Finding the best permanent hair removal methods means understanding what type of hair you are trying to remove, and matching appropriate hair removal methods to your hair and skin type. This applies to both laser hair removal and electrolysis hair removal, so it's worth spending a little time educating yourself to make sure you get the best results.
The Dermal Papilla
Location: Ides inside the hair bulb and is the active centre of the matrix region of the hair follicle.
Function: responsible for hairgrowth.
Structure: composed of dermal connective tissue with numerous active fibro blast cells and is concave in shape. It has a permanent capillary in the neuro vascular network, which passes over the bulb of the growing hair follicle and enters the dermal papilla. Most growing follicles contain two capillary loops in the upper part of the dermal papilla region. The number of capillary loops within the dermal papilla change? with the size and shape of the growing hair. A single hair changes drastically in shape and size as it grows and its overall shape and size varies from one cycle to the n<(xt, and the pattern of blood vessels in the dermal papilla becomes more complex with successive cycles.
The Dermal Papilla During The Anagen Cycle
It is large and attached by a narrow stalk to the basal plate of connective tissue. A basal membrane called the basal lamina separates the dermal papilla from the cells of the hair bulb.
The Dermal Papilla During The Catagen Cycle
At the onset of the catagen cycle the basal lamina membrane becomes crinkled up and reabsorbed. The follicle shrinks by one third and the dermal papilla slips its capillary plexus, lying shrunken and isolated just below the follicle.
The Dermal Papilla During The Telogen Cycle
During this stage the dermal papilla shrinks again becoming more isolated below the follicle, whilst the capillaries remain intact, but collapsed at the base of the follicle in a tangled mass. When the inactive follicle is reactivated the new hair bulb ploughs down into and through the capillaries and grows inside it. The capillary network from any part of the follicle and sebaceous gland is a continuous system.
The number of dermal cells remains constant. The changes in the size of the dermal papilla are related to the increase and decrease of the size of the capillary plexus feeding it.
Types of Hairgrowth
There are only three basic types of hair growth:
- Lanugo
- Vellus
- Deep terminal.
Lanugo hair: is found on the fetus and shed usually prior to birth.
Vellus hair: is soft downy fine hair that covers the entire body except for the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. It is normally without a medulla and is about 2 cm long on average. This type of hair grows from the lobe of the sebaceous gland. These hairs never become terminal hairs unless stimulated by topical stimulation as in shaving, plucking etc, electrolysis hair removal, systemic stimulation, hormone changes (puberty, pregnancy, menopause), which induce the follicle to grow downwards for terminal hair growth, due to receiving a deep rich blood supply from the dermis. This change may take place gradually over a period of a few months or years. If at an early stage stimulation ceases, the hair will not grow any deeper into the dermis and the replacement hair may even return to its original length.
Vellus hair has a shedding and replacement growth cycle, the same as terminal hair growth, only much slower in rate of growth, often taking two or three months to re-appear and remaining in the telogen stage for six to eight months prior to shedding.
Deep terminal hair: these replace vellus hairs in certain areas during hormone changes in the life cycle, for example puberty, pregnancy and menopause. These hairs are heavily pigmented, coarser in texture and much longer than any other form of hair. They have a well developed root, comprising of a bulb matrix and dermal papilla with a rich blood supply.
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