Common questions that come up when someone is researching laser or has begun their laser treatment is whether laser hair removal services are safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Cosmetic laser treatments are not advised while a person is pregnant, as there is not enough research to determine safety for either the pregnant person or the child. While there are laser-based medical procedures that may be safe during pregnancy, in the absence of research, it is an industry standard from the medical community, the laser providers, and from laser provider’s insurance policy’s to not provide laser hair reduction or other cosmetic laser services for a person known to be pregnant.
For people that have already done laser hair removal, another consideration is the ways in which hormones change throughout pregnancy. Hormones that accompany pregnancy can cause new follicular growth and new waves of hair. It is not uncommon for people to pop in for touch up services post-pregnancy.
The research is quite limited on the impact of laser services while breastfeeding / chestfeeding. However, the consensus from both the medical community and laser providers would be that a person can proceed with cosmetic laser services (i.e. laser hair removal and skin care treatments) while breastfeeding / chestfeeding, but avoiding treatment on or around the areola and breast tissue. Some people choose to be a bit more cautious and opt to postpone laser hair removal in the underarm areas as well, since the armpit is anatomically near milk producing glandular tissue.
As with pregnancy, it is also helpful to consider that hormones can still be affecting hair growth patterns. It is not uncommon for people to experience hair loss postpartum.
It would also be important to consider that some lasers require the use of a topical numbing cream and one should check with their medical provider prior to using to ensure that use of numbing cream would not be an issue with desired treatment zones and feeding their baby.