Apparatus and methods for
removing hair and / or devitalizing follicles using electromagnetic energy to actively target and treat a hair and / or a
follicle are disclosed. The electromagnetic energy can be of a selective or non-selective
wavelength. The apparatus comprises a handpiece; a
detector that uses electromagnetic energy to detect the presence of a hair and / or
follicle in a portion of
skin, detect a position of the hair and / or
follicle in a plane, and detect an angle at which the hair and / or follicle intersects the plane; a delivery element configured to receive treatment energy from a treatment
energy source and deliver the treatment energy to a portion of
skin; and a controller that uses feedback from the
detector to control the delivery element and / or to control the treatment
energy source so as to control the delivery of the treatment energy to the portion of
skin via the handpiece in a manner so as to cause
hair removal and / or follicular devitalization; wherein the handpiece, the
detector, the delivery element and the controller are operably coupled. Optionally, the apparatus can also include an analyzer operably coupled to the handpiece, the detector, the delivery element and / or the controller.