Laser Hair Removal Glossary

A
Aavexx – Makers of transdermal electrolysis machines and Liquid Electrolysis topical solution
AHRS – Stands for American Hair Removal Systems
Alkali - A liquid with a pH higher than 7 used in depilatory creams that dissolve hair
Alpha hydroxy acid – Also known as AHA; Used an exfoliants and can help reduce ingrown hairs
Alopecia - Hair loss induced by biologic or medical means.
American Electrology Association - Oldest and largest national trade organization for electrologists
American Hair Removal Systems – Makers of transdermal electrolysis machines
Ampere - Measurement of electrical current
Anagen - Growth stage of hair
Analgesic - Substance used to relieve pain
Anode - Positive electrode
Apilus – Makers of high-tech needle electrolysis machines
Aplon - Reusable non-wax product
A.R. Hinkel - Manufacturer of electrolysis machines
Arrector pili - Tiny muscle attached to the base of the hair follicle.
Automatic HF - Term for high-frequency thermolysis
B
Ballet - Manufacturer of electrolysis needles
Bead sterilizer - Questionable method for sterilizing hair removal equipment
Belisle System - Brand of wax for home use
Berkowits - Manufacturer of professional electrolysis machines
Better Off - Wax brand for home use
Bikini area – Body around and including the pubic area
Bikini Zone - Product designed to reduce or eliminate skin irritation after hair removal
Birthmarks - Discolored skin that should be examined and approved by a physician before hair removal
Blackheads - Clogged skin pore with a visible black plug
Blanching - Whitening of the skin sometimes caused by some types of hair removal; Also known as hypopigmentation
Bleach - Method to disguise (not remove) hair by lightening its color
Blend – Type of electrolysis that uses thermolysis and galvanic methods
Boutry – Makers of professional electrolysis machines
Braun – Makers of electric razors and electric epilators like Silk-epil
Bulb - Root of a hair, which is wider at its base
Bulbous needle - Type of electrolysis needle
Bulge – Midway point midway of a hair follicle that researchers suspect must be damaged to induce permanent hair removal
Bruise - Discoloration of skin from blood sometimes caused by electrolysis, plucking, or waxing
C
Calamine - Pink ointment sometimes used to treat skin irritation
Calcium Thioglycolate - Active dissolving ingredient in many cream depilatories
Candela - Laser manufacturer of GentleLASE
Carbon dioxide laser - A CO2 laser commonly used to perform skin resurfacing
Catagen - Brief middle stage in the hair growth cycle occurring between active (anagen) and inactive (telogen) stages
Cataphoresis - Forcing substances into the skin, sometimes used after electrolysis to firm skin and reduce redness.
CDRH – Stands for Center for Devices and Radiological Health; FDA branch that regulates medical devices used for hair removal
Chemical Depilatories - Powder or cream preparations that dissolve hair above the skin surface
ChillTip - Patented contact cooling device used in laser hair removal
Chromos 694 - Ruby laser made by MEHL/Biophile
Cilia - Medical term for eyelashes.
Clareblend – Makers of professional electrolysis machines
Clearing - Method of hair removal in which hair in one specific area is removed at once, as opposed to thinning
Cleopatra's Secret/Cleopatra - Sugaring solution brand
Club hair - Non-living hair in the last stages of the hair growth cycle that is detached from the follicle but has not yet shed.
CME – Short for Certified Medical Electrologist
Collagen - Protein holding together connective tissue under the skin.
Cold cream - Ointment for cleansing and softening skin
Cold wax – Hair removal method where wax is applied to skin at room temperature and then stripped off with paper or cloth
Contact cooling - Method of cooling the epidermis immediately prior to laser irradiation to reduce surface skin damage
Continuous Stimulation Technique - Pain reduction method in which the patient is distracted by something during treatment
Cortex - Soft center of a hair
Cotton swabs - Electrified Q-tips used in transdermal electrolysis devices that covered with a gel and spread on the skin. No evidence exists proving permanent hair removal
CPE – Stands for Certified Public Electrologist
Crusting - Dried fluid that seeps from skin after hair removal from laser, electrolysis and depilatories; Also known as eschars
Cutaneous - Relates to the skin
Cuticle – Outter area of hair
Cynosure - Laser manufacturer of Photogenica
D
Dapelle - Brand of electric tweezer
Dectronique - Canadian manufacturer of electrolysis equipment
Depilamax - Canadian manufacturer of electrolysis equipment
Depilation - The temporary removal of hair
Depilatories - Substances used to dissolve hair above the skin's surface
Depilex - UK manufacturer of electrolysis equipment
Dermabrasion - Cosmetic procedure used to smooth skin and reduce scars
Dermal papilla - Tiny bulge at the hair root, believed to be one of the primary targets in permanent hair removal
Dermal sheath - Lining around a hair
Dermatitis - Also known as eczema
Dermatologist - Doctor specializing in skin and hair conditions
Dermis - Deepest layers of the skin where the hair root is located
Diathermy – Also known as thermolysis
Diazoxide - Dug sometimes linked to excess hair growth
Diode – Semi-conductive material that allow energy to travel in only one direction.
