Potential Side Effects of Laser Hair Removal

Laser removal is a great option for many, but there are a few risks

Laser treatment is a popular method of hair removal, and despite it expense, many people are opting for it over any other forms of hair removal.  This is due to the fact that it has strong long-term results. However, when it comes to the potential side effects of having laser hair removal performed, there are some key issues that can arise if the procedure is not performed either correctly or from a bad skin reaction.

The most common types of side effects from having laser hair removal include:

• Skin damage – in some occasions the process of using laser hair removal can damage the area around the follicle, with worst case scenario being scarring and discolouration

• Inflammation – usually only a short term issue, some people have reported inflammation in the areas where they have had laser hair removal perfumed, especially underarms or bikini areas.  Generally speaking, people should simple give it time to recover and within a few days it should return to normal. However, if it DOES contain too long and progressively deteriorate, seek medical attention

• Hyper-pigmentation – this is when the area around the hair follicle will darken, but this will usually fade over time but it can be a concern if you are getting this treatment on your face. This may last for a few months so be certain that this is not an affect you have before getting laser hair removal on your face.

• Swelling/pain – some patients report that after the procedure is over there is an amount of painful swelling. Now like any procedure it is recommended that you wait for it to begin to heal, but if it is persistent after a few days, seek medical attention.

• Blisters forming that may last for up to 14 days or so. The key is to keep them clean and try to prevent them from busting as this will increase the chance of scarring.

• Mole colour change in areas that have been exposed to laser hair removal

While these abovementioned side effects can be somewhat unavoidable in some cases, but there are a number of care and maintenance tips that you can do before and after your laser hair removal treatment to minimize any side effects. 

Some great care and maintenance tips include:

• Research where you will get the procedure performed – you want a qualified and experienced professionals performing the laser hair removal  so do your research and see how peers and customers rate them in terms of qualifications and results

• Have a preliminary meeting with the person with will perform the procedure to discuss your skin type and the area in question

• Avoid any photosynthesizing medicines in the months leading up to a treatment

• If blisters occur, use anti viral medication (even good to use leading up to procedure to prevent blisters even forming)

• Try to avoid direct sun exposure for awhile after getting the treatment to allow your skin time to heal

Laser hair removal is a great method to use for many people, offering maximum results for you and with these simple tips you should get the most out of it while minimizing any side effects. Overall the side effects that were mentioned above are more a result of the application process carried out by the professional and the individual’s skin characteristics.