Laser hair removal and breastfeeding — can you have the treatment?
No — breastfeeding itself is not an automatic contraindication to laser hair removal at LASERRIX.
Available independent sources do not indicate that laser hair removal affects milk production, its composition, or the breastfed child.[1,2]
You do not need to stop breastfeeding, take a break from nursing, or wait for your period to return just to have the treatment.
After childbirth, I look at something else: whether you and your skin are ready to return to the course, and how hair is actually growing in the area.
This article started with a very ordinary office conversation.
One of my clients, satisfied with the effect of his series, said something like:
"It works great for me. I would like to bring my wife to you."
I started asking about her situation and it turned out that she had recently given birth and was still breastfeeding.
This triggered a question that comes up very often: Does breastfeeding itself mean that you have to wait for the laser?
Does the laser affect the milk or baby?
The resources available here are reassuring.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association states clearly that there is no evidence that electrolysis or laser hair removal affects breastfeeding or the baby.[1]
The same information is published by the Australian government website Pregnancy, Birth and Baby.[2]
The mechanism of laser hair removal is also local.
During the treatment, we work on the hairy skin and hair follicles. We do not administer drugs that must be absorbed into the blood and may later be found in milk.
Therefore, breastfeeding alone is not a reason for me to automatically reject the procedure.
Do I need to stop feeding during the procedure?
There is no reason to stop breastfeeding solely because of laser hair removal.[1,2]
You don't have to just for this reason:
- wean your baby;
- take a break of several hours or several days;
- pump and pour out milk.
If you have a different health situation after giving birth, are taking medications or have an active skin problem at the treatment site, we assess this separately - exactly the same as for any other client.
Does the laser work less well during lactation?
There is no good data showing that breastfeeding alone automatically reduces the effectiveness of laser hair removal.
And this is important, because on the Internet you can often read very categorical things about prolactin, estrogen and "a laser that will not work during breastfeeding".
After giving birth, your hair cycle may actually change.
Research shows that after pregnancy, some hairs move from the active growth phase into a resting phase and then shed.[5]
But that does not mean that:
- the laser works less well during feeding;
- prolactin blocks the effect;
- you have to wait until "hormones stabilize";
- the treatment will only start working once your period returns.
We do not have such direct data.
Therefore, at LASERRIX I do not assess readiness for the procedure based on the fact of feeding.
I'm looking at real regrowth in a specific zone.
Do I have to wait for my period to return?
No.
The return of menstruation is not a condition for laser hair removal while breastfeeding.
It is also not a scientifically proven "test" that tells us that from that day on the laser will suddenly start working better.
Some women's periods return quickly; for others, it takes much longer.
This does not mean that laser hair removal cannot make sense for the latter all this time.
For me it is more practical to evaluate:
- what the zone looks like;
- whether the hair is growing back regularly;
- what the hair texture is like;
- how the skin reacted before;
- whether there are any other contraindications to the procedure.
That's why I wouldn't answer my client's wife: "you're breastfeeding, so come back in a few months".
First, I would assess her current situation and only then decide whether it makes sense to start or continue the course.
When is the best time to resume the series after giving birth?
I don't set every client on the same date.
The first weeks after giving birth are a time to recover; there is no need to turn laser hair removal into another task "to be done as soon as possible".
When you feel good, the skin in the area you are interested in is calm and you want to return to the treatments - we can discuss the next series.
If this will be your first treatment at LASERRIX, see what the first visit is like.
If you had laser hair removal before pregnancy, I don't automatically assume that you have to start all over again.
I look at what has actually grown back.
Only on this basis do I plan subsequent visits.
Are you breastfeeding and unsure whether it is time to resume your course? Write to LASERRIX.
Frequently asked questions
Is laser hair removal while breastfeeding safe for the baby?
Available independent sources do not indicate that laser hair removal affects breastfeeding or the baby.[1,2]
Can a laser reduce the amount of milk or change its composition?
There is no data to support this effect.[1,2]
Do I have to express and pour out the milk before the procedure?
There is no need for this only because of laser hair removal.
Do I have to stop breastfeeding before starting a series?
No - breastfeeding itself is not an automatic contraindication in LASERRIX.
Do I have to wait for my first period after giving birth?
No. Return of menstruation is not a condition for the procedure or a confirmed criterion for the effectiveness of the laser.
Can the laser work differently after giving birth than before pregnancy?
Your post-pregnancy hair cycle may look different for a while.[5] Therefore, instead of guessing based on hormones or the calendar, I assess the actual hair growth in a specific zone.
The most important thing
Breastfeeding and pregnancy are two different situations.
LASERRIX does not perform laser hair removal during pregnancy.
While you are breastfeeding, breastfeeding itself is not an automatic contraindication, and available sources do not indicate that laser hair removal affects lactation or the baby.[1,2]
There is no need to wait for your period to return.
After giving birth, the most important thing for me is whether you feel ready for the treatment, what your skin looks like and what is actually happening to the hair in the zone we want to treat.
Diana Bashynska
co-owner of LASERRIX and laser hair removal specialist
Wrocław
Sources
- Australian Breastfeeding Association - Tattoos, beauty treatments and breastfeeding
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby / Healthdirect Australia - Cosmetic procedures and beauty treatments during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Trivedi M.K., Kroumpouzos G., Murase H.E. — A review of the safety of cosmetic procedures during pregnancy and lactation
- Kovacs T. et al. - Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice
- Gizlenti S., Ekmekci T.R. — The changes in the hair cycle during gestation and the post-partum period
Breastfeeding and want to resume your course? Message us, check laser hair removal prices or see what the first visit is like.
