Is It Possible for a Hair Removal Laser to Damage Your Eyes if They Are Shut?

Lasers can cause reversible and irreversible damage to your eyes. The patient and the Practitioner should have protective eye wear on. Additionally, the laser should not be placed too close to the eyes. While you may see a light beam through your eye wear and with your eyes closed, you should be protected from harmful effects.

With your eyes closed it is very unlikely that a hair removal laser will penetrate deeply enough to cause damage to your eyes. However, any possibility of damage to your eyes is prevented by wearing protective glasses. Lasers work by creating 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. They pretty much all have the same risks and must be used carefully, even the supposedly "safe" at home devices.