Laser hair removal is not something you should do while you are pregnant. There are a number of reasons why laser hair removal is not recommended while pregnant. First, the laser treatment can cause burns on your skin, which can lead to scarring and infections. Second, the treatment can cause damage to the hair follicles, meaning that when you give birth and start growing your hair again, it will be different from how it was before.
Thirdly, there is a risk of miscarriage if you have an allergic reaction to the chemicals used in laser treatments. Finally, if you are planning on having IVF treatment after your baby is born then it would be best to wait until after this before having any kind of laser treatment done as this could affect the viability of the eggs being used in these treatments
Read on to learn more about Laser For Pubic Hair Removal 4 Weeks Pregnant, Laser Hair Removal While Trying To Conceive and Laser Hair Removal While Pregnant: Is It Safe?
Laser For Pubic Hair Removal 4 Weeks Pregnant
Laser hair removal and electrolysis aren’t safe during pregnancy. It’s best to wait until after your baby is born to start these treatments.
If you’ve noticed you’re hairier than usual since you got pregnant and are looking for a way to get rid of that extra body hair, there are pregnancy-safe hair removal methods you can use, such as shaving, waxing, or using clippers.
Keep in mind that your body hair will likely get less thick three to six months after you give birth, as the high levels of hormones in your body return to normal.
Because of the risks involved with testing on pregnant women, there haven’t been studies on whether laser hair removal is safe for a pregnant woman and her baby – so experts err on the side of caution and recommend pregnant women put off the procedure until after they give birth.
During laser hair removal, heat from a laser damages hair follicles so hair can’t grow. The treatment targets hair in its growth stage, and not all of your hair in the targeted area is guaranteed to be in the growth stage at the same time. Depending on the targeted area, it can take anywhere from two to eight sessions timed four to eight weeks apart to get rid all of the hair. (For example, a small area like your upper lip won’t require as many sessions as a larger area like your legs or back.)
It often takes months or up to a year to complete treatment. And laser hair removal doesn’t eliminate all unwanted hair – some of the hair will grow back, though it should be much thinner than before.
Typically, laser hair removal is done by a medical professional in an office or salon setting. The Food and Drug Administration has approved some home laser hair removal devices, but regulations on them aren’t very strict, since they’re considered cosmetic, not medical, devices. At-home laser hair removal devices aren’t recommended during pregnancy.
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Is electrolysis safe during pregnancy?
As with laser hair removal, there isn’t any research proving that electrolysis is safe for pregnant women and their babies, so experts recommend holding off on the procedure until after your baby is born.
During electrolysis, a trained technician inserts a tiny wire into a hair follicle under the skin’s surface. A current moves to the bottom of the follicle and destroys the hair root. One type of electrolysis uses an electric current, and some experts think this could affect your baby, since amniotic fluid can be an electric conductor.
One thing to take into consideration with hair removal during pregnancy is your stretched and tender skin. Both laser hair removal and electrolysis can cause swollen and irritated skin. Since your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy, these side effects, as well as any pain, could be worse than usual – another reason to hold off during pregnancy.
If you had laser hair removal or electrolysis before knowing you’re pregnant, don’t worry. It’s best to be cautious, since it’s unknown whether these treatments can affect pregnancy, but they’re likely not a danger to you or your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any concerns.
One thing to note is that hair removal isn’t recommended before a c-section. Even if you don’t have a c-section planned, it’s best not to remove hair on your lower abdomen or right above your pubic bone near your due date, just in case a c-section is needed. Shaving this area before surgery can irritate the hair follicles and increase the risk of infection.
Since laser hair removal, electrolysis, and waxing can also irritate your skin, it’s best not to get any of those treatments near your due date, just in case. If you do need a c-section, and any hair in your pubic area needs to be removed for surgery, your medical team will use clippers (which don’t disturb the follicle itself) on the area around where the incision would be.
Laser Hair Removal While Trying To Conceive
A lot of people turn to laser hair removal to reduce hair and its growth. It’s used for areas on the face, legs, underarms, and bikini zone.
The American Academy for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery says over a million people had the procedure done in 2016. But should pregnant women have laser hair removal? The short answer, according to many doctors, is no.
Here’s why it’s less likely to work while you’re pregnant and when investing the time and money for the treatment can work.
How laser hair removal works
A doctor or laser technician aims a beam of light at the region you want to treat. The laser targets the dark pigment in each hair, sending heat down the hair shaft and into the follicle.
If the heat completely destroys the follicle, it won’t produce hair again. If the follicle is just damaged, then the hair may grow back, but it will probably be finer and lighter than before.
Pregnancy and all the hair
When you’re pregnant, your body is awash with hormones. Higher levels of estrogen and androgen can cause hair to grow in places where it never appeared before, especially in the third trimester.
You could suddenly notice hair on your belly, face, neck, breasts, and arms. The good news is that this hair growth is quite common, and it generally goes away on its own after the baby arrives.
