Laser Hair Removal Side Effects

Now that you have decided to get laser hair removal it is important to understand all the risks that can be associated with the process. It is important to note that among most cosmetic procedures, laser hair removal is the safest. Besides being generally safe it is also one of the most effective ways of ridding yourself of unwanted body hair. We will discuss the potential short term or temporary side effects as well as the more serious permanent ones.

Short Term or Temporary Side Effects:

As the title implies, the short term side effects are not permanent. Rather they are short lived nuisances that you might have to deal with after getting your treatment. Most of these issues will abate after a few days. Some of them can last as long as a few weeks or months. The short term laser hair removal side effects are:

• Pain and Discomfort- it is very normal that during and after the procedure to have pain. Think about the process you are undergoing. You have lasers going into your skin to kill hair follicles, which would have to cause some sort of pain. Most patients do not have a high level of pain, but merely a nominal amount.  The pain and discomfort during the procedure can be lowered with a local anesthetic. After the procedure it can be combated with pain relievers that are either over the counter or prescribed by your doctor.
• Swelling- Again this is just the nature of the beast with laser hair removal. Generally it is not a problem if the area being treated is out of plain site. If the treatment site is on your face this can become an issue because you might not want people to see. You can treat this with a topical treatment that your practitioner can prescribe. The person performing the treatment might be able to give you advice for treating this problem as well.
• Redness- Similar to swelling, this can only be a problem if the area is in a visible location. You can help reduce the redness with ointments prescribed by your practitioner. This is probably the least serious of all the short term side effects.
• Temporary Hyperpigmentation- This side effect is where the skin surrounding the area treated becomes darker than the rest of the skin. There really is not anything you can do about this except let it go away on its own. As long as it is not in a visible area it should not be much of an issue.
• Blisters- Generally this is regarded as the most painful and embarrassing of all the short term side effects. If you are having an area such as your face done you might want to have a few days of recovery before going to work or other social events. Create some sort of plan just in case you end up with one of these unsightly things.

Permanent Laser Hair Removal Side Effects:

By just looking at the name you can tell these are definitely more serious than the previous ones mentioned. These side effects last long periods of time or are forever. They are definitely things you should consider before having laser hair removal.

• Skin Discoloration-This is not one of the physically painful laser hair removal side effects, but an emotional one. The skin discoloration generally comes in the form of a permanent lightening of the skin. People with darker skin tones are generally more susceptible to this type of side effect. The lasers target the melanin in darker hair, which in turn can affect t he dark skin.
• Scarring- The chances of having scarring decrease dramatically with the more experienced practitioner you have. Scarring tends to happen when someone is inexperienced or there is an accidental over treatment of a particular area. Just as with scars from surgeries, this is a permanent side effect of the surgery.
• Burns- This is also considered a short term side effect if the burn is less severe. This happens again with over treatment.

The good news is that there are a few precautions that you can take to seriously lower your chances of having any side effects. Remember to follow the rules below.

• Get Rid Of The Tan-Most practitioners will tell you to stay out of the sun or tanning bed for several weeks before your laser hair removal. You will want to be at the lightest possible skin tone for the procedure. By doing this you lower your risk of things like skin discoloration and you raise your chances of having a better outcome. If your skin tone is lighter the lasers focus on the darkness of the hair follicle and the surrounding skin is unaffected.
• No Waxing or Tweezing- Make sure that you do not wax or tweez your hair for weeks before the procedure. This is to ensure that the hair follicle is in the best possible health so the laser can target it effectively. You can still shave because this process does not affect the follicle, but instead cuts the hair shaft.
• No Make Up On Procedure Day- You will want your face or other area to be completely clean during the procedure to ensure the best results with the fewest side effects.

Now that we have gone over the laser hair removal side effects you can talk to your practitioner about them and what your risks are. Every year countless people have this procedure done, and many without any major side effect. Just make sure that you have a good person doing your procedure and you can enjoy all the benefits of having your body groomed and cleaned of all its unwanted hair.