Laser hair removal is a safe and effective solution to eliminating unwanted hair growth. The procedure heats up pigmented follicles until their pigment oxidizes, disabling future growth of any further strands.
Certain medications, like Accutane for acne, can increase skin damage during laser hair removal treatments and should be disclosed to your medical provider prior to beginning any procedure. It’s essential that they understand all medications you are taking prior to proceeding with any procedure.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants may make your skin hypersensitive to light used during laser hair removal treatments, causing adverse reactions during sessions. Certain antidepressant drugs like Zoloft, Prozac, Adapin and Vivactil have been noted for causing such side effects, while those taking ibuprofen can also make their skin hypersensitive to laser treatments – be sure to inform your technician of all medications you’re currently taking prior to scheduling an appointment with them!
Plucking, threading and waxing the area to be treated can impede how effectively the laser finds and extracts hair follicles for removal. Also try not using lotions or makeup in this area at least 24 hours prior to scheduling your laser hair removal appointment.
Antihistamines
Benadryl or Claritin are among many antihistamines prescribed to alleviate allergy symptoms that contain photosensitive compounds that could react negatively with laser hair removal or chemical peels, leading to potential risks. Therefore, these medications should generally be avoided prior to receiving such treatments.
Retinoids or medications containing vitamin A should also be stopped six months before beginning laser hair removal treatment to avoid phototoxicity causing discoloration, blistering and other adverse side effects during laser treatment.
At Angel Laser Clinic of Highbury and Islington, we evaluate whether any medications you are taking could compromise laser treatment results or negatively influence them. Any person hypersensitive to light should avoid laser treatment; people with keloid scars, healing problems like vitiligo or scarring issues such as vitiligo should also not receive laser treatments as this could result in thermal damage as well as painful infections.
Laser hair removal remains one of the safest and most effective means of eliminating excess hair while diminishing scars, sun damage and other unattractive marks on skin. If performed by an experienced board certified dermatologist such as Dr. Michele Green in New York City, there should be little risk of serious complications or long-term health problems.
Blood Pressure Medicines
Informing a medical laser technician of any and all medications or dietary supplements you take is important for safe laser hair removal treatments, particularly antidepressant drugs which contain photosensitive compounds that could potentially react with UV rays during laser hair removal sessions. Most of the time medications don’t react negatively with laser hair removal but there are exceptions; particularly antidepressants which contain photosensitive compounds.
Before beginning laser treatment sessions after taking certain types of medication, such as Accutane to treat severe acne, it is recommended that patients wait at least six months. This allows the skin time to return to its usual state. Also, any additional risk factors like dryness and hyperpigmentation due to laser treatment must also be taken into consideration such as scarring.
If you are uncertain of the photosensitivity of your current medication, or want advice regarding safest ways of administering it for your situation, consult your GP. They can recommend an optimal plan.
Prior to laser treatment, it is advisable that the area be shaved as any hair in that area can absorb light and cause thermal damage to the skin. Also avoid tanning lotions and creams in the lead up to treatments as this increases your chances of an adverse reaction and can make skin more sensitive. Medications which should be avoided include painkillers, porphyrins, vitamin A-containing medications used to control epithelial cell growth as well as any medication which causes negative reactions with UV light exposure (i.e. painkillers, porphyrins etc). Most medications won’t interfere with treatments but if taken prior to UV exposure then its best advisable that they should be avoided altogether.
Aspirin
Consuming aspirin may increase your sensitivity to laser treatments and lead to side effects like itching, redness, swelling and changes in skin color due to its photosensitive compounds. Therefore, if you’re planning laser hair removal treatments it would be prudent to refrain from taking aspirin for at least some days prior.
Antibiotics such as tetracycline may increase skin sensitivity to laser treatments and increase your risk of injury after therapy, especially if taken orally; to avoid any unnecessary injuries it’s advisable that they are discontinued at least six months before beginning laser treatments.
At times when using laser treatments, other medications can interfere with treatment, including garlic supplements, gingko biloba and herbal medications that may affect how your body absorbs light, potentially leading to darker pigmentation of skin pigmentation. Therefore, it is strongly advised that any herbal products be stopped two weeks before laser treatments begin; and seek professional advice if any concerns arise.
Informing your practitioner if you have recently waxed or plucked hairs, or taken any type of plucking treatment is also vital, since hair follicles need to be active in order for laser treatments to produce good results. Hirsutism (excessive hair growth) could be an indicator of polycystic ovarian syndrome or another medical issue; in such instances it would be wise to visit your GP and ask for referral to an appropriate specialist.
Laser hair removal is an increasingly popular cosmetic procedure and generally considered safe and effective for most people, however it’s essential that patients understand which medications and dietary supplements may interact negatively with this treatment plan.
Other Medication
Laser hair removal works by targeting the base of your follicles to slow and ultimately stop hair growth, unlike traditional methods like shaving, waxing and depilatory creams which disturb hair follicles and decrease its effectiveness.
Certain medications and conditions, if they are photosensitive, can have adverse reactions when treated with laser therapies. Examples include Lupus (an autoimmune condition which makes your immune system hyperactive) and Porphyria (an inherited disorder which increases skin photosensitivity to light).
Some antihistamines may react adversely with laser treatments, particularly those containing photosensitizing ingredients like doxylamine or phenylethyl resorcinol. Therefore, you should discontinue use at least six months prior to undergoing laser hair removal treatment.
Other medications known to cause photosensitive reactions include sulfa-based antibiotics, tetracycline and analgesics like ibuprofen. Acne treatments like Roaccutane and Retin-A may also photosensitize skin to laser treatments; therefore they must be discontinued 4-6 weeks before laser treatments begin.
Shaving is a safe method of hair removal and should be performed prior to laser hair removal treatments, while waxing and tweezing should be avoided as these methods involve physically extracting hair shafts which may impede results. You should also steer clear of products known to cause photosensitivity such as chemical peels or glycolic acid; rather, use gentle products such as cleansers, moisturizers and retinol products instead.
