title: Chronic neuropathic facial pain after intense pulsed light hair removal. Clinical features and pharmacological management.
abstract: Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) photodepilation is usually performed as a hair removal method. The treatment is recommended to be indicated by a physician, depending on each patient and on its characteristics. However, the use of laser devices by medical laypersons is frequent and it can suppose a risk of damage for the patients. Most side effects associated to IPL photodepilation are transient, minimal and disappear without sequelae. However, permanent side effects can occur. Some of the complications are laser related but many of them are caused by an operator error or mismanagement. In this work, we report a clinical case of a patient that developed a chronic neuropathic facial pain following IPL hair removal for unwanted hair in the upper lip. The specific diagnosis was painful post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathy, reference 13.1.2.3 according to the International Headache Society (IHS).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Neuropathic facial pain, photodepilation, intense pulse light.
authors.affiliation: MD, DDS, MS, PhD, EBOS. Chairman and Professor of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona. Director of Master's Degree Program in Oral Surgery and Implantology (EHFRE International University/FUCSO). Coordinator/Researcher of the IDIBELL Institute. Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Implantology Department of the Teknon Medical Center, Barcelona (Spain).
authors.forename: Cosme
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gay-Escoda
authors.affiliation: DDS. Fellow of the Master of Oral Surgery and Orofacial Implantology. School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona (Spain).
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Párraga-Manzol
authors.affiliation: DDS. Fellow of the Master of Oral Surgery and Orofacial Implantology. School of Dentistry, University of Barcelona (Spain).
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Torres
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD. Dermatology Department, Centro Médico Teknon (Barcelona), and Espitau Val d'Aran (Vielha, Lleida), Spain.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moreno-Arias