Diomed – Makers of the LaserLite pulsed diode array laser
Discrette Plus - Electric epilator made by Epilady
Distorted hair follicles - A rare condition in which the follicle is not straight, making waxing and electrolysis difficult and leading to ingrown hairs.
Do-it-yourself electrolysis - Involves using a hand-held electrified needle unit
Dynamic cooling - Method that cools the skin with super-cooled liquid immediately before a laser pulse is applied.
E
Edema – Refers to swelling
Efficacy – Refers to how well or effective a hair removal device works
Electric tweezer - Device that removes hair by grasping it above the skin surface with an electrified tweezer
Electrode – Conductor through which electricity enters or leaves the body.
Electrology - Practice of hair removal with electrified needles
Electrologist – A practitioner of electrology.
Electrolysis - Practice of removing hair below the skin surface with electrified needles
Elite – Makers of needle electrolysis machines
Elysee - Brand of electric tweezer
Emjoi Gently Gold - An electric epilator
EMLA - Prescription topical anesthetic to reduce and eliminate pain from laser and electrolysis.
Epidermis - Thin outer layer of skin, on top of the thicker and deeper dermis
Epilady – Makers of electric epilator, home wax kit, and shaver
Epilation – Process of removing hair below the skin's surface; Methods include plucking, waxing, electrolysis and laser
Epil-Stop - Topical solution
EpiLaser - Brand of ruby laser made by Palomar
EpiLight - Brand of flash lamp made by ESC
EpiTouch - Brand of both ruby and alexandrite lasers made by Sharplan
Erythema - Medical term for redness that sometimes follows hair removal
ESC - Makes the flash lamp hair removal products PhotoDerm HR and EpiLight
ESNE – Short for Electrology Society of New England
Eschar - Small temporary scab that can occur after electrolysis, especially after over-treatment
Estrogen - Female hormone sometimes linked to increased hair growth
Exfoliation - Removal of dead skin cells to reveal softer skin underneath
Eyelashes - Protective hairs on the eyelid
F
Feminique - Brand of electric tweezer
Finally Free - Brand of electric tweezer
Fischer – Makers of professional electrolysis machines
Follicle – A small cavity or sac. Examples include hair follicles and ovarian follicles
Folliculitis – Inflammation of one or more hair follicles; Condition where hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing, blockage or shaving and then infected with bacteria
Follistat - Topical solution
Forever Free - Brand of electric tweezer
G
General Medical – Makers of a home electrolysis unit called Perma-Tweez
GentleLASE - An alexandrite laser made by Candela
Gebtronics – Makers of professional electrolysis machines
Greenhouse - Chain of salons that offers SoftLight laser treatments
Guaranty Hair Removal - Brand of electric tweezer; Also known as GHR
H
Hair Away - Non-wax stick
Hair EX Stop - Topical solution
Hair Off - Brand of hair mitt used to take away hair at the skin's surface
Hair Tronics HT8000 - Brand of electric tweezer
HF – Stands for High frequency
Hinkel - Manufactures a professional electrolysis machine
Hirsutism – Excessive hair growth
I
IGIA Tweezer System - Brand of electric tweezer
IHRS – Stands for International Hair Removal Systems
Instantron - Manufactures a professional electrolysis machine
International Hair Removal Systems – Makers of transdermal electrolysis machines
Inverness – Makers of a home electrolysis unit and a waxing kit under the name One Touch
J
Joule - Measurement used in laser energy output, usually expressed per square centimeter (cm2)
K
Keloids - Type of raised darkened scar, more common with dark skin.
Keratin - Fibrous protein found in hair, nails, and skin
Kobatashi-Yamada - Needle epilation technique using high-frequency current and specialized insulated needles.
Kree - Brand of needle electrolysis machine that is no longer made.