Pregnancy hormones not only affect where hair suddenly sprouts and how much of it you have to deal with, they also change the growth cycle of your hair.
The hairs on your head and your body all have an active growth phase called anagen. When the hair is fully grown, it enters a resting state called telogen, after which it falls out.
Pregnancy hormones delay the “falling out” phase, which might be why you notice thicker, fuller hair. Your body simply isn’t letting go of the usual amount of hair.
About three to six months after the baby arrives and your hormones normalize, the extra hair will fall out. This sudden loss of hair is called telogen effluvium.
The estrogen-induced hair growth, combined with the increasing difficulty of reaching some parts of your body as your belly grows, may have you wondering whether you should schedule an appointment for laser hair removal as an alternative to shaving, waxing, or using depilatory creams.
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The main reason to wait: No safety studies
The International Journal of Women’s DermatologyTrusted Source published a review in 2017 on the safety of cosmetic procedures for pregnant women.
The reviewers said that while lasers have been safely used to treat medical conditions like kidney stones and genital warts in pregnant women, there’s no safety data available to support using lasers for cosmetic procedures like laser hair removal.
The lack of research on this subject probably won’t change soon, because scientists don’t want to risk harming mothers and babies by intentionally exposing them to potentially harmful products and procedures.
Although laser hair removal is generally considered a safe procedure, doctors and dermatologists usually advise women to avoid the procedure because no studies have been done to prove that it’s safe for mothers and babies. In the absence of research, doctors err on the side of caution.
Dr. Kelly Jago, an OB-GYN in St. Augustine, Florida, advises patients to take a cautious approach.
“My best advice would be that if one could hold off on this elective procedure until after the pregnancy, I would recommend doing so,” she says.
Other reasons to wait until you’re postpartum
One of the more common changes that can happen during pregnancy is darkening of your skin — a condition called hyperpigmentation.
According to doctors at Mayo Clinic, laser hair removal is most effective when there’s a contrast between the color of your skin and the color of your hair. If hyperpigmentation has made the skin on your target zone closer to the color of your hair, treatment might be less effective.
In addition, pregnancy disrupts your normal hair growth cycle. For laser hair removal to be effective, you could need as many as six treatments. Ideally, these treatments would take place during the active growth phase of the cycle. But because pregnancy hormones can change the duration of some phases, you could end up having the procedure done in the wrong phase.
Then there’s the question of skin sensitivity. Pregnancy increases the blood supply throughout your body. It also stretches out the skin on your abdomen and breasts. Having laser hair removal treatments while your skin is in this tender state may be uncomfortable.
Can laser hair removal affect getting pregnant?
There’s no evidence that laser hair removal affects your chances of becoming pregnant. If you’re trying to get pregnant, check with your doctor before beginning laser hair removal treatments.
For most people, successful reduction of hair growth takes several treatments spaced out over a period of up to nine months. It’s possible you could undergo a treatment before you realize you are pregnant, exposing you to the risks associated with the procedure, including:
- skin irritation
- changes to your skin’s color
- blistering
- scarring
- excessive hair regrowth, in rare cases
Laser hair removal alternatives
Temporary methods like shaving, waxing, threading, and tweezing are generally considered safe during pregnancy. As your body’s shape and size change, you may need help reaching some areas to remove unwanted hair.
If you decide to get help from an aesthetician or a dermatologist, be sure that the facility is clean and the technician licensed to perform the service you want.
While depilatory creams have historically been considered safe for use during pregnancy, there are no studies to prove that chemicals like barium sulfide powder and thioglycolic acid are absolutely harmless to mothers and babies.
You should also be aware that the Food and Drug AdministrationTrusted Source has received reports of painful skin reactions associated with these creams and lotions. Since there’s little research on possible effects, this might be a good topic to discuss with a doctor before you begin.
One important note
Doctors recommend not to shave your pubic area immediately before going to the hospital to deliver your baby, especially if you’re planning a cesarean delivery. Shaving can cause tiny nicks and scrapes that could lead to infection in or around the wound site.
How soon after delivery can you schedule laser hair removal?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says you should think of postpartum care as a long-term process, rather than just one appointment. During your first few months after delivery, talk with your obstetrician regularly to discuss all the ways your body is changing.
Your doctor is the best person to help you decide when your hormones have gotten back to normal and your skin is ready to receive laser treatments. These conversations will be especially important if you have wounds or incisions from an episiotomy or a cesarean delivery.
Is it safe for pregnant laser technicians to keep working?
There’s no evidence to suggest that a properly trained and outfitted laser technician is in any danger from operating a laser machine while being pregnant. If you have concerns, you can talk to your doctor about the risks.
The takeaway
Pregnancy can cause lots of changes to your body, including the sudden appearance of hair in spots it hasn’t been. Most of these changes will be resolved in the months following delivery.
