Hello,
Thanks for writing in with this question as many readers may have the same issue but embarrassed to bring it up. I agree with Dr Abel Soh, you definitely need to have a proper assessment to determine the cause of hirsutism and treat the underlying cause.
From a dermatologist's point, we do have treatment options for hair removal. Common hair removal methods such as shaving, waxing, threading, epilation provide temporary results, but there are related issues such as folliculitis, ingrown hairs, skin darkening at the treated areas, and skin irritation.
From my experience, laser hair removal provides effective long term hair reduction and the risk of ingrown hairs, folliculitis etc is greatly reduced. The laser precisely targets hair follicles and heats them up, destroying each follicle in a controlled manner, minimising damage to surrounding skin. This is especially important when removing hair in sensitive areas such as the upper lip and chin, and I have noted that these areas are of great concern to many of my patients with darker skin types.
You may have noticed many salons offering IPL hair removal, this is also an alternative but efficacy wise, laser hair removal has been proven to be superior to IPL. In the hands of an inexperienced operator, I have seen many patients suffering from burns and blisters due to inappropriate energy levels being used, so do be careful when selecting this treatment.
Do get a professional assessment by a dermatologist for hair removal treatment options. Happy new year!
Best regards,
Dr Ker Khor Jia
