Pregnancy can bring about many physical changes for expectant mothers; some changes can be welcomed while others less so. One such unwelcome change may include hair growth in areas that it was once absent.
Laser hair removal can be an effective and safe solution to reduce hair growth and thickness, but it is best to wait until after giving birth before starting or restarting treatments.
Hormones
Hormones play a critical role in controlling many functions of our bodies, from hair growth and skin texture to pregnancy and breastfeeding effects on hair growth patterns. Pregnancy and breastfeeding often results in unexpected hair growth in areas it would normally never appear, while hormonal shifts may alter laser treatments’ efficacy, leading to less effective results and even discomfort for pregnant or nursing mothers.
As such, laser hair removal should generally be avoided during pregnancy as there has been no FDA ruling to prove its safety for both mother and fetus. Therefore, doctors often advise postponing laser treatments until after delivery to be safest.
But if you’re desperate to rid yourself of unwanted hair before giving birth, there are other methods available to you that may work better than laser treatments: shaving, waxing and using depilatory creams are all safe for pregnant women and may still help achieve your desired look before giving birth.
Dependent upon your comfort level, numbing cream may help lessen any discomfort during laser treatments. Lidocaine is often included as part of these creams for laser procedures; it should be safe for breastfeeding mothers as well. Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to applying numbing cream during your pregnancy as certain medications could potentially transfer through breast milk and compromise its integrity causing serious harm to both mom and baby.
One reason that doctors do not recommend laser hair removal during pregnancy is that it may cause changes to skin color on target areas. When combined with increased melanin production from pregnancy hormones, laser exposure could result in burn-like reactions if skin with darker hues comes into contact with laser light beam.
Once your baby has arrived, most changes to your skin should diminish, making laser treatments accessible again without issue. Because it may take hormone levels some time to return to normal postpartum, however, you should wait at least three months before restarting treatment with laser.
As long as you feel good about how your body has changed after giving birth, there’s no harm in returning to your regular hair-removal practices – and if there are ways that make you more beautiful. For instance, if you wish to enhance the appearance of your skin during pregnancy and breastfeeding, there are safe cosmetic procedures such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels which can help make it appear healthier and vibrant. For those looking for more natural treatments, there are also skincare products and treatments containing natural ingredients which offer similar results to laser. This includes various serums containing vitamin C or peptides as a source of nourishment for skin health.
Anesthetics
Laser hair removal involves using a laser beam to destroy unwanted hair follicles, so numbing creams are often applied before and during their laser hair removal sessions to minimize discomfort. Lidocaine-containing creams can provide pain relief during treatments while aloe vera and jojoba oil provide soothing ingredients which leave skin feeling soft, smooth and moisturized afterwards.
Pregnancy hormonal changes will likely result in an increase in hair growth on your body and breasts, particularly around the nipples. Although some of this hair growth should subside after giving birth and your hormones return to normal, other hairs may remain permanent; for this reason it’s recommended that laser hair removal be delayed until after giving birth when hormone levels have stabilized before proceeding with treatment.
Laser hair removal cannot be confirmed to be safe during breastfeeding due to no studies being done on this matter. Therefore, it is advisable that if you plan on receiving laser hair removal treatments while breastfeeding that you speak to an esthetician and inquire as to any risks involved as well as ways in which you could mitigate them to ensure their own and your own children’s safety.
If you begin laser hair removal treatments while pregnant and discover you’re expecting, contact your clinic as soon as possible to see if they can postpone them until after giving birth. Most clinics will be willing to accommodate you; they understand your priorities have changed and want to help get things back on track once your new arrival has come along.
Pregnant women should avoid depilatory creams as these typically contain harmful chemicals like thioglycolic acid and barium sulphide that could pose risks to their unborn child. Furthermore, electorlysis should also be avoided since this involves passing an electrical current through amniotic fluid to damage hair follicles in order to destroy them during gestation.
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Pregnancy hormonal changes can cause thick hair growth in some areas, especially around your nipples and breasts. While this hair will eventually go away once your hormones return to normal post-pregnancy, laser hair removal offers an effective solution. Unfortunately, treatment may leave red, swollen and itchy spots behind, so we advise waiting to schedule any courses of treatments until after you’ve given birth before beginning this course of treatments.
Some doctors and dermatologists will permit pregnant women to resume laser hair removal sessions after the first trimester of gestation when hormone levels in their bodies have reduced significantly, though many opt for caution and suggest waiting until after you give birth; there have been no studies conducted regarding its safety on pregnant women; therefore it would be prudent to wait. Breastfeeding mothers should avoid this cosmetic procedure while still breastfeeding their infant.
When planning laser hair removal while breastfeeding, it is vitally important to consult with a doctor, as certain medications and anesthetics used during the procedure can pass into breast milk and become harmful for infants who consume it unknowingly. They could become sick or experience allergic reactions – possibly leading to serious illness in infants or even life-threatening allergic reactions in some cases.
If you decide to undergo laser hair removal while breastfeeding, our recommendation is for shorter courses in order to limit exposure to laser energy and provide guidance on how best to protect and care for the skin before and after each treatment session.
Prior to giving birth, it is also best to postpone laser hair removal of the chest and nipples area until after breastfeeding has ended, as these areas become extremely sensitive when breastfeeding begins and any temporary discomfort from laser hair removal could add further to your discomfort.
If you had laser hair removal treatments prior to pregnancy, we will continue your sessions in the third trimester; however, they will come to an end at the end of your second trimester. Your doctor should allow enough time for you to finish treatment before restarting once after birth when hormone levels return to normal – this will allow for maximum comfort while still reaching your desired goals. While pregnant or breastfeeding, we also provide other effective and safe methods of hair removal such as shaving, waxing, and plucking as alternatives to laser hair removal. If you want more information about this or other safe options available to you please reach out today and contact us.
