Hair is permanently removed from a patients skin by transcutaneously focusing high intensity acoustic energy at hair follicles and at dermal papilla regions during a telogen phase of hair growth and applying sufficient energy to destroy said follicles and said dermal papilla regions, so that hair is removed and regrowth is prevented. Typically, a region of a patients skin is first ultrasonically imaged to show the location of a plurality of individual hair follicles and dermal papilla regions. The imaged hair follicles and dermal papilla regions are then treated using a system which automatically directs high intensity acoustic energy at each follicle and dermal papilla region.
