Intense Pulsed Light for Hairy Grafts and Flaps

BACKGROUND: Intense pulsed light (IPL) is an effective and safe method of hair removal. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical response of hairy grafts and flaps of different anatomic areas to an IPL source. METHODS: Four patients (three men, one woman; 17-72 years old) with hairy skin grafts (n = 2) or flaps (n = 2) were included. Donor skin areas included the forehead (n = 1), supraclavicular (n = 1), abdomen (n = 1), and groin (n = 1). Excisional surgery was performed because of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the nasal wall (n = 1), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the forehead (n = 1), congenital nevus of the malar region (n = 1), and breast carcinoma (n = 1). The treatment was IPL with the following parameters: wavelength 695-755 nm, pulse width 3.8-4.5 msec, delay 20-30 msec, spot size 10 mm x 45 mm, fluence 38-42 J/cm2, and an interval of 4 weeks. A total of one to six treatment sessions were administered. RESULTS: A progressive decrease in terminal hair and delayed hair growth rate (more than 8 months) were observed in all the patients. Improvement of skin coarseness, pigmentation, and erythema was also observed in the graft and its periphery in one patient. Persistent erythema (more than 48 hours) was the only side effect, observed in one patient. CONCLUSION: IPL is an effective method to depilate hairy grafts and flaps.