Laser Hair Removal

A large proportion of clinical tests and investigative materials about laser hair reduction do not fully address the issues of Side Effects Of Laser Hair Removal. If you are considering this treatment, you should be cognizant of the following potential side effects.

Laser Scars
Most patients are concerned about the chances of scarring when undergoing reduction of hair with laser treatment. While this has been known to happen in the past, particularly in patients with tanned skin, these days the new laser machinery has all but eliminated this side effect.

Injury to Eye
Laser eye safety is critically important during any therapy involving lasers. To avoid any damage to the eyes, wavelength-specific laser safety eyewear must be donned by both operators and clients.

Tattoo Darkening
If you have tattoos in the area of the body being treated, you should be aware that darkening is sometimes experienced and discuss this with your doctor before undergoing laser procedures.

Reddening After Treatment
The dermis may be transiently reddened after repeated laser exposure. It is one of the minor side effects of laser hair removal. Proper cooling and the use of proper exposure time during the therapy minimizes this side effect.

Skin Blistering
With the introduction of new and efficient cooling devices, blistering has been pretty much eliminated as a problem caused by laser hair removal. Tissue cooling can be performed through a contact chill tip or freezing spray to safeguard the dermis. These measures serve to safeguard the skin from excessive thermal abuse.

Crusting
10% of clients treated for laser hair reduction with long-pulsed ruby and alexandrite lasers may develop crusting. This is generally as a result of repeatedly over treating an area of the body with laser. When this occurs, appropriate post procedural care is very much recommended in order to avoid further side effects.

Wound Infection
Wound infection is uncommon after laser procedures. In the rare circumstances that any wounds are to be seen on the dermis after laser hair reduction, infection can be avoided with antibiotic and anti viral materials.
Darkening of the Skin
Whichever the type of laser that is used, there may be hyper pigmentation of skin after exposure to lasers. In this reaction the skin becomes darker as a result of increased pigment deposition. Usually tanned skin has a greater chance to develop this. The good news is that it can be readily treated with the use of bleaching materials and does not last long.

Hypo Pigmentation
Lightening of the dermis, or hypo pigmentation, can occur, particularly in tanned skin types and where there are multiple exposures to laser procedures. It normally does not last long; permanent hypo pigmentation is hardly ever seen. This side effect is mostly experienced with use of alexandrite, Q-switched ruby and Nd:YAG lasers.

How Concerned Should You Be?
Laser hair reduction is an critically safe therapy; the side effect we have described are very uncommon. To keep yourself as safeguarded as possible, always use a reputable laser hair clinic with a doctor you can trust, and you are likely to encounter no side effects of laser hair removal at all!