Assessment of laser therapy on the quality of life in patients with hirsutism using the dermatology life quality index

Background: Hirsutism is defined as the presence of terminal hairs with a male-like pattern in women, due to the increased levels of androgens or increased responses of the target organs to androgens. Facial hirsutism has a negative effect on the quality of life in female patients. Among the many therapeutic modalities for hirsutism, laser therapy is of great acceptability. The long pulse Alexandrite laser, diode laser, and Nd:YAG laser are the most commonly used lasers in the treatment of hirsutism. In this study, we assessed the effect of laser therapy on the quality of life of the patients with hirsutism, using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Method: Forty-two female patients with idiopathic hirsutism, ranging from 18 to 34 years old, were studied during a course of laser therapy lasting for at least 4 months for up to 3 courses. Each patient completed a DLQI and VAS questionnaire before and after treatment. The VAS questionnaire was also filled out by the dermatologist. Result: Following laser therapy, the average DLQI score, decreased by 10 points (a statistically significant difference with p- value<0.001). VAS also declined and there was a moderate to good correlation between the VAS scores given by the patient and the dermatologist. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that laser therapy improved the quality of life in patients with hirsutism.