Glossary of Terms

A

Abdomen: the soft area between the rib cage and the pubic area. A common area for excess hair, often in a line from the belly button to the pubic hair.

Acid: a liquid, usually corrosive with a pH lower than 7, opposite of an alkali.

Acne: an inflammation of the skin, a result of over production of oil and bacteria. (Active Acne or Acne Vulgaris). (acme, acnee)

Actinic Keratosis: A small rough spot on skin chronically exposed to the sun, occurs most frequently in fair skinned people.

Acupuncture: a method of relieving pain by inserting needles into the skin.           

Acupressure: a method of relieving pain by pressing down on an area of the body.

Adrenal: a gland that affects certain types of hair growth.

AHA: see alpha-hydroxy acid.

Alcohol: a liquid sometimes used for disinfecting skin before and after treatment. ethyl grain isopropyl.

Alexandrite: Laser at 755nm used for hair removal.

Alkali: a liquid with a pH higher than 7. Alkalis are used in depilatory creams that dissolve hair, and galvanic electrolysis produces alkalis which can destroy a hair follicle.

Allergy: a bodily reaction to an irritant. Skin allergies can be exacerbated by solutions put on the skin.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid: known as AHA, these solutions are used as exfoliants. They can help reduce ingrown hairs and improve the look of skin.

Alopecia: hair loss induced by biologic or medical means. Male pattern baldness is a type of alopecia.

Alternating Current: the type of electricity that comes from a wall outlet (AC), as opposed to direct current (DC).

Ammonia: a strongly alkaline solution in water.

Ammonium Thioglycolate: a common ingredient in chemical depilatories.

Ampere: a measurement of electrical current.

Anagen: the active stage in a hair growth cycle.

Analgesic: a substance used to relieve pain.

Anaphoresis: the forcing of liquids into skin from the negative to the positive pole. The opposite is cataphoresis.

Androgen: hormone that causes masculine characteristics and affects hair growth. Higher androgen levels can lead to increased amounts of hair.

Anaesthetic: a substance used to relieve all feeling.

Anode: a positive electrode.

Anti-Androgen: a drug or product that limited the effects of androgens (male hormones)

Antibiotic: a drug or preparation used to prevent and treat infection.

Antiseptic: a chemical agent that prevent the growth of bacteria.

Areola: the pigmented area surrounding the nipple. A very common area for hair growth.

Arrector pili: a tiny muscle attached to the base of the hair follicle. When this involuntary muscle flexes, it causes the hairs to stand up and causes "goosebumps."

Atopic Dermatitis: also known as eczema.

Autoclave: a machine used to sterilize medical utensils and some hair removal devices.

Axilla: the medical term for armpit, a common place for gonadal hair after puberty. Armpit hair is referred to medically as axillary hair.

B

Bacteria: an organism responsible for infection.

Barba: medical term for beard.

Biopsy: a section of skin tissue removed for clinical observation.

Black skin: probably the most difficult type of skin from which to remove hair, Type VI on the Fitzpatrick scale.

Birth control: drugs that sometimes cause increased hair growth.

Birthmarks: discoloured skin that should be examined and approved by a physician before hair removal.

Blackheads: a type of clogged pore in the skin with a visible black plug.

Blanching: a whitening of the skin sometimes caused by some types of hair removal. Also called hypopigmentation.

Bleach: a method used to disguise (not remove) hair by lightening its colour

Blemish: blood or pigment based visible mark (blimish, blemish)

Blend: a modality of electrolysis which uses both thermolysis and galvanic methods.

Blister: a small fluid-filled bubble on the skin caused by heat from over treatment with certain types of hair removal.

Blonde hair: is not as visible, but it's also harder to treat. Lasers have limited effects on it because of its lack of pigment, and it is difficult to see against the skin.

Bulb: the root of a hair, so named because it's wider at the base.

Bulbous needle: a type of electrolysis needle.

Bulge: a point midway up the hair follicle which researchers suspect must be damaged to induce permanent hair removal

Broken capillaries: these tiny blood vessels at the surface of the skin appear as streaks or blotches. Most common on the face they are cause by ageing, sun and trauma. Whilst not harmful they can be unsightly.

Bruise: a discoloration of skin from blood, sometimes caused by electrolysis, plucking, or waxing. Also known as Purpura.

C

Calamine: a pink ointment sometimes used to treat skin irritation

Calcium Thioglycolate: the active dissolving ingredient in many cream depilatories

Capillaries: tiny hair-like blood vessels, some of which carry nutrient to the hair growth matrix.

