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Laser treatment improves quality of life of hirsute females
Author(s) -
Loo W. J.,
Lanigan S. W.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
clinical and experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1365-2230
pISSN - 0307-6938
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2230.2002.01071.x
Subject(s) - dermatology life quality index , medicine , hirsutism , quality of life (healthcare) , prospective cohort study , patient satisfaction , surgery , insulin resistance , nursing , disease , polycystic ovary , insulin
Summary Hirsutism has a significant impact on the quality of life of affected patients. We report a prospective study of 45 hirsute females attending a laser clinic. Of these, 15 patients completed a pair of modified dermatology life quality index (DLQI) questionnaires, immediately before and at varying intervals (up to 6 months) after laser treatment. The mean DLQI score before treatment was 12.8 (median = 9.0, SD = 8.5). The mean DLQI score at 1–2 months was 7.0 (median = 2.5, SD = 10.0, P = 0.06), at 2–4 months it was 9.2 (median = 10.0, SD = 10.0, P = 0.48) and at 4–6 months it was 11.5 (median = 10.5, SD = 8.0, P = 0.88). There was a major improvement in DLQI score at 1–2 months but longer‐term benefit was not observed. In a separate questionnaire, hirsute females ( n = 45) reported a high level of patient satisfaction (71.1%) and willingness to have further treatment (77.8%) despite the fact that 97.1% had unwanted hair back at pretreatment levels at 6 months.