Laser Takes Away Pain From Razor Burn
Procedure Wipes Out Offending Hair
UPDATED: 10:03 a.m. EDT August 6, 2002
NEW YORK -- Razor burn sounds like a mildly irritating condition. But for some, razor burn is more serious.
The condition is called pseudofolliculitis barbae. It occurs when hair gets buried under the skin, forming red, inflamed bumps that can be very tender. Anyone can get pseudofolliculitis, but it's especially common in African-American men. Up to 80 percent of black males suffer from it at some point in their lives, but doctors are now using lasers to cure this common condition.
Ken Randolph developed pseudofolliculitis when he reached puberty. At age 30, Randolph decided he'd had enough of the painful bumps that marred the skin on his face and neck.
"I was doing the tweezers and needle job. That is pretty commonplace," Randolph said. "At least once a week, usually twice a week I would ask my significant other to actually get in there and take care of things."
Now dermatologist Alan Kling uses a laser instead of tweezers to get rid of Randolph's painful bumps.
"What the laser does is it selectively targets the pigment in the hair. The hair absorbs the heat and that destroys the follicle," Kling said.
First Kling anesthetizes the skin and applies a gel coating. Then he zaps the problem areas of the skin.
"The thickest, curliest hairs -- the ones that cause the most problems -- are going to be eliminated first. As you keep doing the treatments, more and more of the smaller hairs will grow out. The hair will grow thinner," Kling said.
The troublesome hairs usually fall out within three to five days. But because hairs grow at different rates, it can take up to five treatments for the condition to disappear completely.
"After the first treatment, it was an immediate result. It started thinning out," Randolph said. "Certain areas disappeared altogether after one treatment, so each treatment it gets better and better, it thins out more and more. It's a good thing. It's a wonderful thing for a black man, I can tell you that."
After four treatments, Randolph's skin is remarkably improved and he may receive an added benefit.
"Some patients even say they have less coarse hair. When they rub up against somebody to kiss somebody, the person gets less razor burn on them," Kling said.
Lasers work by heating pigment in the hair. If the skin absorbs too much heat, it can burn and blister. That used to be a major risk for African-Americans and other people with highly pigmented skin. But the new lasers, like the Yag laser Kling uses, are much safer.
Each laser treatment for the face costs about $500 and it's not covered by insurance. Even though it's a painful medical condition, the insurance companies consider it a cosmetic procedure and won't pay for it.
Additional Resource:
The condition is called pseudofolliculitis barbae. It occurs when hair gets buried under the skin, forming red, inflamed bumps that can be very tender. Anyone can get pseudofolliculitis, but it's especially common in African-American men. Up to 80 percent of black males suffer from it at some point in their lives, but doctors are now using lasers to cure this common condition.
Ken Randolph developed pseudofolliculitis when he reached puberty. At age 30, Randolph decided he'd had enough of the painful bumps that marred the skin on his face and neck.
"I was doing the tweezers and needle job. That is pretty commonplace," Randolph said. "At least once a week, usually twice a week I would ask my significant other to actually get in there and take care of things."
Now dermatologist Alan Kling uses a laser instead of tweezers to get rid of Randolph's painful bumps.
"What the laser does is it selectively targets the pigment in the hair. The hair absorbs the heat and that destroys the follicle," Kling said.
First Kling anesthetizes the skin and applies a gel coating. Then he zaps the problem areas of the skin.
"The thickest, curliest hairs -- the ones that cause the most problems -- are going to be eliminated first. As you keep doing the treatments, more and more of the smaller hairs will grow out. The hair will grow thinner," Kling said.
The troublesome hairs usually fall out within three to five days. But because hairs grow at different rates, it can take up to five treatments for the condition to disappear completely.
"After the first treatment, it was an immediate result. It started thinning out," Randolph said. "Certain areas disappeared altogether after one treatment, so each treatment it gets better and better, it thins out more and more. It's a good thing. It's a wonderful thing for a black man, I can tell you that."
After four treatments, Randolph's skin is remarkably improved and he may receive an added benefit.
"Some patients even say they have less coarse hair. When they rub up against somebody to kiss somebody, the person gets less razor burn on them," Kling said.
Lasers work by heating pigment in the hair. If the skin absorbs too much heat, it can burn and blister. That used to be a major risk for African-Americans and other people with highly pigmented skin. But the new lasers, like the Yag laser Kling uses, are much safer.
Each laser treatment for the face costs about $500 and it's not covered by insurance. Even though it's a painful medical condition, the insurance companies consider it a cosmetic procedure and won't pay for it.
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