Carbon Dioxide Laser: also known as a CO₂ laser, these are commonly used to perform skin resurfacing.

Catagen: a brief middle stage in the hair growth cycle, between active (anagen) and inactive (telogen) stages.

Cataphoresis: the forcing of substances into the skin from a positive to a negative pole. It is sometimes used after electrolysis to firm skin and reduce redness.

Cathode: a negative electrode in a cell or circuit.

Cellulite: a collection of fat cells resulting from poor lymphatic drainage, fluid retention, poor circulation, not drinking enough water, a sedentary lifestyle and hormones. (cellulite, cellulight, cellulite)

Cellulite Reduction: clinic based method of reducing the appearance of cellulite (Celulite Reduction, Cellulight Reduction, Cellulite Removal)

Chemical Depilatories: powder or cream preparations that dissolve hair above the surface of the skin. Some find these products very irritating to the skin.

ChillTip: a patented contact cooling device used in laser hair removal.

Chromophore: The substructure that is responsible for the spectral selective absorption of electromagnetic radiation.

Cilia: medical term for eyelashes. Ingrown eyelashes should never be removed except under the supervision of a trained medical specialist

Clearing: a method of hair removal in which all hair in an area is removed at once, as opposed to thinning.

Club Hair: a non-living hair in the last stages of the hair growth cycle, it is detached from the follicle but has not yet shed.

Coagulation: The process by which blood clots, and can be induced by heat or chemicals.

Coherent Light: Light that stays focused, a property of lasers.

Collagen: a protein that holds all connective tissue together under the skin. Collagen is sometimes damaged by plucking or electrolysis, which can lead to dimpling on the skin. Collagen, from a plant, is also used to fill in scars and augment lips, often with temporary results.

Cold Sore: a viral infection that appears around the mouth. Hair removal, especially electrolysis and lasers, should not be performed around visible cold sores.

Comedogenic: causes blackheads (Comedones).

Comedones: a medical term for blackheads.

Congenital: a condition that is hereditary. Excess hair often runs in the family.

Contact Cooling: a method of cooling the epidermis immediately prior to laser irradiation in hopes of reducing or eliminating damage to the skin's surface.

Continuous Stimulation Technique: a pain reduction method in which the client is distracted by something during treatment (music, etc).

Cortisone: an anti-inflammatory sometimes linked to hair growth when taken internally.

Cosmetics: certain types of cosmetics (especially liquid foundations and powders) can be used to conceal but not remove hair. Some women and men use this method in conjunction with a hair removal method. Some methods of hair removal require you not use cosmetics immediately after in speed skin recovery.

Cortex: the soft centre of a hair.

Crusting: Dried fluid that seeps from skin in some clients following hair removal such as laser, electrolysis, and depilatories. It's best to keep these crusts clean and not pick them to avoid infection and scarring. These crusts are also called eschars.

Current: the flow of electricity, either alternating (AC like a wall outlet) or direct (DC like a battery).

Curved Follicles: a relatively rare condition which makes certain hair removal methods more difficult and can lead to ingrown hairs.

Cushing Syndrome: a disease caused by a tumour on the adrenal gland, which can cause excess hair growth.

Cutaneous: relating to the skin.

Cuticle: the hard outer part of a hair.

Cyst: A closed sac or capsule usually filled with fluid or semisolid material.

D

Danazol: a drug sometimes linked to excess hair growth.

Depilation: the temporary removal of hair.

Depilatories: substances used to dissolve hair above the skin's surface.

Dermabrasion: a cosmetic procedure used to smooth skin and reduce scars.

Dermal Papilla: a tiny bulge at the root of a hair, believed to be one of the primary targets in permanent hair removal.

Dermal Sheath: a lining around a hair.

Dermatitis: Atopic Dermatitis is also known as Eczema. Contact Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by direct contact with an irritating substance.

Dermatologist: a doctor specializing in skin and hair conditions.

Dermis: the deepest layers of the skin, where blood vessels, lymph channels, nerve endings, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, fat cells, hair follicles and muscles are located. The dermis varies in thickness over different sites of the body.

Dexamethosone: a steroid anti-inflammatory which sometimes causes hair growth.

Diabetes: a disease where the body improperly produces insulin, sometimes linked to excess hair growth.

Diathermy: another name for thermolysis.

Diazoxide: a drug sometimes linked to excess hair growth.

Diet: is sometimes linked to excess hair growth, especially in the extremely obese and extremely anorexic.

Dilantin: a drug sometimes linked to excess hair growth.

Diode : a semiconductive material which mainly lets energy travel one direction and not the other. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are used for the numeric displays on microwaves and VCRS as well as for lasers.

