Laser Hair Removal When You Are Pregnant

Shaving your legs can be annoying and time consuming but if you're pregnant and can't even see your legs below your baby belly it may become downright impossible. The APA, American Pregnancy Association, laser hair removal has never shown signs of being unsafe for a pregnant woman and it has never been shown to be harmful to the fetus. But keep in mind no studies have been done to show if it's safe or not either- this information is based on reports from pregnant women and those who perform the laser hair removal procedure itself.

Being pregnant means your body is a river of hormones and that can mean you are getting more hair growth where you normally don't like your face, breast and abdominal area. This is a natural part of pregnancy but using laser treatment to treat these areas so close to the baby are not recommended by most doctors or the American Pregnancy Association due to the possible risk factors to the baby from the laser treatment.

Using laser treatment for your face or legs while pregnant however is deemed tentatively safe since these areas are far enough away from the developing baby to be unaffected by a laser.

To understand how laser hair removal can affect your pregnancy you need to understand a little about what this procedure is and how it works. The laser itself works by targeting the hair follicle and causing it to become damaged so new hair can't grow there. It takes multiple procedures to target one area of the body because the hair on your body -even in the same area does not grow at the same rate or at the same time. Hair follicles are always popping up hair at different time spans so it can take multiple attempts to fully eradicate all of these areas and prevent future growth.

There are two types of current used in electrolysis for laser hair removal including thermolysis and galvanic. Galvanic current works by sending out an electric charge into your body and then back into the device which won't harm your body but since the fetus is surrounded by amniotic fluid that can conduct electricity this type of laser current could react with the fluid and cause the baby to go into distress or otherwise be affected.

Since there have not been any studies done that demonstrate this laser is safe it is not recommended that you have a galvanic current administered to you while pregnant.

Thermolysis current on the other hand is considered safer to use while pregnant but your laser hair removal technician will likely want you to produce a note from your doctor that states the procedure is safe for you to undergo while you're pregnant before they will proceed.

For your peace of mind consult with your doctor about any use of lasers while pregnant and get the go ahead before you proceed and if your doctor is cautious you may have to wait until your baby's birthday.