Can I undergo laser hair removal or/and electrolysis hair removal for my face when I'm using perscribed acne medication?

tretinoin and some antibiotics may make your skin sensitized to the sun and to laser light. Speak with your laser expert about contraindications by bringing in the list of meds and the vials/products.Best, Dr. Karamanoukian Los Angeles

Laser-assisted hair removal can be performed on patients who use medications for acne.  If you're using topical agents including tretinoin or others that cause skin irritation, they should be discontinued at least a few days prior to laser treatment.  Oral medications can cause sensitivity to light and it is important to check with the doctor who prescribed these medications to make sure it is okay to undergo laser-assisted hair removal while you're taking those medications.

Retin A will increase the skin's reaction to the laser.  It makes the skin more sensitive to the sun as well as the laser.  You will have increased redness and risk if you haven't stopped the Retin A about 5 days prior to treatment.  You can resume about 2 days later.  For electrolysis, there is no issue.  Facial hair is iffy for me with laser hair removal because of the risk in darker skin individuals, particularly Mediterranean descent, that you can get paradoxical hair growth.  Chin, upper lip, not as risky.  Vaniqa is a great medication to decrease hair growth on the face.   

Yes, you are able to be on an acne treatment regimen and simultaneously have hair laser treatment.  I would make sure your skin isn't overly irritated from anything before hair laser treatment.  Retin A and benzoyl peroxides can irritate your skin.  Stop them a few days before treatment if you are red or dry from them.  You mention you are Asian so make sure you don't have any extra pigmentation on your facial skin before the treatment.  Sometimes extra pigmentation on the skin can "trick" the laser and the laser treats the pigment on the skin versus the pigment in the hair.  Certain hair laser devices are also safer for patients who naturally have more pigmentation on their skin.  I would also ask the physician who is prescribing your medications if they have any issues with you also doing the hair laser as they will understand your skin and treatment in more detail.

Dear yaddhs,

The acne medication that you describe would not be a contraindication
to laser hair removal. Depending upon
your skin type we deploy four or five different types of laser wavelengths to
treat Asian skin that is generally moderate skin pigmentation with dark hair. The topical acne medication may make you
slightly more photosensitized, but not enough that would contraindicate the
need for treatment.

A proposition at SpaMedica, having performed laser hair
removal for over 20 years is that we use the best combination of wavelengths to
achieve the best possible results. As
you have an Asian background your slightly darker skin will likely necessitate
a neodymium – YAG, 1064-nanometer laser or a very efficient cooled
810-nanometer diode and/or radio frequency combination laser. At SpaMedica we have many lasers that we can
adapt to best suit your permanent hair reduction needs.

Feel free to contact our office and come in for a
complimentary hair removal consultation.

Best of luck. I hope
this information has been of some assistance.
I think you can anticipate excellent permanent reduction. We’ve been treating dark skin hair removal
for many many years and you can anticipate with the right lasers to achieve
75-80% permanent reduction.

For more information, please review the link below.

R. Stephen Mulholland, M.D.

Certified Plastic Surgeon

Yorkville, Toronto