Laser procedures have not been shown to negatively impact fertility; however, due to lack of long-term studies examining their impact during gestation it would be prudent to be on the cautious side and consider all risks.
Due to changes in hormone levels during and post pregnancy, many women experience thicker hair growth; this usually disappears once their hormone levels return to normal.
During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is an unforgettable and precious period in any woman’s life, and while there has been no clinical evidence showing how laser hair removal could influence an unborn baby, most doctors tend to err on the side of caution and advise pregnant women against receiving this treatment during gestation.
Pregnant women tend to experience sensitive skin due to increased blood supply needed to support a growing baby, making their skin susceptible to irritation from heat from laser treatments or hormone-driven hair growth during gestation. Furthermore, hormonal effects that cause excess hair growth during gestation can alter skin pigmentation leading to darkening – known as hyperpigmentation.
Laser treatments may become less effective if it’s hard to differentiate between your skin and hair, and more sensitive areas will likely find it hard to bear the pain associated with sessions.
Some women are surprised to experience an abrupt increase in hair growth during pregnancy, particularly on areas like their arms, face, neck and breasts. This is a perfectly normal response to hormone fluctuations; once birth has taken place it usually returns back to its usual level.
An additional drawback of laser hair removal during pregnancy is having to go through multiple sessions throughout your gestation period; these will depend on the size and location of the area being treated, but can lead to discomfort, fatigue and swelling for some women – hence it is often best to wait until after giving birth before starting laser treatments.
Hair removal creams should also be avoided during pregnancy as they contain chemicals which could harm the fetus, although shaving most areas is generally safe provided no sensitive parts such as nipples are cut by shaving blades. Electrolysis should also be avoided, since its purpose is to destroy hair follicles using an electrical current; some experts believe amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus could conduct electricity and harm it in this process.
Post-Pregnancy
Ideally, pregnant women considering laser hair removal should wait until after giving birth as no studies exist to demonstrate its safety, with long-term effects remaining unknown. Furthermore, most reputable clinics will not treat pregnant women due to possible risks to an unborn child.
Professional medical opinion strongly discourages women undergoing any form of hair removal during pregnancy, such as laser treatment. Hair removal treatments such as these can result in skin burns that heal slowly due to pregnancy; additionally, the heat from lasers may raise core body temperatures which could have adverse impacts on fetuses.
Electrolysis should also be avoided during gestation. Electrolysis involves inserting a small wire into each hair follicle and applying an electric current, destroying its roots and eventually leading to their removal. While no studies exist regarding electrolysis and pregnancy, most experts believe it to be unsafe due to amniotic fluid’s electric conducting properties; additionally, electrolysis may cause discomfort to pregnant women in particular in areas that have expanded or tightened due to gestation.
After giving birth, laser treatments should generally be safe once hormone levels have returned to their pre-pregnancy levels. If an increase in unwanted hair growth post-pregnancy occurs due to unpredictable hormonal shifts that occurred during gestation, then shaving or using other traditional hair removal methods until hormonal levels stabilize again may be the best course of action.
Typically, laser hair removal sessions before and during pregnancy should be safe to resume postpartum. However, if any unwanted hair grows back post-pregnancy it is advisable to switch back to traditional methods of shaving, waxing or plucking; additional hair will typically fall out once your hormone levels return to normal and once post-pregnancy risks have subsided. Most experts advise waiting six months after giving birth before starting another laser session unless there are significant concerns involved.
Post-Breastfeeding
Pregnancy alters a woman’s body in many ways. While some changes are desirable – stronger nails and glowing skin being two examples – others can be less desirable, like excessive hair growth in areas like her belly, chin, upper lip, breasts and even around the nipples due to hormonal fluctuations; it may eventually disappear once her pregnancy ends but in other instances may remain permanently.
Pregnant women tend to want to remove unwanted hair during their pregnancies and breastfeeding; shaving, waxing or depilatories won’t harm the baby but they can lead to irritation or burns on the skin. Laser hair removal uses light energy to heat up and destroy hair follicles without harming pregnancy or breastfeeding; although effective it should only be undertaken once these have ended before considering this form of hair removal as there can be risks involved with treatment – for this reason it would be prudent to wait until after these have ended before considering any form of laser hair removal treatment before considering this form of hair removal treatment as an effective form of removal option.
Many reputable laser hair removal clinics do not treat pregnant patients because they do not wish to put the health of their patients at risk. The reasons behind this include not knowing the effects of laser treatments on fetuses as well as no studies showing whether any chemicals used during treatments will end up passing onto their babies during gestation.
Electrolysis treatments may also damage skin permanently; there have been no studies to demonstrate their safety during gestation. They may lead to bleeding and scarring; if this doesn’t concern a pregnant woman then there’s no harm done as these procedures won’t harm her baby either way.
Regarding alternative hair removal methods, most medical professionals advise waiting until postpartum and breastfeeding have ended to undergo any hair removal treatments. This is due to hormone levels taking time to return to their original levels and it would be wise not to put undue strain on these tissues during this transition period.
