Pregnancy and breastfeeding raise hormone levels, leading to hair growth and other skin issues for which women seek solutions. Women may wish to reduce this extra hair and skin after giving birth and breastfeeding, with many seeking ways to shed these extra strands and cells.
Laser hair removal is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women, since the light from the laser does not enter their bloodstream and influence their baby in any way.
Side Effects
Women may experience unwanted hair growth during their pregnancies, usually around their belly, chin, upper lip, buttocks and breasts (sometimes around their nipples). While this hair growth will typically subside after delivery of your baby, sometimes it becomes permanent new features that continue even postpartum.
Laser treatment works by using laser light to heat and kill hair follicles, an effective technique for eliminating unwanted hair. While this treatment has no risk to babies or nursing mothers, some clinics will refuse to perform it due to concerns regarding safety during breastfeeding. Nonetheless, scientific evidence notwithstanding, breastfeeding women will likely still benefit from laser treatments at certain clinics.
Redness and irritation of the skin are among the most frequently reported side effects of laser treatment, though they typically subside shortly after. They should not pose serious concern but may be uncomfortable for certain women; furthermore, in rare instances the area treated may become swollen or inflamed from laser exposure.
An unexpected side effect of laser treatment could be an infection. Although not an urgent matter, it’s wise to discuss this possibility with your physician prior to receiving laser therapy. One effective way of avoiding infection after laser treatments is wearing comfortable clothing and limiting exposure to direct sunlight or hot water for several days post-laser.
Some treatments should not be undertaken while breastfeeding due to potential effects on their babies and milk supply, including antibiotics, filler/anti-wrinkle injections, electrolysis, chemical peels, laser treatments or lipolysis or dermabrasion treatments.
Laser treatments do not preclude breastfeeding, but it’s wise to wait at least six months postpartum before beginning laser hair removal treatments. Your body needs time to heal post-birth and hormones can take time to return to their usual levels – depending on your doctor’s advice, laser hair removal treatments should begin or resume around this timeframe.
Risks
Fillers, lipolysis and other cosmetic injection procedures that involve injecting substances into facial tissues should not be done during breastfeeding. Laser treatments targeting the nipple and breast areas should also be delayed until after weaning has taken place to avoid potential side effects being passed onto infants from these laser treatments.
Women often notice unexpected hair growth both during and after pregnancy in areas like their belly, chin, armpits and breasts (particularly around nipples). While some of this growth will diminish once hormone levels return to normal levels, others may remain permanent; so some opt for laser hair removal while breastfeeding as an additional measure.
Unfortunately, no studies exist regarding the effects of laser treatments on breastfeeding infants; however, no such studies exist either for trips to sunny beaches or blowing out birthday candles – or anything else for that matter!
Most cases do not present issues with breastfeeding after laser hair removal, however if any discomfort, such as itching or irritation arises she should stop breastfeeding immediately and consult her physician for guidance.
Women should wait 4-6 months after ceasing breastfeeding before receiving laser treatment. In this timeframe, she can focus on recovering and let her hormone levels return to their original levels.
Choose a laser technician with experience treating breastfeeding clients to ensure she knows exactly how to safely conduct treatment and will take all the necessary precautions during her procedure.
Laser treatments may cause skin discoloration during pregnancies and nursing mothers due to melanin pigment produced in their bodies, usually appearing as splotchy or blotchy patches on their skin – this effect being most prevalent among women with darker complexions.
Minimizing this risk requires selecting a qualified laser technician, using a gentle machine and applying numbing cream directly to the treatment area. Furthermore, it is imperative that high-quality cream with safe ingredients such as lidocaine be used.
Treatment Options
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular long-term hair reduction treatment option, working by targeting melanin pigment in hair follicles to eliminate them and stop future hairs from growing back. It’s relatively safe, with no evidence suggesting any threat to breastfeeding babies; you can undergo it at either a clinic or use handheld devices with caution at home for optimal results.
Before beginning or resuming treatments after breastfeeding has concluded, it’s a wise idea to give your hormones time to settle back down and make it easier to achieve the results of your treatments.
While undergoing permanent hair reduction treatments like electrolysis or laser, be mindful to use professional technicians with proper training who will take special precautions to protect the integrity of your skin tissue and ensure optimal outcomes. For best results, seek advice from professionals with extensive knowledge in laser therapies as these may pose additional health risks to you and the other party involved.
As pregnancy hormones can have an impact on how quickly hair grows, it might be wise to wait until after breastfeeding to undergo laser hair removal. You may find that thicker hair growth caused by pregnancy hormones will slow down over time. Therefore, waiting until then may prove worthwhile.
Concerns that some mothers have regarding topical anesthetic used during laser treatments is the risk it poses to babies through breast milk absorption and passing. You should speak to both your physician or dermatologist regarding safe alternatives that could benefit both of you – both are vital components to good health for both mother and child alike!
Low-level light therapy has been found to have no detrimental impact on lactation or milk quality, while it may even help treat nipple issues such as mastitis. By speeding healing time and relieving pain quickly, laser therapy treatment may even be effective at helping with improving melasma conditions as well.
