the role of these technologies in the treatment of unwanted hair. This chapter looks at our current knowledge of the structure and growth of hair and diseases associated with and medical treatment of excess hair and describes the currently available lasers and light sources used for the treatment of unwanted hair. Finally, the review closes with a look at potential future technology in this new area of cutaneous laser surgery.