Laser Hair Removal with Skin Cancer
Safety and peace of mind.
They’re fundamental requirements of anybody paying for a service. If you’re spending hard-earned money, you want to know if the investment will provide both.
And with laser hair removal? Those two factors are of utmost importance. Anyone considering a hair-free journey wants to know safety will never be in question.
That point is especially critical for individuals with compromised skin. And today, the focus is whether or not laser hair removal can be performed on someone with skin cancer.
Read on to find out.
Is it safe to get laser hair removal with skin cancer?
There are important elements to know to fully understand the answer, and it all starts with radiation.
Radiation can be ionizing or non-ionizing.
Ionizing radiation refers to high-energy radiation that can cause atoms to change and molecules to break apart. This can have a significant impact on the human body by affecting the cells and DNA. Ionizing radiation is known to cause cancer. Examples include x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays from the sun and space.
Non-ionizing radiation is lower energy radiation that could cause atoms and molecules to heat up or become active but doesn’t change their composition. It does not carry enough energy to cause the breakdown of molecules, affect DNA, or cause cancer. Typical examples include light from household lamps, radios, and TVs.
And according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the laser energy used in laser hair removal treatments does NOT produce any ionizing radiation. It does NOT affect the body on a cellular level or affect DNA.
Laser hair removal is a safe, FDA-cleared treatment with no risk of exposure to harmful ionizing radiation.
Anyone considering a hair-free journey wants to know safety will never be compromised.
Can someone’s condition worsen if they choose laser hair removal?
Nothing indicates that laser hair removal treatment would worsen a condition.
Any reputable clinic or spa will only perform laser hair removal treatment over “normal-appearing” skin.
Laser hair removal professionals should not treat over known skin cancer.
However, clients with a history of skin cancer aren’t restricted from laser hair removal treatment. And even if a client had active skin cancer, they would still treat their skin, just not over the cancerous area.
Does intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment cause or impact cancer?
Nope, there is no evidence that IPLs lead to an increase in cancer risk.
And IPL treatments don’t use wavelengths under 500 nanometers, which means they are not in the carcinogenic spectrum for ultraviolet light.
Is it possible for laser hair removal to cause cancer?
No. And it will not lead to a recurrence of cancer, either.
The lasers used for laser hair removal treatment do not contain any UV light, and because of that, they don’t cause skin cancer. Additionally, there’s no evidence that laser hair removal causes other forms of cancer.
Regardless, talk to your laser hair removal professional during the consultation. Ask about any worries you may have. You want peace of mind and safety for your hair-free journey.