Abstract
ABSTRACT: Studies have shown that patients with excess facial hair reported significant psychological distress and a reduced quality of life. Women with hirsutism and/or hypertrichosis often feel that they are viewed as having male characteristics and are judged as abnormal. The purpose of this study was to determine whether laser and electro-optical synergy technology for unwanted facial hair reduction improves the quality of life in women. Eligible participants were asked to answer a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire before the first, fourth, and sixth hair removal treatments between February 2005 and May 2007. The patients' and the nurse's responses regarding the hair quality (density and coarseness) were documented and examined for objective and subjective findings. Out of the 18 patients who completed the study, 14 (60.4%) reported an improvement in quality of life before the sixth treatment. The difference found in DLQI between Questionnaires 1 and 2 was not significant (p > .05, n = 18), but the difference in quality of life between both DLQI Questionnaires 2 and 3 and Questionnaires 1 and 3 were significant (p < .05, n = 18). The results demonstrate that effective permanent hair reduction treatments improve the quality of life in women with unwanted facial hair.