Laser radiation poses the greatest risk to eye health when exposed directly or through specular reflection, potentially damaging retinas or eyeballs directly.
Lasers in the ultraviolet and visible wavelength range cause tissue damage through thermal means, leading to denaturation of tissue proteins and interfering with basic cell metabolism.
Eye Damage
Laser hair removal involves passing laser energy from a hand-held laser instrument over to your skin and into your hair follicles, where it is then absorbed by them and they cease growing hair.
Before beginning the procedure, your doctor will apply a gel or cooling device to the surface of your skin to protect and decrease side effects. They then press their laser handpiece against it; you should feel an “upward pinching sensation”, similar to rubber band snapping against it.
Informing the doctor if any health conditions or medications could make you susceptible to laser hair removal treatments is extremely important, since certain blood thinners and drugs can make skin more vulnerable. You should also inform them if you’ve used tanning beds within three weeks, or used skin lightening creams that claim to lighten skin tone, within this timeframe. Finally, after laser hair removal treatment it is also advised that patients use broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 protection daily in order to remain sunsafe.
As part of your laser treatment, protective goggles will be worn during treatment to shield the light from harming your eyes. If you have sensitive skin, the technician may apply numbing cream in order to minimize discomfort. You will likely feel most of the pain either in the center of your forehead, on your back or around your ears depending on the size of the area being treated.
Once the procedure is over, your dermatologist will advise when it is safe to resume normal activities. Multiple sessions at four-six week intervals should suffice in eliminating most unwanted hair growth.
Hair may regrowth after laser treatments; this should not be seen as a source of concern. As it’s impossible to destroy all hair follicles in dark skin areas, multiple laser sessions will likely be needed in order to fully eradicate all the remaining follicles and ensure lasting results.
Regrowing of hair that was removed through laser treatment is not unusual and may become less noticeable if the newly growing back hairs are lighter than its counterpart.
Skin Damage
Laser hair removal uses light-based technology to target pigment in both the hair and skin and destroy its follicle, leading to hair fall-out and eventual prevention of further growth. Although considered safe by most doctors and specialists, finding an experienced practitioner for this treatment will produce optimal results.
After laser hair removal, some patients may experience skin irritation. This may be the result of being sensitive to the light-based technology used during this procedure; typically this subsides within hours; if it doesn’t then contact your physician and inquire further for more information on this possible side effect.
Rarely, laser hair removal may lead to skin blistering or burning in rare instances. This typically happens when performed incorrectly by someone without sufficient expertise with this technology; dark complexioned individuals are especially at risk, since melanin absorbs energy from laser light technology more readily and may absorb higher levels of energy to damage tissues in their tissue.
These side effects of laser hair removal can include pain, swelling and redness in the treated area – similar to what one might experience from waxing – that typically resolve within hours after treatment. If they don’t go away on their own, however, it is wise to contact a specialist and discuss them immediately as these can become serious if left untreated. Furthermore, after laser hair removal sessions it is also vitally important to avoid direct sun exposure immediately post treatment, applying sunscreen with at least 30 SPF protection on affected areas – this will reduce chances of blisters or scarring caused by overexposure too soon after treatment sessions if exposed too soon after treatment sessions have ended.
Internal Organ Damage
Lasers used in hair removal work by targeting melanin pigment in the skin, so it’s crucial that technicians who operate these machines be properly licensed and knowledgeable of how to operate the equipment. This is particularly important for people with darker complexions since misdirected pulses may cause burns or discoloration to their complexion – sometimes irreparably! Although usually reversible effects, sometimes severe side effects can arise from misdirected laser pulses causing burns can happen as a result.
Injurys that can result from improperly trained or poorly operated laser hair removal devices include rashes, blisters, shock, follicular damage, burns to other parts of the body and permanent scarring. Both the type of laser used and length of time it remains on the skin can have an impactful impact on these injuries.
Some injuries caused by laser hair removal procedures performed by unlicensed or non-medical technicians can be fatal. If this happened to you, and an individual or salon or medi-spa is responsible, a claim against them and/or them may be brought as either medical malpractice action or for violating applicable laws such as Deceptive Trade Practices Act or others could be pursued against them.
Attaining permanent hair reduction usually requires multiple sessions. Each hair follicle has its own individual growth cycle that must be targeted when active; in subsequent treatments, active-phase hairs will be targeted before moving on to those that may have gone dormant or into resting or inactive phases.
Laser hair removal is safe for adults; however, children or teenagers under 14 should be avoided due to elevated hormone levels which could increase body hair. Furthermore, it should not be attempted during pregnancy or breastfeeding due to potential risks to both mother and baby.
If you have questions about whether or not laser hair removal is right for you, consult a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. They will be able to give more details about the procedure as well as any associated risks.
Injuries to the Nervous System
Laser hair removal uses a powerful beam of high-intensity light to effectively and safely eliminate unwanted hair from the skin. The laser emits radiation which absorbs by melanin in hair follicles and converts to heat energy to destroy these follicles and inhibit further hair growth. When used by properly trained practitioners and followed carefully in each session, laser hair removal should be safe if followed exactly according to instructions for each session; however there could be potential side effects which should be discussed with your provider prior to beginning treatment.
Laser hair removal uses high-energy laser light that emits radiation that can damage eyes directly if it comes into direct contact with them, and burn or injure skin through reflections of radiation emitted during hair removal sessions. Therefore, it is crucial that during laser hair removal processes all necessary measures are taken to protect both your eyes and skin with appropriate eyewear and use your laser only in enclosed environments.
Emitted laser radiation may also present a fire hazard if it hits combustible or toxic materials, and can even pose health hazards by emitting gases, vapours or viruses into the atmosphere. For this reason, facilities that offer laser hair removal should have adequate ventilation and air evacuation systems installed to safeguard themselves from these risks.
Though laser hair removal is generally considered safe, it may temporarily alter the pigmentation of skin in the treated area – most frequently among individuals with darker skin tones – which tends to dissipate after healing has taken place.
After laser hair removal, skin tone may shift slightly lighter or darker depending on the type of laser used and an individual’s natural skin tone. While these changes won’t last permanently, it is wise to discuss them with your practitioner prior to starting treatment.
Other side effects associated with laser hair removal could include redness, irritation and swelling of the skin. These side effects usually dissipate shortly after treatment due to damaged follicles being extracted from the surface of your skin. For best results it is wise to discuss these matters with your practitioner to ascertain whether you qualify and reduce risks involved with the procedure.