Direct Current: also called DC, it is a type of electrical energy that travels in one direction. The other type is alternating current (AC). Direct current is used in the Galvanic electrolysis method to cause a chemical reaction in the hair follicle.

Discomfort: varies greatly by individual and body area. Electrolysis is generally considered most painful, followed by laser, plucking, waxing and finally pulse light sources. Body areas most prone to discomfort are underneath the nostrils, around the lips, and the bikini zone.

Distorted Hair Follicles: a relatively rare condition in which the follicle is not straight. This condition can make waxing and electrolysis more difficult and can lead to ingrown hairs and is very successfully treated using pulsed light

Double-blind: a clinical testing method in which neither patient nor doctor know what medication or procedure is being used.

Drug Treatment: excess hair can be increased or decreased by certain drugs. These drugs often affect hormonal levels. Consult a physician if a drug seems to be causing increased hair growth.

Dynamic Cooling: a method of epidermal cooling which cools the skin with supercooled liquid immediately before a laser pulse is applied.

E

Ears : a common place for hair removal in older males. Only hair on the outer ear should be treated, and never inside the ear canal due to risk of infection.

Eccrine Gland: a medical term for sweat gland. These tiny pores do not contain hair follicles.

Eczema: also called contact dermatitis, it's a mild inflammation of the skin.

Edema (Oedema): a medical term for swelling.

Efficacy: a term meaning how well or effectively a cosmetic device works.

Electric Tweezer: A device that removes hair by grasping hairs above the skin's surface with an electrified tweezer. FDA has stated that no electric tweezers have shown evidence that they can perform permanent hair removal.

Electrocoagulation: the use of heat generated by electricity to change tissue from a fluid to a semi-solid, similar to cooking an egg. Electrocoagulation is the operating method behind flash thermolysis.

Electrode: in hair removal, a conductor through which electricity enters or leaves the body. An electrolysis needle is an electrode.

Electrology: the practice of hair removal through the use of electrified needles, invented in the 1870's. Electrologist a practitioner of electrology.

Electrolysis: in hair removal, the practice of epilation with electrified needles. Electrolysis was originally the name for hair removal with direct current only (also called galvanic), although the term is generally applied to all three modalities of epilation with an electrified needle.

EMLA: is a prescription topical anaesthetic used by some clients of laser and electrolysis to reduce and eliminate pain.

Energy Density: Term used to measure the output energy for Lasers and Pulsed Light Sources. Quoted in J/cm² (Joules per square centimetre). See Fluence.

Endocrine System: a group of glands which maintain the body's internal environment through the production of hormones. Imbalances in this system can sometimes lead to increased or decreased hair. Glands in the endocrine system include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, pancreas, ovaries, and testes

Epidermis: the thin outer layer of skin, on top of the thicker and deeper dermis.

Epilation: the removal of hair below the skin's surface (as opposed to depilation). Epilation methods include plucking, waxing, electrolysis and laser.

Er:YAG: Laser used for fine skin resurfacing.

Erythema: a medical term for the redness that sometimes follows hair removal and skin rejuvenation.

Eschar: a small temporary scab that occurs sometimes after electrolysis, especially after overtreatment.

Estrogen (Oestrogen): a female hormone sometimes linked to increased hair growth.

Exfoliation: the removal of dead skin cells to reveal softer skin underneath.

Eyelashes: protective hairs on the eyelid. Some people get ingrown hairs here, which should only be treated under a physician's care, preferably an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

F

Face Lift: Surgical procedure that lifts and stretches the patients skin to provide a firmer more youthful look. Does not improve appearance of the skin itself. Some face lift patients require hair removal under and behind the ears following this procedure, since hair-bearing skin ends up being moved behind the ear.

Fibroblasts: Cells within the the extracellular matrix that produce new collagen molecules when stimulated.

Fluence: Term used to measure the output energy, for Lasers and Pulsed Light Sources, that is delivered to tissue. Quoted in J/cm² (Joules per square centimetre).

Folliculitis: A common disorder characterised by inflammation of the hair follicle. Also known as Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) or Tinea Barbae. Appearance of raised lumps and a rash. Prevalent in Type V and VI males.

Freckles:  small clumps of coagulated melanin (freckel, frekle, frekel)

G

Grey Hair: hair that has lost its pigment.

H

Hair Growth Cycle: Hair passes through a series of cycles known as Anagen (growing phase), Catagen (resting phase) and Telogen (dormant phase).

Hirsutism: Excessive hair growth, accompanied by enlarged hair follicles and increased pigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation: An over excitation of melanocytes, darkening of the skin. Can be seen as sun-induced freckles or melasma.

