Laser hair removal for military amputees
Carla
Specialist in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Overview
Laser hair removal is proving to have honorable uses beyond smoothing out bikini lines. Military amputees are benefiting greatly from these treatments which help to improve skin problems often associated with wearing a prosthesis. Active Duty dermatologists have found that even as little as one laser hair removal treatment can cut down sweating and irritation and reduce slippage where the residual limb meets the prosthetic device. In turn, these physical improvements have translated to an overall improvement in quality of life for these veterans, thanks to a reduction in stress and frustration commonly associated with wearing a prosthesis.
What are the benefits of laser hair removal for amputees?
The benefits of laser hair removal for amputees go beyond simply removing unwanted hair and have proven to help improve the quality of everyday life. For more than a decade, laser hair removal has been used to improve skin conditions that are common for amputees.
Many individuals who have experienced an amputation struggle with infections, abscesses, itching, and pain at the joint interface of their prosthetic. Unlike shaving or waxing, laser hair removal doesn’t damage the skin—eliminating the risk of ingrown hairs, razor bumps, or other skin conditions that would make wearing a prosthetic very uncomfortable.
HiSqin™ IPL Hair Removal Handset Gen X
Let's face it, you don't really enjoy shaving or waxing unwanted body hair. No one does! right ? It's time consuming, expensive and even painful.If you need to keep your skin hair-free all the time, HiSqin™ IPL Hair Removal Handset Gen X designed in Canada to deliver long-lasting visible results in just 8-12 sessions. Full body treatments are done in 30 minutes, just once per week.
What are skincare basics for amputees?
Moisturize.
After taking a bath, use a moisturizer that’s high in antioxidants. Avoid products with alcohol that dries the skin. Refrain from overdoing the use of various products. Combining too many active ingredients can irritate your skin. If you use several products, try to use them at different times during the day.
HiSqin™ Gotu Kola Calming Gel
This Seaweed-based soothing gel provides the ultimate hydration while calming botanicals tend to sensitive or irritated skin.May be used daily or nightly as a moisturizer or as a post treatment on irritated or inflamed skin.
Don’t shave the hair off your limb.
Shaving can cause ingrown hair to develop, and ingrown hair can lead to an infection. Waxing might irritate your limb’s sensitive skin too. If you wish to prevent hair growth, consult with your doctor about other options such as laser hair removal.
Keep your weight stable.
When your weight fluctuates, your body shape is altered, including your limb, which can affect how it fits into your prosthesis. Keep active and maintain a healthy diet.
Takeaway
Amputees who have laser hair removal tend to experience less itching, pain, irritation, pulling of hair, and surprisingly sweating in the treated area. While a reduction in sweating is an unexpected benefit of laser hair removal treatments it does help reduce prosthetic slippage which can improve performance in recreational activities, work, and exercise.
Having healthy skin on your limb ensures that you are able to stay mobile, and maintaining the health of your residual limb's skin barrier is not an impossible task. You just need to pay it some proper attention and understand how the skin barrier works, so you can make the right decisions in caring for it and keeping it healthy.
DISCLAIMER Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice.
