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Safe to Have a Laser Treatment (Hair Removal) with Pacemaker?

asked 1 year ago by ishiwishy
Latest answer by Ronald Shelton, MD
Question viewed 601 times
Tags: pacemaker, safety

6 answers to Safe to Have a Laser Treatment (Hair Removal) with Pacemaker?

+2

Safe to have Laser Hair Removal with a Pacemaker

There is no transmission of electricity or electrical current during the delivery of laser energy to the target site in the process of laser hair reduction. Electrical activity is what may disrupt pacemaker activity. You can safely have laser hair removal treatments with a pacemaker.
Anifat Balogun, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+2

Laser hair removal is safe with pacemakers

Lasers work through a focused light beam; there is no electricity traversing the body, so they are safe with pacemakers.
Anatoli Freiman, MD

Toronto Dermatologist
+2

Laser hair removal is safe with a pacemaker

Electrical currents may disrupt the function of the pacemaker but laser treatments send light into the skin, not electricity, so there is no medical reason not to get laser hair removal with a pacemaker.
Emily Altman, MD

Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon
+2

It is Safe to have Laser Hair Removal when you have a Pacemaker

It is perfectly safe to have Laser hair removal treatments when you have a pacemaker. Lasers create a beam of highly concentrated light that penetrates deep into the skin where it delivers a controlled amount of therapeutic heat. This light energy is absorbed by the pigment located in the hair follicles. The laser pulses for a fraction of a second, just long enough to destroy numerous follicles at a time and leaves the surrounding skin unaffected. Since this light energy is... more
Mitchell Schwartz, MD

South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

+1

Laser hair removal and pacemakers

Hairs are destroyed by the hair follicle absorbing visible light, which creates heat in the dermis. There is no electricity contacting you. As long as there is no electromagnetic energy from the laser box that can interfere with the pacemaker, there shouldn't be a problem. You can call your pacemaker company and ask the doctor's office what wavelength laser they use, just to be sure.
Ronald Shelton, MD

Manhattan Dermatologist
+1

Laser hair removal safe with pacemaker

Pacemakers can in theory be influenced (e.g. reprogrammed) by electrical currents passing through the skin, most typically the electrosurgery used to stop bleeding during surgery.  Lasers for hair removal deliver light to the skin that generates heat to get its effect but there is no transmission of electrical current, so they are safe with a pacemaker.
Daniel Berg, MD

Seattle Dermatologic Surgeon

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