Medication can have a significant impact on laser treatments. Certain drugs contain photosensitive ingredients which may react adversely when exposed to laser energy.
Garlic supplements and Ginkgo biloba can increase your risk of skin damage during a laser hair removal treatment, making your skin more vulnerable to light exposure and increasing its sensitivity, possibly leading to bleeding or bruises from exposure.
Antihistamines
Antihistamine medications can inhibit your skin from absorbing light, rendering laser hair removal treatments less efficient. Therefore, it is vital that any antihistamines you are taking be discussed with a laser treatment professional in order to optimize effectiveness of laser hair removal treatment.
Certain antibiotics such as Tetracycline (Doxycycline, Minocycline) have been known to increase histamine reactions and raise the risk of skin damage during laser hair removal treatments. Garlic supplements and gingko biloba can also increase bruising and bleeding after laser treatments.
Photoallergic reactions can be much more serious and permanent than phototoxic ones caused by light-absorbing medications, as they involve molecular changes to a drug that cause your immune system to treat it like foreign material – this includes prescription acne drugs like Roaccutane and Retin-A. Therefore, it’s recommended to wait six months after finishing Roaccutane courses before scheduling laser hair removal treatments.
Anti-inflammatories
Antidepressant drugs often contain photosensitive compounds that could react badly with UV laser treatments, so it is crucial that you inform a licensed medical laser technician of all the drugs you’re taking prior to scheduling an appointment.
Tetracycline antibiotics may increase skin sensitivity to light, increasing your risk for side effects from laser hair removal treatments such as laser hair removal. Accutane increases photosensitivity so it should be taken six months post course completion before receiving laser hair removal treatments.
Herbal remedies such as garlic and gingko biloba can increase skin sensitivity to UV light from laser treatments. If possible, take these herbal medicines two weeks prior to your appointment if possible; otherwise acetaminophen (Tylenol) should help reduce pain levels significantly while ibuprofen may thin blood and cause bleeding during your appointment session.
Anti-psychotics
Zoloft, Prozac and Adapin can make skin highly photosensitive; thus it should be avoided prior to receiving laser hair removal treatments. Patients must also inform their dermatologist or skin care professional of all medications they’re taking as well as any potential underlying health conditions when consulting for treatments in order to ensure safe and successful outcomes for all treatments administered.
Be sure to visit an experienced and licensed dermatologist!
Cardiac medications
Medication may make your skin highly susceptible to laser treatments. A licensed medical technician must know which medication you’re taking so they can tailor a laser therapy treatment specifically to you and reduce any side effects or adverse reactions.
If you are taking cyclosporine (a medication often prescribed to organ transplant patients), laser hair removal should be postponed until your course of the medication has ended as this could interfere with its absorption into your bloodstream and create serious health concerns during laser sessions.
At least six weeks before laser hair removal treatment begins, it is advisable to stop waxing, shaving and plucking in the area where your laser treatment will take place. Such procedures compete with melanin molecules which make up hair pigmentation, leading to its disintegration during laser sessions which could result in burns, scarring or other unintended side effects.
Anti-cancer medications
Medication such as Spironolactone, Diane-35 birth control pills and Vaniqa cream may decrease pigmentation in hair roots, making laser hair removal treatments less effective. However, continuing these medications while receiving laser hair removal treatment does not pose any danger.
Certain antibiotics (tetracycline) have the ability to increase photosensitivity and raise the risk of skin damage during laser hair removal treatment, so their use should either be discontinued or their course completed prior to starting laser hair removal treatment.
Vitamin E in large doses may increase your chances of bleeding and bruising during laser treatment, so this medication must be stopped at least two weeks prior to your procedure. This is especially important for those who are naturally photosensitive – usually those with light- or pale-skinned people prone to sunburns who are susceptible to sunburn due to genetics or certain medications; such photosensitivity is usually genetic but sometimes worsened through certain dietary practices or consumption.
