Laser hair removal can be safely completed by those living with herpes as long as their skin does not show an active outbreak. Should an outbreak take place, however, rescheduling should occur until all areas have fully recovered from treatment.
Before seeking treatment for herpes, it is advisable to notify a skin specialist of its presence. This will reduce the risk of an outbreak or spread to other parts of the body.
During Treatment
Laser hair removal employs a concentrated beam of light energy to destroy hair follicles that produce unwanted or excess hair, without harming surrounding skin tissue. Compared with waxing, shaving or plucking methods of removal, laser hair removal is quick and relatively pain-free – this makes it one of the most popular means for eliminating unwanted strands of tresses.
As soon as it becomes known that you have herpes, it is vital that your laser hair removal professional takes precautions against viral transmission by taking extra measures such as taking prophylactic oral antiviral medication before and after treatments sessions.
People living with active herpes should avoid laser treatments as this could spark another outbreak. However, if an area being treated does not currently feature cold sores or genital herpes outbreaks then laser hair removal should be possible safely.
Laser hair removal may not work effectively for people with tanned or dark skin due to contrast between their skin color and hair, making it harder for the laser to detect and treat hair follicles. Furthermore, this solution might not work for individuals with extremely light blonde, russet, or white hair, or pregnant women who might also not benefit as much from treatment.
Before having laser hair removal treatments, it is recommended that you avoid tanning beds and tanning lotions as well as shaving the area that will be treated two or three days beforehand. This will make laser treatments more efficient as well as help avoid ingrown hairs from appearing.
As part of your laser treatment, it is recommended that you wear protective eyewear to shield them from flashes of light. Furthermore, avoid applying lotions or perfumes in the area being treated, as they could impede how it works.
As laser hair removal can increase the risk of STDs, waxing kits or alternative hair removal systems may be better choices for hair removal. Also if you have herpes it’s wise not to share an electric razor or similar device as doing so could trigger another infection.
After Treatment
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective solution for permanently eliminating unwanted body hair. A concentrated light beam passes over the skin’s surface, targeting melanin pigment in hair follicles to destroy them without harming surrounding tissue. Treatment sessions generally last about an hour each, with most patients needing between 4 to 6 sessions spaced out over several weeks for maximum effectiveness.
Note, however, that those living with herpes may experience additional complications after treatments like laser hair removal. Before making your decision regarding laser hair removal, be sure to speak to a healthcare provider and explore all available options before making the best possible choice for yourself and your health.
As it’s essential that your laser technician know of any herpes outbreaks or cold sore history, if active herpes outbreaks exist on either your face or genital area it would be prudent to postpone or cancel any scheduled laser hair removal appointments until such outbreaks have completely healed over. Furthermore, refrain from shaving, waxing or tweezing areas to be treated until all herpes symptoms have subsided completely.
Before and after laser hair removal appointments, take any antiviral medication prescribed by your physician to lower the risk of herpes outbreaks in areas that were treated. Furthermore, use SPF 30+ sunscreen on all areas where treatment took place to protect your skin from sunburns.
After having your laser hair removal treatment, it’s common to experience some swelling and redness in the area treated. Usually lasting from hours to several days, an ice pack or aloe vera gel applied directly on this area may help decrease any swelling while cooling your skin down. Furthermore, activities that increase perspiration or heart rate should be avoided within 24 hours as this could result in additional irritation leading to extended redness in the skin.
Laser hair removal could irritate the skin enough to cause an outbreak of herpes; in such an instance, it’s advised that an antiviral ointment be applied directly over the affected area to stop its spread and keep you safe.
Precautions
Laser hair removal works by targeting melanin within individual hair follicles with a light beam, absorbing and concentrating it to destroy them and prevent future hair growth in those spots. While safe and effective on most skin types, the treatment may not work as effectively on very light complexions with light-colored or blonde/gray/white/red hair colors; tattoos; tanned skin or some birthmarks and beauty marks cannot be treated using this approach.
Herpes simplex virus causes painful cold sores in various parts of the mouth, lips and genital area that are spread via kissing, anal or oral sex and other skin-to-skin contact. Most people carry herpes at some point or another and its sores can be extremely uncomfortable when they appear.
Laser hair removal does not preclude those living with herpes from seeking treatments; however, it’s a good idea to consult your physician beforehand in order to be sure it’s safe. Antiviral medications may need to be taken during treatments in order to minimize risk of an outbreak and it is also vital that this information is shared with your laser technician.
If you have an active herpes outbreak in an area to be treated, it would be prudent to reschedule until the sores heal. Light used for laser hair removal treatments can trigger herpes outbreaks and worsen them, so it would be prudent not to have treatments on this affected area until its sores have subsided.
As part of your treatment for herpes, it’s also essential that you inform the laser technician of the true extent of your symptoms so they can make informed decisions regarding how best to proceed. They need to know whether you have had a past episode and its duration; also whether an active outbreak exists at the time of scheduled treatment – this information could lead to using gentler laser treatments or postponing appointments until herpes has cleared from affected areas.
Side Effects
Laser hair removal offers an effective alternative to shaving, waxing and electrolysis in permanently eliminating unwanted hair on all parts of the body without causing discomfort – an excellent solution for herpes patients seeking permanent reduction or elimination of unwanted body hair.
Those living with herpes should inform their laser technician prior to beginning any treatments, and take antiviral medication for several days prior and post treatment in order to reduce risk of an outbreak. Furthermore, it’s wise to wait until herpes is in remission before starting laser treatments.
Laser hair removal with herpes may result in side effects like redness, swelling, scabbing and blistering which should last no more than 48 hours and be relieved with cold compresses or topical ointment. Furthermore, it’s wise not to expose this area to direct sunlight until its healing has taken place.
Avoid applying depilatory cream on any area with an active herpes outbreak as this could spread the herpes virus further. Furthermore, no other topical medications should be applied directly onto this skin area either; additionally hot baths and showers should be avoided to protect any irritated skin from becoming further inflamed and possibly sparking another outbreak.
People living with herpes should also use caution when receiving laser treatments on areas of their face, as the herpes simplex virus is stimulated by sunlight and it may contribute to flare-ups of symptoms. Therefore, it would be advisable to wear high SPF sunscreen on all parts of your body prior to and following any laser treatments on this area of your body.
Laser hair removal with herpes tends to work best on people with dark skin and dark hair, as the laser works by targeting pigments found in both. Unfortunately, it cannot target indistinct pigmentations like blonde, russet or white hair or light skin color pigmentations; therefore, if you have albinism it should not be undertaken as this could cause irreparable harm.
