What can go wrong with laser treatment?

Author: Aiyana Goodwin  |  Last update: Thursday, October 30, 2025

Laser resurfacing can cause side effects, though they're milder and less likely with nonablative approaches than with ablative methods.
  • Inflamed, swollen, itchy and painful skin. Treated skin may swell, itch or have a burning sensation. ...
  • Acne. ...
  • Infection. ...
  • Changes in skin color. ...
  • Scarring.

What are the harmful effects of laser therapy?

Burns and Blisters – if laser hair removal or laser treatments aren't done correctly, you may be at risk of burns and blistering. They may occasionally occur when being treated by a well-trained, qualified practitioner depending on your skin type and other underlying conditions, however this is rare.

What are 5 dangers of lasers?

These include both direct beam hazards such as tissue burns, eye damage, endotracheal tube fire, drape fire, and explosion of gases, or non-beam hazards (those that are secondary to the actual beam interaction) such as laser generated airborne contaminants (surgical plume), electrical damage, toxic dyes, and system ...

Can laser treatment be cancerous?

Although laser and IPL technology has not been known to cause skin cancer, this does not mean that laser and IPL therapies are without long-term risks.

What is the most common complication of laser surgery?

Postoperative Complications
  • Overcorrection and Undercorrection. Undercorrection is the most common complication after primary LASIK. ...
  • Visual aberrations. ...
  • Flap Fold or Striae. ...
  • Flap Dislocation. ...
  • Dry Eye. ...
  • Diffuse Lamellar Keratitis (DLK) ...
  • Pressure-induced Stromal Keratitis (PISK) ...
  • Central Toxic Keratitis (CTK)

What is the worst thing that can happen after laser eye surgery?

Who should not do laser treatment?

Who shouldn't have laser hair removal?
  • Are pregnant.
  • Are taking certain medications, such as acne treatments.
  • Have genital herpes (HSV-2) or are prone to cold sores.
  • Have keloid scars (raised scars).
  • Have or have had skin cancer.

What is the most common laser accident?

The most common accident scenarios involve: performing alignment while not wearing proper eye protection, stray beams reflected off optics; jewelry, badges, or other objects inserted or falling into the beam path; poor communication between users, wearing the wrong eyewear for wavelengths being used; inadequate or no ...

Does laser have radiation?

Some lasers emit radiation in the form of light. Others emit radiation that is invisible to the eye, such as ultraviolet or infrared radiation. In general, laser radiation is not in itself harmful, and behaves much like ordinary light in its interaction with the body.

Can you get HPV from laser hair removal?

Can you get HPV from laser hair removal? While there's a theoretical risk, proper sanitization and professional conduct significantly reduce any such risks.

Does laser treatment hurt?

Most patients don't find laser treatment to be excessively painful, although it may feel a bit uncomfortable. You may experience a sensation during your procedure that's similar to being lightly snapped with a rubber band. Many patients report a feeling of heat during treatment, as well.

Is it safe to get laser treatment?

In the hands of a board-certified dermatologist, laser treatment can safely treat many types of scars. When the person performing your laser treatment lacks medical expertise and specialized knowledge of the skin, laser treatment may not give you the results you seek. It can even be dangerous.

What parts of the body are most sensitive to laser damage?

Research relating to injury thresholds of the eye and skin has been carried out in order to understand the biological hazards of laser radiation. It is now widely accepted that the human eye is almost always more vulnerable to injury than human skin.

What are the hazards of laser surgery?

Severe eye injuries from direct or reflected laser beams. For more information, please see Laser Effects and the Human Eye. Skin burns from the direct beam of surgical lasers when misdirected. Respiratory hazards when breathing laser-generated airborne contaminants (LGAC).

Can laser treatment go wrong?

Risks. Laser resurfacing can cause side effects, though they're milder and less likely with nonablative approaches than with ablative methods. Inflamed, swollen, itchy and painful skin. Treated skin may swell, itch or have a burning sensation.

What is the greatest risk from lasers?

Eye and Skin Damage: The greatest daily hazards are in this area. All of the Class IV lasers in our lab can easily cause total blindness or painful sores. The type of damage inflicted depends on the wavelength, pulse energy, pulse width, power, and repetition rate.

Can you get a bacterial infection from laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal for esthetic purposes has commonly been performed worldwide. This procedure is considered to be safe and effective, and severe complications such as systemic bacterial infections have seldom been reported.

Can laser cause alopecia?

While laser light itself does not appear to pose a hair loss risk, misuse of a laser cap could. Using it too often or long, or with intensities higher than recommended could potentially irritate the scalp and cause inflammation. This type of reaction can exacerbate already thinning hair.

Can pubic hair prevent HPV?

Furthermore, HPV has been shown to reside on pubic and perianal hairs. It follows that traumatic hair removal in these areas might result in an infection and subsequent clinical manifestation of HPV.

What is the risk of laser?

The health effects that could occur due to exposure to a laser beam are damage to the skin and eyes. Skin effects include erythema, elastosis (photoageing), immediate pigment darkening (tanning), burns and skin cancer. Eye effects include photokeratitis, photoconjunctivitis, cataracts, photoretinal damage and burns.

What happens if you don't wear glasses during laser hair removal?

Protecting Your Vision:

The light emitted by laser devices is extremely intense and operates at specific wavelengths that can damage sensitive eye tissues. Direct or scattered laser beams can potentially harm the retina, leading to temporary or even permanent vision issues.

Is laser FDA approved?

The FDA Stance on Laser Therapy

This clearance signifies that the FDA recognizes the therapy as safe and effective for specific uses, including pain reduction, inflammation reduction, and enhanced tissue healing.

Which organ is most vulnerable to laser injury?

Eye (top) The major danger of laser light is hazards from beams entering the eye. The eye is the organ most sensitive to light.

What is the case of most adverse reactions after laser?

Hyper- and hypopigmentation after laser treatments are comparatively frequent complications, with hyperpigmentation occurring more commonly.

What are the 2 body parts most at risk from the dangers of lasers?

Improperly used laser devices are potentially dangerous. Effects can range from mild skin burns to irreversible injury to the skin and eye.

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