L
Laseaway - A ruby laser made by Polytec PI
Laser - Device that uses a quantum mechanical effect and stimulated emission to generate a coherent beam of light from a lasing medium of controlled purity, size, and shape
Laser Industries - Also known as Sharplan and makes ruby and alexandrite EpiTouch lasers
LaserLite - A pulsed diode array laser made by Diomed
Lasertrolysis - Marketing term designed to imply lasers are like electrolysis, used by Palomar
LE – Stands for Licensed Electrologist
LightSheer - Ruby laser by Palomar
Liquid Electrolysis - Topical solution by Aavexx
M
Magic brand - Shaving powder that dissolves hair much like depilatory creams
MEHL/Biophile – Maker of ruby laser Chromos 694 and Forever Free electric tweezer.
Melanin - a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules that exists in plants and animals and serves as a pigment
Moom - Home waxing kit
Moujan - Home waxing kit
N
Nair - Cream depilatory
Nd:YAG – Laser type sold for hair removal under the name SoftLight
Neet - Cream depilatory
Nevus - Benign mole
Nudit - Home waxing kit
Nu-trolysis - Marketing term designed to imply lasers are permanent, used by Mehl/Biophile
O
One Touch – Makers of a home electrolysis unit and a home waxing kit
Outer root sheath - Soft thin layer surrounding the lower two-thirds of a hair
Over-treatment - Overly aggressive hair removal treatment that leads to temporary or permanent skin damage
P
Palomar Medical Technologies - Makers of ruby EpiLaser and LightSheer
Permanex - Makers of transdermal electrolysis machines
Perma-Tweez - Home electrolysis unit made by General Medical
PhotoDerm HR - A flash lamp made by ESC
Photogenica - An alexandrite laser made by Cynosure
Photolysis - A marketing term designed to imply lasers are permanent
Pigment - Any material resulting in plant or animal cell in color, which is the result of selective absorption
PIH – Stands for Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
Polytec PI - Makes LaseAway ruby laser
Prestige - Manufactures professional electrolysis machines
Pure and Natural - Brand of sugaring solution
Q
Q-switched - Mode of laser used in hair removal, generally not considered as effective as long-pulsed or normal modes.
R
RE - Registered Electrologist
Re-growth – When hair grows back
S
Sally Hansen - Cream depilatory
Satinelle - An electric epilator
SCME - Stands for Society for Clinical and Medical Electrologists
Shalin's - Brand of sugaring solution
Sharplan - Also known as Laser Industries; Makes ruby and alexandrite EpiTouch lasers
Silhouet-tone – Manufacturer of professional electrolysis machines
Silk-epil - An electric epilator made by Braun
SLS - British laser manufacturer of Chromos ruby lasers
Society for Clinical and Medical Electrologists - An electrology trade association
SoftLight - An Nd:YAG laser made by ThermoLase
Sonique - Brand of electric tweezer
Spa Thira - Chain of salons that offered laser treatments, now named Greenhouse
Spectrum Medical Technologies - A laser manufacturer
Star Medical - Maker of LightSheer pulsed diode array lasers
StarLight - Division of Coherent's Palomar and maker of LightSheer ruby laser
Stephens Manufacturing - Makers of GHR electric tweezer
Sugar Bare - Brand of sugaring solution
Sukar – Brand of sugaring solution
Surgi-cream - A cream depilatory
T
Thermolase - Maker of SoftLight lasers
Total Perfection - Brand of electric tweezer
Tweezerman - High-quality manual tweezer
U
Uni-Probe - Maker of an electrolysis probe
V
Vascular lesions - Rupture or malformation of blood vessels near the skin's surface
Vasodilators - Drugs causing the opening of blood vessels
Vellus hair - Small, fine hair that covers most of the body
Verucca - Medical term for wart
Vitiligo – Milky, non-pigmented spots on the skin, usually occurring after adulthood
Volt - Unit of electromotive force, one ampere of current against one ohm of resistance
W
Waxing - Common method of hair removal by applying hot or cold wax applied to the skin, pressing strips of cloth or paper into the wax and then pulling them away to remove hair by the roots
Working Point - The point where laser energy is just beneath the patient’s skin and pain tolerance, allowing for most effective treatment.
X
X-ray - Form of irradiation once used for hair removal, but proven potentially lethal in the 1940’s and now banned in the U.S.
Y
YAG – Stands for Yttrium Aluminum Garnet, a translucent gem used in laser hair removal
Z
Zahra - Brand of sugaring solution
Zip Wax - Home waxing kit
Zoulla - Non-wax stick