Surgery – Instruments – Electrical application
Patent
1994-02-04
1996-06-04
Sykes, Angela D.
Surgery
Instruments
Electrical application
606 43, 606 44, A61B 1741
Patent
active
055228143
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to treatment of the skin by high-frequency electric means, particularly for so-called "permanent" or "long lasting" depilation, as well as for regrowth of hair.
There are three known high-frequency depilation methods.
One of these methods consists in devitalising the hair root by introducing a needle into the hair follicle down to adjacent the root in order to apply high-frequency energy directly thereto. This method is delicate and requires specially trained personnel. The use of a hollow needle through which, after application of a high-frequency current, passes a liquid which attacks the root, is described in DE-A-1 717 117. This apparatus is only suitable for dense pilosities.
In the second method, the lower end of the hair is grasped with tweezers connected to a high-frequency generator. The hair is progressively extracted after several tens of seconds. For example, WO80/02640 describes the use of a conductive solution that wets the hair in the follicle, and the application of a HF current by means of tweezers. The current is applied for up to 20 seconds. This method is not very effective.
In the third method, high-frequency current is applied to the skin by means of a flat disk. This method also proved to be ineffective because it does not allow a punctual application. Moreover, the use of an oxidising solution with application of a low voltage of 4 to 5 volts by means of flat electrodes, according to CH-109802, is also an ineffective method.
For hair regrowth, the use of insulated probes operating at high frequencies has already been proposed for the purpose of causing penetration of a hair regrowth product. The results have not been conclusive.
FR-A-2 539 622 describes a composition for treating the scalp by electrophoresis, consisting of a photosensitive aminovinylic solution usually dissolved in a saline alcoholic solution, possibly with the addition of one or more nutrients. The electrophoresis takes place by applying a two-phase low-frequency wave, one phase having a frequency of the order of 50 to 300 Hz on a square wave having a frequency of the order of 0.5 to 2 Hz.
Moreover, EP-A-0 384 804 describes a conductive face-mask comprising a settable composition composed of a gel which is stable when out of contact with the air, but which polymerizes in contact with the air. When this product is applied to the skin, it becomes consistent and for a period of time, a pulsed voltage at low-frequency comprised between 40 and 110 Hz can be caused to flow to produce a therapeutic or an esthetic effect.
These low-frequency treatments do not form part of the invention which concerns a method of cosmetic treatment by applying to the skin a treating product able to act on the hair roots, and by applying a high-frequency electromagnetic current.
The invention is based on the observation that by mixing a conductive gel of the usual type used for the application of ultrasound probes to the skin, with a treating product, for example a lotion producing atrophy of the hair roots, it is possible by transcutanous induction at high frequency to cause the treating product to penetrate into the pores and hence carry out a treatment.
This thus leads to a new, notably cosmetic, method of treating the skin, for example to achieve a long lasting depilation, and which moreover allows a punctual and effective application down to the follicles without a delicate manual intervention. Of course, the same technique may also be suitable for introducing other cosmetic products into the skin, for example for hair regrowth, or against wrinkles, as well as pharmaceutical products, for example for treating acne, seborrhea, wounds, or pains.
The invention, as defined in the claims, concerns a method of and an apparatus for long lasting depilation and other treatments of the skin, which are easy to use and effective. The invention concerns also the use of the apparatus for depilation or for hair regrowth, the cosmetic use of the gel/product mixture, as well as the mixture of the gel and of the product used with th
REFERENCES:
patent: 3994300 (1976-11-01), Siddons
patent: 4498474 (1985-02-01), Chalmers et al.
Huang Stephen D.
Sykes Angela D.
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