What are the risks and complications associated with laser hair removal?
Although complications are rare, some of the temporary complications may include pain, swelling, redness and blisters, and permanent complications may include scarring and skin discoloration.
One of the complications that has surfaced recently is related to overuse of numbing cream, or lidocaine toxicity. Two young women died recently -- one in Tucson, Ariz., and another in Raleigh, N.C. -- as a result of using too much numbing cream before getting hair removal done at laser clinics.
According to published reports, the two women completely coated their legs in the cream while at home and then suffered a toxic reaction on their way to the laser clinics, which led to coma and then death. Detractors blame the fact that compounding pharmacies, where the creams were made, are largely unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Other risks in laser hair removal can include either darkening or lightening of skin, swelling, inflammation, and infected hair follicles. Laser hair removal is particularly problematic for those with tans or darker skin colors
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