Laser hair removal is becoming a popular procedure for permanent hair removal and body hair sculpting. Many people are inclined to believe that laser hair removal is a nostrum for anyone suffering from unsightly body hair. Unfortunately, it never occurs to such people that laser hair removal specialists are preying on low self esteem and obfuscation of the facts. Any cosmetic dermatologist, or otherwise licensed hair removal specialist, will be open with you about possible adverse side effects.
One of the most common, and immediate, side effects of laser hair removal is irritation of the skin. In most cases, this isn’t a major cause for concern After all, you just zapped hair off of your body with a laser. Some people are more prone to burning and redness than others. If you have sensitive skin, laser hair removal might irritate it. Likewise, people with darker skin absorb more of the laser light, and may be more likely to experience complications with their laser hair removal procedure than their light-skinned counterparts. Your hair removal specialist should be able to hook you up with short term treatment options if this is a concern, such as analgesics or a topical cream of some sort. If the burning or irritation persists, contact a physician.
Laser hair removal may also cause problems involving your body’s supply of melanin. Melanin is the chemical responsible for your skin pigment, and is the reason you get darker in the sun. Sometimes, a laser hair removal procedure can disrupt the normal functioning of melanin in the area subject to the procedure. Sometimes, laser treatment may cause the melanin to overreact. The skin will darken, like a sun tan.
Laser hair removal may also cause the opposite reaction. Sometimes, laser hair removal procedures will interfere with melanin production in the area subject to the hair removal. The pigment will disappear from even the darkest skin, leaving an area of white skin behind. There are unfortunately no ways to permanently correct a loss of pigment, so this leads to a permanent discoloration of the area where the laser hair removal took place. For some, loss of skin pigment can be even more embarrassing than the body hair they tried to remove in the first place.
One of the best ways to avoid complications with your laser hair removal procedure is to make sure you are dealing with a licensed professional. If you are interested in hair removal, ask your physician if he or she can provide you with a referral.