CONTRAINDICATIONS (PATIENTS THAT SHOULD NOT TREATED INCLUDE):
- Those who are pregnant
- Those who are sunburned or have irritated skin in the sites to be treated
- Those who are exhibiting unidentified skin conditions in the sites to be
treated
- Those who have healed poorly after other types of laser treatments
- Patients prone to skin discoloration
- Patients who are taking photosensitizing medication, such as Accutane,
should consider discontinuing the medication 6 months before treatment
- Patients who are taking topical Retin-A, patients should wait 2 weeks
before treatment
- Don’t apply laser energy to any raised lesions, aside from purely red ones
i.e. angiomas; other lesions should first be checked by a dermatologist
Some patients will not respond as well as others, and one factor is hair color. Some hairs don’t contain enough melanin to absorb the necessary energy to destroy or damage a follicle, and this is often the case with a light-colored hair (i.e., blonde, gray, red). Another common factor as to why a patient may not respond well is strong hair regrowth caused by hormonal imbalance, including PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). Patients who are sunburned should wait until the burn subsides. Herpes Simplex Labialis (fever blisters) can be activated by laser treatment, especially on the upper lip, and patients with a tendency for fever blistering can be started on antiviral medication before treatment.
