Laser hair removal uses a single wavelength of light to heat the hair. Laser targets hair follicles and does not allow hair from those follicles to grow back. During this procedure, light emitted by a hand held device passes through the skin and is absorbed by melanin in the hair follicle. It works on several follicles at a time. It’s comparatively a quick and easy method to get rid of unwanted hair on various parts of the body. The length of the procedure varies from few minutes to an hour depending on the size of area being treated.

All procedures, whether invasive or non invasive, involve some kind of risk. Hair removal through laser is quite risk free and non invasive. Yet, there are some short term and long term side effects and risks involved.

Long Term risks

Skin discoloration

Permanent epidermal damage

Short term risks

It can cause severe 1 st and 2 nd degree burns.

Slight reddening of the skin.

Pain.

Blistering.

Slight swelling.

Infection.

It may not work for light haired people as their hair have less melanin.

Dark skin also limits the effect of laser on the hair follicle.

Treated area is slightly sensitive for a few days. So, exposure to sun is restricted.

Laser hair removal technique is rather new. So, the long term effects are not known yet.

Photosensitive patients are at a higher risk with the laser.

Patients who have the tendency to form keloid scars are more prone to scarring.

It’s not advisable for pregnant women to go through this procedure.

Two more side effects of laser treatment are

Hyper Pigmentation- darkening of the skin because of the stimulation of melanin due to laser

Hypo pigmentation- lightening of the skin due to inhibition of melanin production

Hyper pigmentation is a reversible process, but hypo pigmentation is not.

Precautions

Go only to the licensed practitioner

Do some research on the clinic

Make sure the clinic uses the latest laser techniques. Also ensure the laser being used for the procedure is safe as per regulatory guidelines.

Talk to some of the customers who have got the procedure done from the same clinic.

Be sure to ask doctor’s credentials and experience in performing the laser hair removal.

It is extremely important to find out if you are the right candidate for this procedure.

Let the practitioner know if you have any family or hormonal condition

Avoid tanning and sun exposure few weeks prior to the treatment.

Make sure that the area of treatment is clean on that day

The method might not be as effective as you would hope it to be. So, be willing to lose some time and money if you don’t get the desired results. Also, expect realistic results.

Weigh different options. Electrolysis is still the choice of many. Specially, it’s a more effective method go get rid of the finer hair.

You might need many sessions to optimize results. Usually, patients need to wait for almost a year to see full effects of laser hair removal.

Laser hair removal gives permanent results but there is no guarantee. The area might still be left with little hair. Sometimes, it’s not a permanent hair removal, but reduction of hair in the treated area. Results vary from one person to another.

Laser hair removal is an expensive procedure. One must be prepared for the undesired results as well.

You must ask the practitioner if he had his malpractice insurance coverage denied, revoked or suspended.

Make sure about the practitioner’s policy regarding corrections and repeating the procedure if the desired results are not obtained at the end of the session.

In addition to the laser hair removal cost, there might be added costs as well such as medicines, anesthesia etc. Confirm the total cost before starting the procedure.