A celebrity dermatologist reveals why going for laser hair removal for the bikini area can be risky

Is laser hair removal safe for your bikini area? We all must have googled this question numerous times, because obviously going for laser hair removal on a bikini line is a quite a sensitive matter. But the problem is that in various ways, this treatment can go wrong. That’s why it is very important that you know about it in detail.

And what can be better than a renowned dermatologist spilling the beans about laser hair removal treatments? So, let’s see if getting a laser for your bikini line can really mess things up or not. 

Here’s how laser hair removal works

You must be intrigued to know the workings of this procedure. So, basically laser hair removal is one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures to remove unwanted hair from the body. 

According to Dr Nivedita Dadu, dermatologist, founder and chairman of Dr Nivedita Dadu’s Dermatology Clinic, laser hair removal works because the light of the laser beam can be converted to heat. The light is attracted to the pigment (melanin) in the hair. Now, this dark pigment absorbs the light and converts it to heat. The heat then affects the hair follicles to prevent hair growth. 

In order to destroy a hair follicle, the bulb of the hair follicle where the blood supplies the hair with oxygen to grow, needs to be destroyed. Stem cells which are responsible for hair regeneration too must be killed. To be able to do this, a temperature of about 70 degrees needs to be reached. The darker and the thicker the hair, the more pigment it will hold, and the more light it will absorb. 

This is why it is important that you don’t wax or pluck your hair before a treatment, because if there is no hair there, there is no way for the laser light to treat that hair follicle. 

When the light is emitted, it is then absorbed by the pigment in the hair, and travels through the hair to destroy the root. That hair is destroyed and does not grow back.

Here’s why getting hair removal around bikini area can be risky

Laser and radiofrequency technologies stimulate collagen and blood flow by inducing controlled heat in the deeper tissues. If these treatments are not delivered carefully, there can be risks of scar tissue and burns. There are many reasons that make it unsafe, especially when it’s around your vaginal area. 

Vaginal laser treatments help to relieve problems associated with menopause, like dryness, pain, and sexual dysfunction, but the safety of this technique is not clear. 

“Vaginal laser treatments cause vulvovaginal atrophy, a condition that often accompanies menopause and can include symptoms like vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and urinary incontinence. These laser treatments are approved for other gynecologic and dermatologic conditions,” explains Dr Dadu. 

“After the laser treatment on the vaginal area, intercourse can become more painful than it was before. Women experience a variety of complications, including serious vaginal tearing, bleeding and scar tissue that formed obstructions. Mild vaginal bulge, feelings of vaginal laxity with intercourse, vaginal wind, and needing to splint for defecation, and stress urinary incontinence (SUI),” she warns. 

Seven problems that you can face if you get a bikini laser hair removal

Everyone’s body reacts differently to laser hair removal. Some people report minor side effects. It is common for the skin to swell or get red in the first few hours after a session.

There are few risks involved with laser hair removal, even when targeted at the bikini region.

1. Temporary irritation, leading to slight blistering or crusting of the skin
2. Mild skin redness
3. Temporary changes in pigment, particularly in dark-skinned people.
4. Mild swelling of the treated area
5. Many laser hair removal patients describe the sensation as a rubber band snapping against the skin.
6. Since they can pass into the bloodstream, irregular heartbeat, slowed breathing, and other serious complications can happen.
7. Electrolysis can cause scarring, keloid scars, and skin discoloration on the treated area, while laser hair removal can cause skin color changes, burns, scarring, and acne-like breakouts.