Can Pregnancy Reverse Laser Hair Removal? Latest Findings

During pregnancy, your body may develop a pattern of hair growth that you did not expect, leaving you wondering whether it is related to this condition or not. If you are also wondering if laser hair removal can be undone by pregnancy after doing it, do not lose hope yet. Almost every pregnant woman asks herself this question.

So, how much would you pay to be able to rid yourself of hair and have smooth skin? Then you find yourself knocking at the door for follicle stimulation? That is frustrating, isn’t it? Well, if you are planning on getting pregnant and at the same time want to get rid of body hair permanently, and you are not certain whether it is good to have lasers before pregnancy or what, then this article aims for you.

It is common knowledge that hormones in pregnancy know no boundaries. As such, they interfere with the normal functioning of organ systems, including hair growth.

But when you think about “if pregnancy can reverse laser hair removal, investment in getting laser sessions has no value,” let’s discuss how this takes place and what one should observe during such times.

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: Can Pregnancy Reverse Laser Hair Removal? Latest Findings.
• Part 2: Expert opinions: Pregnancy Reverse laser hair removal
• Part 3: Laser Effectiveness For Pregnancy Hair Removal Reversal
• Part 4: Pregnancy Hair Removal Reversal: Sarah’s Experiences

Part 1: Is It True That Pregnancy Reverse Laser Hair Removal? If Yes, How?

Well, the answer to this question is neither black nor white but lies in grey.

Pregnancy can be a second name for hormonal fluctuations, particularly progesterone and estrogen. These hormones, if essential for embryonic development, are also involve in triggering the hair follicle and increasing the hair growth.

Estrogen hormones have a direct link to the anagen phase of hair cycle growth. It increases the time span of this active phase, meaning more follicles are activated and kept in this growing phase. This in turn starts growing thicker hairs more rapidly, as the body is in the hyperactive response of pregnancy.

Estrogen does not count if the follicles have been destroyed by the lasers or not; it just keeps doing its functions for the hair growth. If the area has been treated by laser previously, it can be termed as hair reversal, and if nothing has been done before for removing hair, then it will be increasing the rate of hair growth and length of hair under the influence of pregnancy hormones.

Do Pregnancy Hormonal Hair Regrowth Activate New Follicles Or Existing Follicles?

Laser destroys the hair follicles. And it is almost impossible to produce hair from a destroyed hair follicle. However, estrogen hormone has the tendency to activate the production of new hair follicles at the same place previously treated by laser hair removal. It is not that old hair follicle reversing hair growth, but it might be a new one of dormant ones.

Hormonal fluctuations can sometimes trigger the formation of new follicles, and sometimes, dormant hair follicles are reactivated. Hair follicles treated with lasers before pregnancy do not reverse hair growth.

Part 2: Expert opinions: Pregnancy Reverse laser hair removal

Dr. Dendy Engelman, an M.D. with a specialization in dermatology, when asked about the reversal of laser hair removal, stated that

 “The hormonal changes of pregnancy especially the estrogen levels, can reactivate dormant hair follicles to grow hair and stimulate existing hair follicles to grow thicker and longer hair.”

If you have had laser hair removal sessions, it is not necessary that you can regrow hair in the same pattern as before. There are times when these may be very thin; at times they can be dark and thick or sometimes entirely different from earlier distribution patterns. At times they also grow in patches depending on which follicles are stimulated.

“It is during pregnancy that hormonal changes cause certain unique personalized transformations in women, including hair growth,” Dr. Shereene Idriss, a dermatologist we talked to concerning this hair reversal phenomenon as a result of pregnancy, said. It is like going through adolescence for the second time.

So she adds, “Due to these hormonal changes, some patients who have undergone successful laser treatment for permanent hair removal might notice slight regrowth during or even after their pregnancies. Therefore, it is advised to get a stable hormonal period for getting results with lasers.”

Therefore, she advises that sometimes this reverse hair growth continues even after the pregnancy and one should wait until pregnancy and postpartum hormonal stabilization have occurred.

