Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular cosmetic treatment used to rid oneself of unwanted body hair using light energy. A laser beam targets dark pigment in hair shafts and sends heat down its shaft, killing off the follicle that produces it.
However, pregnancy hormone changes may compromise laser treatments’ efficacy and be harmful to follicle growth; making laser therapies less likely to work effectively.
It’s Not Possible
Though there’s no definitive evidence linking laser hair removal with pregnancy complications, it would still be wise to be extra cautious in your approach. You don’t want to risk endangering your unborn baby and could end up doing more harm than good by trying to remove unwanted hair while pregnant.
Pregnant women tend to become more sensitive during gestation due to increased blood flow and skin stretching, making laser treatments uncomfortable or even painful in certain instances.
Pregnancy-related hormonal shifts can also alter how your body responds to treatment, with hair becoming thicker and darker during gestation causing laser therapy to become less effective.
Finally, pregnancy’s natural hormones can prevent hair from falling out at its usual pace, necessitating more treatments than usual for optimal results and making scheduling your sessions difficult.
Pregnancy-safe hair removal solutions such as shaving, waxing and threading should be utilized before considering laser hair removal treatments; however, if you were already receiving laser treatments prior to becoming pregnant then these should continue as long as you keep all providers aware.
Once postpartum, hormone levels should quickly return to normal and laser treatments can resume as usual. You may initially notice extra hair growth but this should subside once your hormones stabilize.
Assure you won’t experience any regrowth by beginning laser hair removal treatments at least four-six months prior to becoming pregnant, giving yourself enough time to complete all sessions before making any definitive plans for parenthood.
It’s Not Safe
Pregnancy hormones cause significant hormonal shifts that cause dramatic physical and behavioral changes for you and your unborn baby, including weight gain, loss of bladder control, and hair growth that you previously didn’t have such as stomach and back. While it should pass once your hormones return to normal after giving birth, some women find the hair growth so unwelcome they seek ways to stop it immediately.
Shaving, waxing and depilatory creams can all be effective ways of controlling unwanted hair growth; however, if these methods no longer do the trick or it becomes difficult to reach harder-to-reach spots as your belly expands then laser hair removal could be an attractive alternative.
Before scheduling an appointment, there are a few key points you should keep in mind. Pregnancy increases skin sensitivity due to an increase in blood supply and stretching of abdomen and breasts; laser treatments can become uncomfortable at best and lead to irritation and hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin) at worst.
Pregnancy may cause your hair to thicken more and be less responsive to treatments; this is due to active hair follicles becoming more active; while this is beneficial in terms of hair growth, laser treatments may become less effective or produce patchy results.
If you decide to get laser hair removal while pregnant, make sure that your physician knows about your plans. He or she can give the go-ahead; however, they may advise against having it performed over your bump in order to protect both mother and child from potential risks caused by laser light.
There is no scientific evidence to indicate that laser hair removal could harm a pregnancy, however, it would be prudent to wait until after giving birth and your hormones have returned to their regular levels before considering other alternatives such as tweezing or threading to deal with unwanted hair growth.
It’s Not Effective
Pregnancy causes your hormones to change, making hair growth more prominent in areas that were once free from it. Due to this change, most doctors and laser clinics advise against receiving laser treatments while pregnant, since no studies have proven its safety for your unborn child.
Keep in mind that your skin is more delicate during pregnancy, making you more prone to burns or scars in case of mishap. Furthermore, some medications like antibiotics may make your skin photosensitive making laser sessions harder.
Even if you began laser treatments prior to becoming pregnant, hair growth may increase during the first trimester due to androgen hormones produced by your body. This could cause it to thicken more coarsely than usual and you might require additional sessions of laser treatments in order to reach desired results.
Once your pregnancy is over, hormone levels should return to their pre-pregnancy levels and hair growth should return to its regular pace. If any regrowth occurs postpartum, top ups may help diminish this growth.
If you are considering laser hair removal, it would be prudent to start several months prior to becoming pregnant. That way, once the birth takes place you will already be prepared to resume treatment postpartum.
As soon as you’ve completed laser hair removal treatments, it is wise to stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible – particularly after applying sunscreen with high SPF protection. If necessary, wear clothing that offers sun protection.
It’s Not a Good Idea
Pregnancy is a period when hormone levels fluctuate rapidly, which may impact how your body responds to laser hair removal treatments. Most healthcare providers will advise expecting mothers not to undergo treatments while expecting, which is usually advisable.
Laser hair removal poses risks, such as skin burns and hyper-pigmentation. Exposing an unborn child to these risks while you are pregnant could be detrimental, while any skin damage sustained during your pregnancy may take longer to heal than expected. Furthermore, laser treatments often stimulate dormant hair follicles to grow back – something to keep an eye out for while you’re expecting.
As such, most laser hair removal providers will not feel comfortable administering this treatment while you’re pregnant; some will even refuse treatment altogether while others have cutoff points depending on how far along in gestation you are.
Truth be told, most women don’t see much difference in the results of laser hair removal when pregnant. Hormonal changes may actually make it more challenging to achieve smooth and supple skin you desire; plus many experience regrowth in areas they didn’t experience issues with before conception.
Avoid potential regrowth by getting laser treatments done either before you become pregnant, or scheduling regular sessions with a laser technician during the months leading up to your due date. In addition, other methods of hair reduction, including shaving, waxing or plucking can be tried out to reduce unwanted hair.
As long as you use a professionally accredited clinic and are assisted by a highly-skilled laser technician, it should be safe to resume laser hair removal after giving birth. However, for optimal results it may be beneficial to wait several months after giving birth before beginning. For any inquiries on laser hair removal during pregnancy contact Beauty Barn immediately!
