The word laser sounds pretty extreme – it immediately brings to mind huge, powerful beams that destroy everything in their path. When that’s what your imagination conjures, it makes sense to wonder if laser hair removal is safe for your face.
The reality is much less dramatic, though! Laser hair removal is a lot more like a tiny, fast pulse of bright light. More importantly, it’s a fantastic method of permanently reducing facial hair growth! There are a few caveats, though, which we’ll explain in this post.
Which facial areas can undergo laser hair removal?
Many salons offer both full-face laser hair removal treatments as well as laser hair removal based on smaller areas, including:
- Chin
- Upper lip
- Cheeks
- Jawline
- Temples/sideburns
- Ears
- Forehead
- Neck
Laser hair removal on the face is an extremely fast procedure. A full facial laser hair removal appointment usually only takes around 10 minutes. Treating smaller areas can be as quick as a minute or two.
Which areas should you not treat with laser?
When it comes to the face, the only areas we cannot treat are around the eyes. This means that laser hair removal cannot be done on the @eyebrows, eyelids, or along the upper part of the cheekbones near the periorbital area.
The powerful light from the laser can hurt the eyes. Reputable medspas like SEV Laser make sure that their patients wear goggles that block out 100% of the light to protect the eyes, no matter which part of the body is being treated.
If you learn of a salon that doesn’t offer protective goggles during laser hair removal treatments, avoid it at all costs! Book an appointment at a trustworthy med spa liket SEV Laser. Find the nearest SEV location and book an appointment.
Facial laser hair removal side effects
While laser hair removal is largely considered safe and effective by the FDA, it can still have some side effects. These are the most common ones:
- Redness and irritation which usually subside within a few hours or a couple of days at most.
- Temporary pigmentation changes to the treatment area, which also tend to disappear within a few days.
- Some bumpiness a few days after the treatment, as the hair starts shedding naturally.
Unusual side effects include lasting irritation, blistering, persistent pigmentation, scabbing, and scarring. If you experience any of these, please reach out to a medical professional.
Can laser hair removal make facial hair worse?
For the most part, the answer is no! Laser hair removal damages the hair follicle from the very root, and its goal is to permanently reduce hair growth.
However, in some extremely rare cases, laser hair removal can cause paradoxical hypertrichosis, meaning increased hair growth. This often correlates with hormonal conditions like PCOS.
Researchers also theorize it might be a result of treating the skin with too low of a laser setting. This is why experienced providers always opt for the highest laser setting that a patient can tolerate.
In most cases, the increased hair growth is temporary, and it eventually reverses with regular laser hair removal treatments. If you think your facial hair is a side effect of an underlying hormonal condition, consider speaking to your doctor before giving laser hair removal a try.
Comments are closed.