Laser hair removal has become one of the most popular nonsurgical procedures in the United States. While there are thousands of patients who have been pleased with their results and who haven’t experienced side effects, the risk is still very real. To minimize your chances of having a negative reaction to the procedure, always use a licensed medical professional. Many spas and salons are beginning to offer laser hair removal as well, but they rarely have the training or qualifications to perform it safely.
Skin Irritation
Some temporary redness and pain after the procedure are to be expected. However, laser hair removal can actually do some serious damage to your skin in the form of discoloration or in extreme cases, actual burns. While anyone is susceptible to these burns, patients with darker skin are at a higher risk. Burns are often the result of a laser that has not been calibrated properly.
Acne
Laser hair removal has the potential to alter the structure of your sebaceous glands, which are responsible for producing skin oil. These changes can lead to conditions like acne if your body is no longer able to prevent your glands from becoming clogged with oil.
Cancer
It’s already known that laser hair removal releases carcinogenic substances into the air during the procedure, and some people believe that this puts doctors who perform it at a higher risk for cancer due to frequent inhalation of these chemicals. While this link has yet to be definitively proven, there are several scientific studies underway that are examining this issue. It should also be noted that there have been two documented cases of practitioners developing HPV in their throats due to the fumes from laser hair removal.
Death
Laser hair removal practitioners will often encourage their patients to apply a numbing cream to the areas of their body to be lasered to help reduce the pain associated with the procedure. In 2005, two women died in separate incidents as a result of a toxic reaction to this cream. It should be noted, however, that these women mistakenly applied too much to their bodies, and it’s believed that smaller amounts do not pose the threat of toxicity.
