Pilonidal Sinus
Pilonidal Sinus (PNS) is a condition in which a small hole or tunnel is built on the surface of skin filled with fluids or pus. This causes the development of a Cyst under the affected region within the skin. It normally develops on the cleft at the top of the buttocks. Pilonidal Cyst commonly contains hair, dirt or debris. The condition can cause severe pain and can often become infected.
What are the causes of pilonidal sinus disease?
The exact cause of this condition isn’t known, but its cause is believed to be a combination of changing hormones (because it occurs after puberty), hair growth, and friction from clothes or from spending a long time sitting.
Activities that cause friction, like sitting, can force the hair growing in the area to burrow back under the skin. The body considers this hair foreign and launches an immune response against it, similar to how it would react when dealing with a splinter. This immune response forms the cyst around your hair.
Laser treatment for Pilonidal sinus
As hair growth in the area is the main cause of pilonidal sinus, effective laser hair removal prevents further recurrence. Long pulsed Nd YAG laser treatment is the best option for the removal of hair in the particular area.
Hair growth cycle
Hair development is a continuous cyclic process and all mature follicles go through a growth cycle consisting of growth (anagen), regression (catagen), rest (telogen) and shedding (exogen) phases. The duration of the phases changes based on the location of the hair and also personal nutritional and hormonal status and age.
Laser hair removal is effective only on mature hair follicles. As hair grows in a cyclical pattern it needs 6 to 8 sittings with a gap of 2 months between each sitting.
