Hair removal in women with an 800-nm diode laser: self-reported satisfaction and expectations from treatment are not the same / Uklanjanje dlaka kod žena diodnim laserom talasne dužine 800 nm - zadovoljstvo i očekivanja od postupka nisu isti

Laser hair reduction is an established method for unwanted hair removal. A significant esthetic component to the treatment necessitates patient-related outcomes are duly taken into account. Satisfaction and expectations may be either interrelated or independent outcome measures. A mail survey was sent out to 250 women who had undergone laser hair removal at least 6 months after their last treatment. The 6-item questionnaire concerned areas of the body treated, number of treatments, perceived hair loss, level of satisfaction with the treatment, fulfillment of expectations from the treatment, and reasons for not being satisfied with the treatment and/or unmet expectations. Response rate to the mail survey was 69%. One hundred fifty five (90%) patients were satisfied with the treatment, whereas 18 (10%) patients were dissatisfied with the treatment. Treatment did not meet expectations in 33 (19%) patients. When looking into the causes of their dissatisfaction and/or unmet expectations, the lower effectivness was the only factor which significantly affected the above otcomes (p<0.05). Though we intuitively link expectations to satisfaction, their relationship is complex, and further studies should aim at construction of standardized scales to measure patients’ satisfaction and expectation, in order to further improve effectiveness of laser hair removal.