Skin conditions that can affect laser hair removal -

Some skin conditions can affect laser hair removal. Just because you may have a skin condition does not mean that you can’t have laser hair removal. Most common conditions may limit laser in some areas. However, these will not completely prevent you from having treatment. It is crucial that skin in your treated area be healthy enough to withstand high levels of heat. When performing laser hair removal treatments we use a combination of light and heat. This light and heat targets hair follicles and this heat is absorbed by the hair. If the skin is weakened in any way an adverse skin reaction can happen.

How may your treatment course be affected?

A course of laser hair removal will take several months to complete. In general 6-10+ sessions are required. These sessions are performed approx every 4-8 weeks depending on the area. Treatment intervals must be consistent for best results throughout a course. It is important that the skin remains healthy for the duration of the entire course. If skin in your treatment area was to be affected by a flare up treatment would have to be paused. Due to this results may slow down temporarily. However, once skin returns to normal treatments can resume again. If your skin condition has triggers it is best to avoid these. If you have lived with a skin condition for some time you will know what you should avoid. Before any additional treatments could be performed safely skin would have to have healed completely.

There are come skin conditions that prevent laser however the ones listed below are treatable although some have limitations. Without doubt your skin safety is the most important factor when having laser. It is essential that your skin is monitored for the duration of your course. This way any adverse reactions from laser can be completely avoided.

Skin conditions that can affect laser hair removal

Skin tags

It is safe to have laser if you have skin tags, laser should be pulsed around the skin tag and not over it.

Freckles

You can have treatment if you have freckles. Pulsing over darker freckles should be avoided during treatment. Mottled freckles may temporarily darken but will lighten approx 10-14 days after treatment. This is not dangerous in any way and is similar to a skin rejuvenation treatment.

Moles

All moles should be avoided with laser, you can choose to cover your moles with a plaster before treatment if you wish.

Varicose veins

Pulsing the laser over the varicose vein itself should be avoided at all times. The laser should be kept a good distance back from the vein but all other areas can be treated as normal.

Vitiligo

For very mild cases of vitiligo laser may be an option if the treatment area is unaffected. However this would need to be discussed with your dermatologist first. For more severe cases of this condition laser hair removal is not recommended.

Eczema is a skin condition that can effect laser

Ezcema

If you happen to have a flare up of ezcema in your treatment area the areas where the skin is affected will have to be avoided. In areas where the skin remains healthy and unaffected these areas can be treated as normal. If the entire treatment area is affected we would have to wait until the skin returns to normal before we could retreat the area.

Psoriasis

If in patches the compromised areas of skin would need to be avoided until such time as they have healed. Psoriasis can cause skin to become very irritated and inflamed so some areas may have to be avoided for the duration of the treatment course. If you are taking medication to help manage this we will need to check this for you to see if it is suitable for treatment.

Birth marks

Lighter birthmarks may be able to be treated if the difference in skin colour is very faint. If darker in colour we would avoid pulsing directly over the birthmark.

If your skin is cut or has an abrasion we cannot laser over this

Cuts and abrasions

It’s best to avoid pulsing the laser over any cuts or abrasions that may be open or still healing. All other areas can be treated as normal and these areas can be treated on subsequent sessions once they have healed.

Bruises

It’s best to avoid any bruises that may have been quite recent and darker in colour. These areas may be sensitive so it’s best to avoid them until they have began to fade.

There are a few skin conditions that can affect laser hair removal in different ways. If you have a skin condition that you are unsure about please don’t hesitate to get in touch for some advice. If you have a condition that allows treatment please don’t be embarrassed in any way. Being a dedicated hair removal clinic we safely treat people with these issues on a weekly basis.

Our consultations are completely free of charge and take just 30 minutes. Book yours today and get started.