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Laser hair removal has rapidly gained acceptance as a noninvasive technique for long-term reduction in unwanted facial and body hair. This article presents the first published case report of laser assisted hair removal for the treatment of hypertrichosis of the pinna and external auditory canal. The laser was very effective in removing dark hairs but was less effective in managing light or grey hairs.

Keywords: laser hair removal, hypertrichosis, external auditory canal, hair

Introduction

Hypertrichosis of the pinna and external auditory canal commonly occurs in older males. This is a y-linked trait whose expression increases with age1. The incidence of this condition is not known but it is not uncommonly seen in an Otolaryngological practice. Hairy canal impacts on wearing hearing aids, causing irritation by contacting the tympanic membrane, may increase the risk of cerumen impaction and possibly recurrent otitis externa. It is a frustrating and time consuming condition to treat, as the only available treatment so far has been careful trimming under direct vision. In this case presentation we present a patient with troublesome hypertrichosis of external canal who was treated with Alexandrite laser on two occasions 8 weeks a part. In other body parts this treatment has been reported to cause excellent long term hair removal in the order of 85%2,5. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of using the laser to treat ear canal hair in the literature.

Case Report