Women who are pregnant may find that not only are they growing hair more abundantly than before, but that hair is growing in new areas – and it is getting hard to shave. Laser hair removal may seem like the perfect solution, but talk it over with your healthcare provider first. While the laser used during the hair removal procedure does not penetrate the skin very deeply, no studies have been performed to determine it is safe to use while pregnant, and many obstetricians advise against it, just to be safe. Other healthcare providers deem its use safe during pregnancy.

Hair growth during pregnancy

An increase in the amount of various hormones is the cause of hair growth changes during pregnancy. Many women who are pregnant experience thicker and faster growth of body hair. Pregnant women also may find hair growing where it did not before, especially on the face. Extra hair may also grow on the breasts, back, stomach and arms.

The Normal Hair Cycle

When you are not pregnant, your hair has a regular cycle. Each hair will:

• Spend anywhere from two to six years growing about 1/2 inch a month
• Then it will rest for 2-3 months, before falling out when you brush or wash your hair

At any given time, 90% of your hair is in the growing phase, 10% resting.

Hair Changes during Pregnancy

Women who are pregnant have hairs that stay in the resting phase longer. The portion of your hairs that are resting may reach 60%. This results in a thicker head of hair, because less of it falls out each day. Pregnancy hormones may cause you to develop hair in places that you never had hair before- on your breasts, stomach and back, even if it is just a hair or two. You may find that the hair on other areas of your body seems thicker, such as the hair on your arms, legs and upper lip. This pattern of hair growth is normal, and should go back to normal within 6 months of your delivery.

Laser hair removal

Laser hair removal uses an intense, pulsating beam of light to remove unwanted hair. The procedure does not guarantee permanent hair removal, but it can extend the time that the treated area is hair free, for a time the ranges from several months to several years. If laser hair removal treatments are repeated, the time that the treated area remains hair free can be almost permanent.

The procedure

The doctor performing the procedure places a hand held device that contains the laser light to the skin. When the device is activated, a beam of laser light passes through the layers of the skin to reach the hair follicles. The intense heat that the laser produces acts on the follicle and inhibits hair regrowth. Patients who have undergone the treatment report a stinging sensation as the light is activated, although a topical anesthetic can be applied prior to the treatment to avoid this. If a pregnant woman was to have more than a very small area of skin treated, she should not have the topical anesthetic applied, because of the risk of absorbing the anesthetic into the skin and harming the unborn child. As the procedure is being carried out, the smell of singed hair will fill the air, and this is normal. Goggles are worn by the patient to avoid any accidental eye exposure to the laser beam.

Who can have it done

The best candidates for laser hair removal are those with light, untanned skin, and dark colored unwanted hair. The amount of pigment that the skin contains is a factor in who is a candidate for laser hair removal. Those with a lot of pigment in their skin retain too much of the light energy, and are not suitable candidates for the treatment.

Options

If you decide not to have laser hair removal during pregnancy, you might consider other hair removal options that are considered safe during pregnancy, such as waxing or shaving. Have your partner help you reach areas that you can no longer reach easily. You can also just wait until after your baby is born to have the treatment, and you may find that as your hormones go back to normal, the excess hair falls out and is no longer a problem.