If you want to reduce the amount of hair on your face, arms, belly, legs, or bikini area, it’s probably safest to shave, thread, pluck, or wax, depending on the size of the area you’re concerned about.
After your delivery, talk to your doctor about how soon to resume laser hair removal treatments on any areas where unwanted hair hasn’t gone away.
Laser hair removal 5 weeks pregnant
Laser Hair Removal While Pregnant: Is It Safe?
When carrying a child, pregnant women’s bodies go through a lot of changes. And one of those hormonal changes is unwanted hair growth. Whether you’re seeing hairs sprout in new places, or your belly is so big you can’t shave your legs, you might consider laser hair removal.
But is laser hair removal safe while pregnant? What effects can laser treatment have on the body and, more importantly, the baby?
Keep reading to learn if it’s safe to undergo laser hair removal while you’re pregnant.
How Does Pregnancy Affect Hair Growth?
When you’re pregnant, it’s easy to feel like you are not yourself. Some women glow with excitement and glee for nine months, while others aren’t so happy with the changes their body is going through.
During pregnancy, your hormones are pumping at an all-time high, which affects your normal hair growth cycle. During those nine months, many women start to see hair growth in unwanted places like the face, neck, belly, and breasts.
To understand how pregnancy affects hair growth, it’s essential to know how the hair growth cycle works.
The Hair Growth Cycle
Hair goes through three stages.
- In the growth stage, the hair follicle begins the process and creates the hair.
- In the intermediate phase, the hair continues to grow.
- And in the final phase, which is sometimes called the resting phase, the hair sheds or falls out.
Pregnancy hormones delay the final phase, meaning that hair doesn’t fall out as quickly. So many women notice thicker, fuller growth or new hairs appearing in places where they didn’t appear before.
It’s easy to see why many pregnant women may be attracted to laser hair removal. After all, when you’re not feeling great for nine months, a little grooming or pampering can go a long way to making you feel better.
Is Laser Hair Removal Safe For Pregnant Women?
Many healthcare providers advise that you do not get laser hair removal while you’re pregnant.
Laser hair removal is safe, but are currently no long-term studies that analyze the effects of laser hair treatment on unborn children. For this reason, it is best to play it safe.
Wait until after you’ve given birth to begin laser hair removal treatments.
Related: Is Laser Hair Removal Safe?
So what are you supposed to do with all that hair? When you’re pregnant, it’s best to err on the side of caution and stick to shaving. Waxing, depilatory creams, and other unconventional hair removal methods are also not recommended for pregnant women. If you’re concerned about hair growth, consult with your doctor before using any method other than shaving.
We’re not saying that laser procedures are unsafe for pregnant women. There simply isn’t enough research to make a determination.
If you’re seeing thicker hair growth or have hair growing in new places, don’t worry. Once the pregnancy hormones subside, your hair should return to your normal growth cycle about six months after giving birth.
Is It Safe To Get Laser Hair Removal While Breastfeeding?
Medical professionals generally accept that laser hair removal is safe while breastfeeding, but some experts advise against getting the procedure on your chest.
Before you undergo laser hair removal while breastfeeding, consult with your physician.
Except for Pregnant Women, Laser Hair Removal Is Safe
Pregnant women aside, laser hair removal is safe. Most people do not experience any long-term side effects. Temporary side effects are common and can include redness, swelling, and irritation of the treated area. Any skin irritation is minor and short-lived.
But not all laser hair removal procedures are the same. Different technicians use different lasers and various methods of cooling and soothing the skin. If you’re thinking about laser hair removal, make sure to have a licensed and certified laser technician perform the procedure.
It’s also important to find a technician that uses a state-of-the-art laser, as well as an effective cooling system. These two elements combined make the treatments more comfortable and the process more effective. At LaserAll, we trust the Astanza ReSmooth laser and the Zimmer Cryo cooling device.
To find a certified laser technician near you, check online ratings, and read the reviews of what other customers have to say. If you know people who have had hair removal treatment in the past, ask them for references to help you find a laser clinic that you can trust. Don’t assume that just because a spa or clinic advertises hair removal services that they have the proper credentials.
The bottom line? Laser hair removal IS safe when performed by experienced, licensed, and certified technicians. Just don’t do it while you’re pregnant.
During pregnancy, hormone levels change and excess hair growth is typical, but that doesn’t mean you should run to get laser hair removal treatment.
Laser hair removal is safe, but there isn’t enough research to know if it’s safe for the unborn baby. Pregnant women should avoid laser treatment until after they’ve given birth. If you’re dealing with unwanted facial hair, stick with traditional hair removal methods like shaving. Avoid hair removal creams and laser skin treatments to eliminate the risk of negative effects.
When you’re pregnant, your primary focus should be on the health of yourself and your baby.
Give birth to that happy, healthy baby first. Focus on getting through those first few months of sleepless nights and constant feeding sessions. When all of that is behind you, you’ll be ready to schedule your laser hair removal treatment as a well-deserved reward!