Dr. Sathish Chavan

Unwanted hair is a major issue for many young people. Shaving or waxing the hair is tedious process, and can also be painful at times. Due to its many benefits, laser hair removal has become very popular amongst youngsters. In many cases, after three to eight sessions, permanent hair loss is observed. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of laser hair removal procedures performed.

What is the theory behind laser hair removal?
Laser technology is based on highly concentrated rays. These rays are concentrated on a specific part of your skin from where you wish to remove the hair. The highly concentrated light is directed to particular hair follicles in order to remove them. Although, permanent results or results that last a lifetime are never guaranteed, cases have been observed wherein after a few sessions, complete hair loss is observed.
Many types of laser removal procedures are available, among these, Neodymium YAG, diode, alexandrite, and intense pulsed light sources are well known.

Why should you choose laser hair removal?
Unwanted hair on your face, underarms, legs, arms or any other area can be easily removed using this procedure. Laser hair removal procedures offer you with a healthy and smooth skin free of unwanted hair. The laser used for hair removal target dark and bristly hairs without damaging the surrounding areas. Known for its speed, laser hair procedure has the ability to treat small areas in approximately one minute and less. These small areas include the upper lip region.

How long does it take?
Laser removal method is performed by skilled doctors. The doctors need to decide how many days and sittings will it take to get the procedure done depending upon the growth of hair in that specific area and also how much area of your skin is to be covered. Once the procedure is done, one may need to get it done in few years again depending upon the regrowth of hair on his/her body.

Difficulties of laser hair removal procedure:

1. Laser hair procedures can at times cause hyper pigmentation of skin or darkening of skin. It can also cause hypo pigmentation, which causes lightening of skin colour at certain regions.
2. Some people experience itchiness after the procedure has been completed.
3. A major disadvantage of this treatment is that it can be quite expensive and unaffordable for the common people.
4. It may leave scars or skin infections if not done by skilled or accomplished doctors.

Laser hair treatment is effective and comparatively more efficient on people who have light skin and dark hair. Generally, laser hair surgeries are done to remove unwanted hair on back, face, chest, neck, bikini area, shoulders, upper lip, chin etc. For successful results, one should get this procedure performed from a skilled doctor. If not done properly, it will leave marks/scars and damage your body.

HIV is a systemic disease which affects all parts of the body. The oral cavity also has some tell-tale symptoms which indicate HIV / AIDS. A careful examination and detailed history of symptoms is essential. In some cases, the oral manifestations could be the area where HIV is suspected. This can help in reducing morbidity and improves prognosis. The oral lesions that occur in HIV patients can vary and differ significantly in children and adults. While there are a variety of oral lesions in HIV-infected individuals, listed below are some common infections seen in HIV patients. These are a combination of fungal, viral and bacterial infections.

1. Candidiasis: Candida is an opportunistic fungus that is normally present in the oral cavity and with reduced immunity of HIV, recurrent bouts of the infection begins to show up. It can be in the form of regular thrush which is whitish and cannot be scraped off (pseudomembranous candidiasis), hyperplastic candidiasis (white patches which can be scraped off) or erythematous (reddish patches). Candida can involve any part of the oral mucosa including the pharynx and the palate.
2. Herpes Simplex: This is the most common viral infection seen in patients with HIV/AIDS. There could be primary or secondary infection of herpes virus, especially inside the mouth and the vermillion border of the lips.
3. Herpes zoster: This virus, when already present in the body, can be reactivated with HIV/AIDS and with oral herpes. The distinction with herpes simplex is from their distribution. These are unilateral, along the distribution of the maxillary or mandibular nerve. The lesions appear both on the facial skin and the oral mucosa. While the facial ones break open and form crusts, the mucosal ones coalesce to form larger lesions.
4. Hairy Leukoplakia: This is present in about 20% of asymptomatic HIV patients. Onset of hairy leukoplakia is an indication of rapid progression of HIV with increased CD4 counts. The typical lesion is a non-movable, hairy lesion along the side of the tongue and can spread to the top and the undersurface of the tongue. There are large amounts of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) identified from biopsies of hairy leukoplakia.
5. Cytomegalovirus: If the ulcers have a necrotic base with a halo surrounding it, it is CMV infection, usually seen on any oral mucosal surface.
6. Periodontal disease: This is one of the bacterial infections that manifests itself in HIV patients. It can take two forms such as Linear Gingival Erythema (LGE) which can subsequently lead to Necrotizing Ulcerative Periodontitis (NUP). The oral hygiene is generally good with minimal plaque and there is rapid bone loss and soft tissue reddening and swelling. The, mouth, therefore is certainly a window to one’s health.

Diagnosing HIV with Western Blot Test-

It is a series of blood screenings are performed to test for HIV. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), also known as an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), is the first test that your healthcare provider will order to screen for HIV. ELISA, like the Western blot test, detects HIV antibodies in your blood. Antibodies are proteins your immune system produces in response to the presence of foreign substances, such as viruses. If you test positive for HIV on the ELISA test, your provider will order the Western blot test to confirm HIV infection. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.