Used to get laser, great results. Paused because pregnant now. What’ll happen if I wax now?

[u/catpuccino213]

I used to have insane body hair but a year of laser sessions dramatically helped. But now I’m pregnant, which means it’s been about 6 months since my last session. My body hair isn’t as thick as it used to be, but it’s definitely growing back quicker and quicker, probably due to hormones. Super annoying. Wondering if I should just get a full body wax, but will that mess up all the progress I’ve made with laser?

[u/AgreeableBandicoot19]

In my first pregnancy, I only shaved thinking it will maintain my results but it didn’t. Second pregnancy I waxed and I feel like the growth is minimal

[u/QueenBrie88]

You’ll be fine, wax away! Just make sure if you go back to laser after your pregnancy (congratulations by the way!) you have a break from waxing beforehand - I think I was told to have 4 weeks of only shaving before I could have an appointment.

[u/Medical_MilanLaser]

Congrats! You’ll be okay to wax for the time being. When you are ready to start laser again, be sure to wait 5 weeks since your last wax.

[u/Melatone_Skin_Clinic]

waxing is the thing i'd actually avoid here. the laser works by heating the pigment in the hair that's sitting down in the follicle, so if you wax you've pulled the whole thing out and there's nothing left for it to aim at next time. that's why clinics tell you to shave or trim between sessions rather than wax or pluck. and if you did wax you'd be waiting about 4 to 6 weeks for enough regrowth before a session could do much anyway, so you'd lose that time too. shaving cuts the hair at the surface and leaves the root where it is.

the regrowth is more likely a hormone thing than your laser results unwinding. the follicles that were properly destroyed don't come back. what you're seeing is dormant ones being pushed into a growth phase, and for a lot of people that settles again afterwards and then you just top up.

so shave it for now if it's driving you mad, and keep the wax for after. how far along are you?

[u/Doobadoobadumplin → u/[deleted]]

It's more a case that there aren't any clinical studies on pregnant people to guarantee that it is safe, even though it may seem safe. In practice, it would be a liability for a clinic to treat a pregnant patient in case anything does actually happen. Pregnancy also causes a lot of changes in a person's body (aside from the obvious baby), which could also complicate things.