Hypopigmentation: Caused by an absence of melanocytes, whitening of the skin. Vitiligo is a common medical complaint.

I

Ingrown Hair: a hair that does not break the surface of the skin, and grows back inward. Can be severe and cause inflammation, soreness and infection.

IPL Intense Pulsed Light:  a treatment consisting of short pulses of light sent out through an applicator that is gently pressed against the skin. The light energy is absorbed naturally and, depending on how it is applied, can act beneficially on pigmentation in hair follicles, pigmentation in the skin, or blood lesions such as thread veins.  (ILP, intense pulse light, intense pulsed light, intense pulse lite).

J

Joule: A unit of energy. Describes energy output for pulsed light based systems.

K

Keloids: a type of raised darkened scar, more common with dark skin. Due to a defect in the healing process.

Keratin: a fibrous protein found in hair, nails, and skin.

L

Laser: An acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A commonly used tool for cosmetic and surgical procedures.

Lentigo: A flat, discoloured area of skin similar to a freckle. Sun induced lentigines (plural of lentigo) are known a Solar Lentigines.

M

Melanin: Natural substance that gives colour (pigment) to hair and skin.

Melanoma: a form of skin cancer.

Melasma: dark skin discolouration on sun-exposed areas of the face and neck. Young women with brownish skin tones are at greatest risk. Also known as Chloasma.

Microdermabrasion: an intensive exfoliation process that rejuvenates the skin by utilizing ultra-fine aluminium oxide crystals to remove the upper layer of the stratum corneum (microderm, microdermibrasion, microdermebrasion, microdermbrasion, microderma)

N

Non-Invasive: procedures that do not involve tools that break the skin or physically enter the body.

O

Outer Root Sheath: a soft thin layer surrounding the lower two-thirds of a hair.

Ovaries: in women, a major source of female hormones. Certain conditions involving the ovaries can lead to excess hair growth, especially polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Overtreatment: overly aggressive treatment to remove hair which leads to temporary or permanent skin damage.

P

PABA: esthers found in sunscreen and cosmetic products that can make skin sensitive.

Permanent: a definition set by the American FDA that most laser and intense light source manufacturers claim to meet for hair removal.

Permanent Hair Reduction:  treatments, especially IPL, where the follicle is disabled by the light energy making it unable to support any more hair growth. permanent hair removal, permanent hair reduction, permanent hair removal, permanent hiar reduction).

Pigmented Lesion (Benign): Variety of skin conditions mainly the result of excess melanin. Commonly known as Café au Lait stains, birthmarks, age spots and freckles.

Psoriasis: Chronic skin inflammation characterised by frequent episodes of redness, itching and thick, dry scales.

Q

Q-Switch: A device that produces short intense bursts of energy from a laser.

R

Retin-A: Retinoic Acid, compound that is often used to improve the appearance and texture of the skin.

Rosacea: also known as Acne Rosacea or Adult Acne. A disorder involving chronic inflammation of the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead or eyelids. It may cause redness, vascularity, swelling or hyperplasia (increase size of tissue) or skin eruptions. (rosecea, roasacea, rosasea, rosesea, rosacia, rosecia).

Ruby: Commonly used laser for hair and tattoo removal.

S

Sacrum: Bone in the lower back.

Selective Photothermolysis: Selectively targeting dermal structures with light energy, without causing damage to surrounding tissue.

Skin Rejuvenation:  combating the signs of ageing using the latest innovative, non invasive treatments that give you visibly younger, healthy, radiant skin (facial rejuvenation, skin rejuvnation).

Spider Vein: see broken capillaries (spyder vein, spider vain).

Stretch Mark Reduction: – (strech mark reduction, stretchmark reduction, strechmark reduction).

Subcutaneous: pertains to the skin.

T

Targeted Fat Reduction: metabolising stubborn fat deposits, typically in the lower body, using methods such as Eporex mesotherapy  (targetted fat reduction)

Telogen: resting phase of the hair cycle.

Thread Vein: see broken capillaries (thred vein, thread vain, thred vain).

U

Ulcer: An area of tissue erosion. They are always depressed and are due to irritation. They may become infected and inflamed as they grow.

V

VPL: Variable Pulsed Light, trademark of Energis Technology, and describes the output from the ELITE System in terms of a precisely controlled sequence of pulses of light.

Vesiculation: Blister formation caused by thermal damage.

W

Wrinkles: Due to decreased amounts and alteration of dermal collagen. Brought on by age and sun damage.

X, Y, Z