Laser Hair Removal Side Effects

Until a few years ago, the commonly used techniques for hair removal included shaving, waxing, threading, plucking, using depilatory creams, etc. Of late however, there has been another addition to this list in the form of laser hair removal. Advances in technology, coupled with an increasing number of people paying special attention to their looks and beauty, has seen a surge in the number of people opting for laser hair removal. Laser hair removal can be used for removing body hair from the:

• face
• chest
• back
• arms
• underarms
• legs
• genital regions.

Laser hair removal is a good alternative for people with excessive or thick body hair. It works on the principle of a laser beam which, when focused on the skin, kills the hair follicles thereby preventing regrowth of hair from those follicles. Of late however, there has been a considerable amount of talk and debate about this procedure having some side effects. On that note, let us have a look at the so-called laser hair removal side effects.

Are There Any Serious Laser Hair Removal Side Effects?
Let us examine whether the process of laser hair removal actually does any harm to us or our skin.

• The most common complaint of all patients undergoing laser hair removal is that of pain. Well, pain is obvious considering you have a laser beam pointing at your skin cells, isn't it? But in reality, the amount of pain or discomfort that one experiences during or after the treatment is quite mild and bearable. It basically involves certain symptoms such as swelling of the skin, reddening of certain parts of the skin and mild or moderate itching or irritability. These are common after-effects and it is nothing to get worried about. You can lessen the pain and the irritation by using appropriate skin creams and by taking the medication that is prescribed by your doctor.
• Development of blisters on the treated patch of skin is another common side effect of laser hair removal procedure. If the blisters are rather big and noticeable, you can once again make use of prescribed skin creams, lotions and skin care products to treat them.
• It sometimes happens that after a laser hair removal procedure, the treated patch of skin becomes lighter than the surrounding area. This is comparatively more prevalent in dark-skinned people. The reason is, dark-skinned people have a greater content of melanin in their skin. During the process of laser hair removal, the laser beam does affect the melanin content of the skin and in the process, slightly reduces it thereby leading to lightening of the skin. The amount of lightening is usually not very severe but it can be noticeable in a few cases. Though most cases are temporary, skin lightening in some rare cases can be permanent as well.
• Just as the skin can lighten, it can also darken. This is known as hyper-pigmentation and can happen in a few cases. Usually, the effects are temporary and the skin returns to its normal color over a period of time.
• Development of scars can happen in case of burns or over-treatment. This is a rare occurrence and can happen if the technician is not well-trained or if the equipment is incorrectly calibrated or used.

In most cases, laser hair removal is a treatment that requires multiple sessions, depending on the skin color, hair color and hair density. Therefore, it is important that you as a patient, opt for laser hair removal only after consulting a qualified and experienced medical professional. In most cases, choosing a good and experienced doctor results in laser hair removal side effects being mild and minimal.