Laser hair removal is a very common procedure that millions of people have undertaken. It is safe to say that the risks are not deterring anyone anyway, but all potential candidates should make themselves aware of the risks.
Laser hair removal involves a light that uses special wavelengths to damage the hair follicles. Just enough damage is done to prevent or reduce the amount of hair that grows back. How the procedure works is the source of a common misunderstanding among many patients.
Not all such procedures offer true 100% permanent results, but few people know this very important fact. Permanent laser hair removal is the most sought after and yet, few laser machines offer permanent results.
The majority of the machines will only offer a reduction in hair growth. The procedure isn't known to be permanent though. Although permanent laser hair removal and a reduction in hair growth offer different results, the risks for each procedure are still the same.
The light used in the hair removal procedure targets the pigmented colors of the skin. Individuals seeking this treatment are encouraged to stay out of the sun. Having a tan or dark colored skin can make the procedure difficult or even impossible. Having dark skin will not medically put yourself at risk during the procedure, but you do run the risk of having the treatment not working.
There are also a number of medications that are not safe to use when having a laser hair removal treatment. If you are on any medication at all, it is absolutely necessary to let your doctor know before the treatment begins. There are some medications that can reduce the affects of the procedure. The real possible danger lies in the health risks associated with combining medications with the hair removal procedure.
Most patients who have done laser hair removal did not, in fact, feel any pain. Some Many may experience a small amount of pain, but it is often manageable. The amount of discomfort experienced during the procedure is noted by many patients to be similar to the feeling of someone poking you. However if you are having the treatment at sensitive areas such as the armpits and the groin region, pain is evitable. If you are concerned about the pain during or after the procedure, speak to your doctor about the possibilities of anesthesia.
The highest risks associated are laser marks or skin burns. These risks are very rare. The only reason why a patient should have skin burns or laser marks on their skin is if the hair removal procedure was not properly performed. This is why it is extremely important to know who you are dealing with when having your hair removed by a laser.
Knowing the risks for a medical procedure is never enough. You must take an active part in preparing for the treatment and caring for yourself during the period of your skin's recovery.
Risks Laser Hair Removal
The laser process may be ineffectual on certain hair and skin colors. If you have darker color skin, the pigment in the skin absorbs the laser light. This way the laser doesn't reach the hair follicle thereby confining the effect of the treatment, and it might be possibly detrimental to the skin. Conversely, because laser hair removal requires pigment to be present in hair follicles to work, unpigmented hair cannot be so easily removed with laser treatments compared to dark hair.
Some of the side effects from laser hair removal are:
&bullSkin Darkens: Sometimes dark spots seem, on and around the treated areas on a patient's skin. These spots are called hyperpigmentation. Under normal conditions it is a temporary side-effect, but in rare causes it can endure and becomes permanent. This side-effect, if not gone by itself, usually takes considerable time to get cured. To minimize the opportunities of this occurrence after laser treatment direct sunlight should be avoided for at least a week.
&bullSkin Lightens: This is the reason of major care in the people who have darker skin. Laser hair removal treatment is best suitable to fair skinned people, but people with darker skin can also be treated of excessive hair by laser hair removal surgical procedure. But it may cause permanent lightening of the skin in the treated area if it is not correctly applied.
The laser treatment works by affecting the pigmentation in darker colored hair. It can sometimes lighten darker colored skin as well. How skin lightening takes place is not known yet, but it seems the laser destructs the skin's color producing cells.
The skin lightening may be a permanent effect, though it can recover its color very slowly in some cases. Patients having gray or white hair are more likely to have their skin discolored due to the laser hair removal treatment.
&bullBlisters Might Seem: Blisters can sometimes seem on the skin after the treatment. It is painful and abashing, but it is a temporary side effect. This occurs mostly because of using higher influence laser, especially in the case of dark skin. It can also result from unconventional care of the irritated skin. The pain caused by blisters can be allayed by tissue cooling through a contact chill tip or cryogen spray during treatment and by ice packs after treatment. Your laser clinic should advise.
&bullScarring might take place: Inappropriately applied laser hair treatments can cause severe burnings which can result in scarring. If the strength of the laser light applied exceeds what the skin can bear then burning occurs deep inside the skin. However no risk of burning exists if the device is correctly adjusted to the skin color of the patient experiencing laser treatment.
&bullChanges to hair features: Hair of finer and lighter in color may grow after the treatment. Some people might also see new growing hair in areas next to the treated areas. Extra laser treatments will be required to remove them.
&bullAlteration of skin texture: The long exposure to laser energy beams might cause skin texture to change its features and it can also damage the skin.
There might be some short term side effects such as, redness, skin irritation or swelling. These usually last for some days and the pain can be taken care of through using anesthetic skin creams. The laser clinic should advise you about this.
While laser hair removal treatment is rather a safe procedure, it is still not entirely risk free. However, if you make sure that the process is done by a certified and experienced doctor or technician, you can significantly lessen the opportunities of side-effects. Don't forget to take necessity precautions before and after the laser hair removal surgery treatment, to further bring down the chances of side-effects.
Both Lesley Chew & David Ford are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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