Anti-seizure medications
Before beginning laser hair removal, it is imperative that clients disclose all medications taken, both oral and topical prescription as well as herbal medicines, which may have side effects that interfere with treatment.
Certain medications in the tetracycline group of antibiotics (doxycycline and minocycline) have been known to increase photosensitivity, leading to greater reactions to UV rays from laser treatments.
Cyclosporine, an immune suppressing medication, can interfere with laser hair removal treatments as its impact alters how light is absorbed by skin cells. Therefore, these drugs should be stopped at least 24 hours before scheduling hair removal appointments; otherwise they can be scheduled when finished taking their course of medications.
Birth control pills
Laser hair removal is an aesthetic procedure designed to eliminate unwanted body hair and improve body image. It can be an excellent solution for people suffering from hirsutism or excessive body hair growth as well as hypertrichosis – excessive hair growth on any part of the body.
Hormonal changes can have a profound effect on hair growth, particularly if taking certain birth control pills, hormone replacement therapies or during pregnancy. Laser treatment only addresses current growth; not prevent new hairs from sprouting. If experiencing hormonal fluctuations it would likely be best to postpone sessions until your hormone levels return to their usual state.
Medication that is photosensitive (such as acne treatments such as Roaccutane and Retin-A) should also be discontinued at least six months before laser hair removal treatment is undertaken, however many other common medicines will not interact negatively with laser treatment.
Blood thinners
Chemicals found in blood thinners may interfere with a laser’s ability to reach and destroy hair follicles, potentially increasing pain levels and prolonging recovery time. Therefore, it’s wise to inform your healthcare provider if any blood thinners may affect this treatment and determine if any precautionary steps need to be taken prior to undertaking it.
If you take blood thinners, ensure you come to your appointment with clean skin free from moisturizers, creams or oils that could prevent the laser from reaching its roots and the hair follicles.
Photosensitivity can occur as a side effect of laser treatments and should be reported immediately to any licensed medical laser technician, including any herbal supplements taken as well as antihistamines such as Benadryl, Claritin or Periactin which contain photosensitive compounds that could trigger photosensitivity reactions. It’s especially important that any antihistamine such as Benadryl, Claritin or Periactin contain photosensitive compounds which could produce this side effect. It’s also essential to inform them about any other medicines being taken or supplements taken such as herbal supplements so they can make recommendations accordingly.
Digoxin
If you take Digoxin (Lanoxin), it is imperative that your treatment practitioner knows. Digoxin may have adverse reactions when exposed to UV rays from sunlight or laser machines; your practitioner can ensure your laser hair removal session will be safe by adapting accordingly.
This drug’s most frequent adverse reactions are cardiac in nature and include bradycardia, sinus bradycardia and first, second and third degree heart blocks. Neurological and visual manifestations may include dizziness, CNS disturbances and fatigue; visual symptoms include an aberration in color vision (usually yellow green) that has both acute and chronic manifestations. Furthermore, an allergic reaction could occur, and people must undergo periodic blood tests and electrocardiograms while taking this medicine in order to ensure safety.
Ibuprofen
Modern medicine makes it hard to avoid daily medications. Unfortunately, certain prescription may interfere with laser hair removal treatments and it’s essential that your treatment practitioner know of every drug, including over-the-counter drugs, that you take.
Zoloft, Prozac, Adapin and Vivactil can cause an allergic reaction when exposed to UV light during treatment, so clients who take such medicines must inform themselves as this could increase the chances of side effects such as swelling and redness after the appointment. It’s wise to avoid caffeine and alcohol prior to treatments as both have the potential to lower pain tolerance. Shaving or waxing prior to an appointment also facilitates easier laser penetration while decreasing side effects like swelling and redness; for clients who waxed/pluck the area should shave before coming as this makes laser penetration easier while simultaneously decreasing side effects like swelling/redness/side effects like swelling/redness/side effects/side effects/side effects/side effects associated with treatments; otherwise, numbing cream may help after their treatments for areas that feel discomfort post treatment.