Part 3: Laser Effectiveness For Pregnancy Hair Removal Reversal

The laser hair removal efficiency does not change; they can obliterate hair follicles, including when you are damp with pregnancy. However, due to hormonal influence and extreme skin sensitivity, new ones can be induced by lasers to form other undesired outcomes. This may also explain why some pregnancies lead to regrowth after laser treatment since hormones affect the rate of growth and development of new hairs.

But there’s more. In order to investigate this matter further, we examined Sarah’s case. She is a 33-year-old woman from New York, illustrating how temporarily hormone-induced pregnancy can reverse laser hair removal. Let’s look at her personal experience closely.

Part 4: Pregnancy Hair Removal Reversal: Sarah’s Experiences

A Ulike IPL Air 10 device was employed by Sarah for body hair removal. After completing six intensive treatments to remove all hair from her body, she got astonishing, near-permanent results. However, she became pregnant and in the second trimester of her pregnancy, she noticed that her hair was regrowing and had become relatively thick.

“I Thought My Laser Hair Removal Had Been Reversed”

“Just like every other pregnant women, I got concerned and I literally thought my laser hair removal had been reversed, and all my time and money has been wasted” says Sarah.

She became so concerned that she consulted a dermatologist. The dermatologist who treated her told her that this regrowth was entirely normal and resulted from hormonal changes induced by pregnancy. Although many hair follicles were destroyed by IPL therapy, during pregnancy Sarah’s hormonal environment caused her body to reactivate some resting follicles.

“Then I Obseved Postpartum Hair Shedding After Pregnancy Hair Regrowth.”

After the delivery, Sarah went through postpartum hair loss, which involved the loss of most of the body hair that had reversed during her period of pregnancy. Many new mothers experience this hair shedding because of the result of an abrupt fall in estrogen.

By about six months post-delivery, Sarah’s hormonal levels were stabilizing and this was when she observed that her body hair growth pattern and hair growth rate had bounced back to as before her pregnancy period. However, she still had some pregnancy-related hair regrowth on her upper lip and legs, which led her to undergo hair removal sessions.

“Good-bye to Pregnancy Hair Removal Reversal and Back to Mantainces Sessions”

When her hormones stabilized and her dermatologist cleared her to resume IPL treatment, she started laser hair removal again. With a maximum of two to three more sessions of IPL hair removal, Sarah noticed the same nearly permanent results as she observed before her pregnancy. Now, she requires only annual maintenance sessions, and with Ulike air 10, she gets it at her home.

Dr. Emma Wu’s Opinions on Sarah’s Hair Reversal

The case of Sarah was presented to Dr. Emma Wu, a professional dealing with skin and hair health among women; she said:

“Indeed, this is what happened to many other women who had laser hair removal before conceiving. But during pregnancy, hormonal changes do disturb the normal cycle of hair growth to a great extent and hence, it has been called as reversal of laser hair removal in case of pregnancy.”. But overall, these effects are not for forever. Immediately after delivery, there is a period of rapid decline of estrogen which causes hair to shed off and some of the remaining hair requires touch-up sessions to restore the smoothness and hair-free body.”

Conclusion

The experts say scientific evidence also supports this. Thus, it can be said that hormones of pregnancy can restore some hair follicles, activate the sleeping ones, and make new hair grow even in parts without hair in the body.On the other hand, the laser’s targeting technique continues to act on overactive hair follicles regardless of any hormone changes. People should differentiate between the pregnancy-induced reversal of laser hair removal and the efficacy of IPL and laser hair removal treatments.

FAQ

Q: Can I Get Laser Treatment If My Pregnancy Reverses Laser Hair Removal?

Hair may come back during pregnancy, even if it has been removed by laser, so obstetricians usually avoid such procedures. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, for effective and lasting results, these treatments should be avoided until after childbirth. One more in this respect would be increased sensitivity of skin during pregnancy and hormonal fluctuations, which lead to unpredictable and unwanted situations such as hyperpigmentation.

If pregnancy makes you notice any hair regrowth, here are ways on how to handle the situation:

• Make sure your food is right to help adjust hormonal levels.
• You might want to think about using a razor or other shaving methods for now.