Remove hair with a microwave

Before putting on a new bikini or your favorite sleeveless blouse, if you’re like most women here in the U.S., you take out your razor and get rid of that unwanted underarm hair. But for those who are tired of shaving, there’s a new way to permanently eliminate your hair using microwaves.

The MiraDry device works by sending microwave rays beneath the skin, causing it to heat up to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  That thermal energy is strong enough to destroy most sweat glands, and about 70-percent of hair follicles, permanently. Unlike lasers, the treatment works on all hair colors from white to black, and everything in between. 

The treatment takes about an hour, and doctors use a local anesthetic agent, to numb the area, to make the procedure more comfortable. 

Steve Kim is co-founder and chief technology officer for Miramar Labs, a California based company, and makers of the device http://miradry.com/. 

According to Kim, MiraDry gained FDA clearance in 2011 treat people with excessive sweating, and on July 23, 2015, that clearance was expanded, to allow the removal of unwanted hair beneath the arm.    

Although the treatment is the same, Kim says this newer indication will be branded as MiraSmooth.  The company plans to begin rolling out the product at a few locations this month.  He hopes it will then expand to other providers.