Method and system for temporary hair removal

1. A depilation method comprising:

a) detecting or determining proximity of a depilation device to a skin surface;

b) responsive to detecting or determining proximity of a depilation device to a skin surface, delivering a beam of highly convergent light from said depilation device to the skin surface, said beam of light having a beam waist positioned substantially at a base of at least one hair shaft;

c) delivering said light for a duration and with an intensity sufficient to cause mechanical failure of the at least one hair shaft at said beam waist; and

d) delivering a beam of light having a diameter at the skin surface that is between about 2 and about 10 times the diameter of said beam at said beam waist.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting proximity of said depilation device to the skin surface includes determining that said depilation device is within a predetermined distance range of the skin surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , including delivering a beam of light having an angle of convergence of between about 25 and about 70 degrees relative to the axis of said beam.

4. The method of claim 1 , including delivering a beam of light having a beam waist positioned between about 40 μm and about 300 μm above the skin surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , including delivering a beam of light having a beam waist diameter of between about 17 μm and about 600 μm.

6. The method of claim 1 , including detecting movement of said depilation device across the skin surface, wherein delivering said light for a duration and intensity sufficient to cause mechanical failure of said at least one hair shaft includes taking into account the speed of movement of said depilation device across the skin surface.

7. The method of claim 1 , including delivering said beam of light to said skin surface through a light-conducting medium interposed between said depilation device and said skin surface.

8. A depilation device comprising:

a) a light source capable of producing light of a wavelength band significantly absorbed by hair;

b) a lens positioned to receive light from the light source and configured to form from the received light a highly convergent beam having a narrow, spatially limited beam waist;

c) a proximity sensor capable of detecting the proximity of said light source to a skin surface and generating a proximity sense signal indicative of said proximity; and

d) control circuitry configured to gate said light in response to said proximity sense signal, wherein said control circuitry is configured to permit generation of said highly convergent beam such that said narrow spatially limited beam waist is positioned within a distance-range of about 40 μm and about 300 μm above the skin surface.

9. The depilation device of claim 8 , wherein said lens has a numerical aperture of between about 0.64 and about 0.87.

10. The depilation device of claim 8 , wherein said lens has an f-number of between about 1.68 and about 3.46.

11. The depilation device of claim 8 , wherein said light source comprises a laser, a laser diode, or a light-emitting diode.

12. The depilation device of claim 8 , configured as a handheld device, said handheld device comprising a handset containing said light source, said lens, said proximity sensor, and said control circuitry.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said light is delivered as one or more pulses.

14. The method of claim 2 , including detecting proximity of said depilation device to the skin surface with one of an optical sensor, a mechanical sensor, an electromechanical sensor, an acoustic sensor, and a capacitive sensor and delivering said light to said skin surface only when said depilation device, and delivering said beam of highly convergent light only when said depilation device is within said predetermined distance range of the skin surface.

15. The depilation device of claim 8 , including a handset containing a high numerical aperture lens and said proximity sensor, a base unit containing said light source, and an optical linkage between said base unit and said handset configured to transmit light from said light source to said high numerical aperture lens, wherein said control circuitry is located in at least one of said handset and said base unit connected to said handset by at least one of an electrical connection, an optical connection, or a wireless connection.