Paul W. DesRuisseuax, M.D. (WARNING!)


Paul W. DesRuisseaux M.D.

Paul W. DesRuisseaux, M.D. is a physician with offices in Houston, Texas. Websites and printed materials promoting a "transdermal electrolysis" device made by American Hair Removal Systems (AHRS) have listed him as an expert. He is also listed as a distributor of the "transcutaneous electrolysis" device made by International Hair Removal Systems (IHRS). IHRS is simply a new name for AHRS. Both companies are operated by the same people.

Treatment with the AHRS or IHRS devices such as SuperPhaser Gold should be avoided by all consumers. There is no published data showing it can remove hair permanently.

Reputable doctors usually do not associate themselves with these devices.

Contact information:

Address: Houston Cosmetic Surgery & Vein Center, 6601 Tarnef Drive, Suite # 204B, Houston, TX 77074-3634
Phone: (713) 271-1745
Fax: (713) 271-1745

Also listed on search engines as:

Paul Wintle Desruisseaux
Paul W. Des Ruisseaux
W.D. Paul

His business listing comes up under the headings "Electrolysis Treatments," plastic surgery, and breast implants.

(see http://www.e-eldercare.com/genp.htm and http://www.breast-implant.org/members.htm for examples.)

The American Medical Association lists him as a non-member with offices at:

4100 Westheimer Rd. Suite 115, Houston TX 77027 (713) 960-9414*
* (however, this number is listed on other search sites as an attorney’s fax number)

AMA lists him as graduating University of Ottawa Medical School in 1957 with a specialty in Plastic Surgery.

Notable quack comments

One AHRS sales site states that DesRuisseaux is "an Advisory Board Member and the Medical Director for the Dermal International Research Institute in Houston, Texas." There is no research institute by that name listed in any Houston directory.

This sales site quotes Dr. DesRuisseaux comments from "a seminar held in Sidney [sic], Australia." His answers are quoted verbatim below. In typical quack fashion, an established industry is trying to keep this medical miracle from consumers in order to preserve their own interests. In response, the "transdermal electrolysis" promoters attempted to form their own trade association variously called International Institute of Non-Invasive Electrolysis, I-ONE, I-NONE, etc., all of which seems to be defunct at the time of this writing.

Q. What are the advantages of this method over the well-established needle electrolysis?

A. They are numerous. The main ones are: No pain, like the needle. No redness or irritation. No scarring. No permanent hyperpigmentation. No crusting or infection. No bruising or bleeding. There are also some additional advantages such as: More accuracy, since there is no need to worry about the angle of the hair shaft and the depth of the follicle as with needle electrolysis. No retained or broken needle. No deeper tissue damage. No transmission of diseases to patient or operator. No regrowth due to faulty technique. No psychological trauma; this has been found with patients who have a low tolerance to pain and discontinue their treatment thereby leaving them with a feeling of frustration and despair which tends to make them much more obsessive of their condition. Some of these patients persist with their treatment but live in fear of pain and other side effects, making for a stressful situation.

Q. Why Is it not well known?

A. The system has been on the market only a few years, and, additionally, it has encountered extensive opposition from the needle electrologists and their associations, which has slowed appreciably its expansion.

Q. Why would the electrologists refuse to accept such an important new development while they readily accepted other less important developments in their field?

A. ‘This is a difficult question to answer and deserves analysis. In my opinion. this opposition has multiple causes such as: electrologists are trained to believe tweezer electrolysis does not work. This was true in the past with RF (Radio Frequency) systems; but, the new, galvanic current system has rendered this myth invalid. We have a radically new development which is likely to financially hurt the electrologists’ profession as it currently exists. In fact, it makes the needle method practically obsolete, since it achieves the same results or better, without the side effects mentioned previously. Consequently, this means that needle electrologists, if they want to survive, will have to buy new equipment and adapt to a new method. Many of them are not currently ready to do so, and , at this stage, are not convinced that the new methodology is as effective as their own method. Needless to say the schools of electrology and the manufacturers of needle electrolysis equipment stand to lose considerably. Consequently, their opposition to change is understandable under the circumstances.

Q. Is the present opposition to the new procedure responsible in any way for the formation of the new international association for non-invasive electrolysis?

A. Yes, since there is a need to neutralize these attacks, but the main goals of this new association remain to provide education to its members, to continuously improve the equipment and technique, and to get the method universally known and accepted. In fact, there is nothing to stop, or even slow down a rapid expansion of the new procedure all over the world. Already, in addition to the USA, it has been introduced in many countries such as England, Korea. Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to name a few. We are also counting on the new association to spread the word.