Contraindications to laser hair removal

When we do not carry out the treatment

General health

• pregnancy and breastfeeding
• cancer under treatment and skin cancers
• immunosuppression and diseases with impaired immunity
• an implanted pacemaker
• metal implants in the area of the planned treatment
• unstable chronic diseases: of the heart, liver or kidneys, uncontrolled hypertension
• unstable endocrine diseases, including diabetes and thyroid dysfunction

Diseases in which light can be a trigger

• epilepsy
• lupus erythematosus
• solar urticaria

Active diseases and skin lesions in the treatment area

• ulceration, active dermatitis, eczema
• psoriasis in the treatment area
• rosacea in the acute phase with erythema
• vitiligo
• herpes in the active phase
• sunburn

Situations that mean postponing the appointment, not refusing

• a fresh tan: from the sun, a sunbed or self-tanner
• isotretinoin within the last 6 months
• too short a break after other light or radiofrequency treatments in the same area
• a tendency to keloids, impaired healing, very dry and irritated skin

Photosensitising medicines and preparations

Photosensitivity is a skin reaction to light caused by the presence of a sensitising substance. The same energy can produce a stronger reaction. The groups of medicines we ask about in particular:

• antibiotics, especially tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ketoprofen and naproxen
• antidepressants
• antihistamines
• vitamin A derivatives

Do not stop taking medication before the treatment on your own. Tell us what you take and we will set a date that is safe. The decision to stop a medicine is made only by the doctor who prescribed it.

The paradoxical reaction, or when hair increases

A rare but documented adverse effect: instead of a reduction, the hair becomes denser or thicker.

What the data say. A systematic review with meta-analysis covering 9733 patients found a frequency of 3 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval: 1 to 6). The phenomenon concerns almost exclusively the face and neck; outside these areas it occurred in 0.08 per cent of cases. The type of device and the interval between treatments had no influence. In three of four studies the reaction subsided when the therapy was continued. Snast et al., 2021.

What follows from this: with hair removal on the legs, bikini area and underarms the risk is negligible. If the reaction occurs, stopping the series is not the first step; the data indicate that continuing the therapy is the right course. With excessive facial hair of hormonal origin we refer you to a doctor first.

The questions we are asked most often

Sources

Snast I. et al. (2021). Paradoxical Hypertrichosis Associated with Laser and Light Therapy for Hair Removal. Am J Clin Dermatol. 10.1007/s40257-021-00611-w

Desai S. et al. (2010). Paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser therapy: a review. Dermatol Surg. 10.1111/j.1524-4725.2009.01433.x

Further on the site

Related pages