It’s absurd yet true that human bodies have hair follicles everywhere, and those hair follicles intend to grow hair. If you notice some tiny bumps around your nipples, they are nothing but hair follicles.
But for some people, things are not limited to having hair follicles alone as they experience hair growth in the breast area. In most cases, the hair on that region is thin and almost transparent, but some might be longer, thicker or coarser.
Hairy nipples are pretty standard in women; therefore, if you are surprised to see the growth of wiry hairs on your breast, you are not alone. The percentage of women having hairy breasts is unclear. Many women don’t find it comfortable to report it to their doctor.
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However, hairy breasts are not any cause of concern since, for most people, it is an expected change in the human body. But sometimes, hair growth in the breast region might need a doctor’s attention since it indicates a problem.
This article will help you learn about hair growth on your breast and how to remove them. We will also tell you when you should talk to a doctor.
What Are The Causes Of Hair Growth In The Breast Region?
Hairy breasts are pretty standard in women. But in some cases, there can be a few underlying causes that lead to breast hair growth. Most of the reasons are common sense. It is effortless to explain why hairy breasts are common.
Hormonal Fluctuations:
Hormonal changes are a common cause that triggers various symptoms, including dark breast hair. Pregnancy and menopause are 2 crucial stages of women’s lives in which hormonal changes occur, and during those times, breast hair growth becomes common. Women aged between 20 to 30 years also experience subtle hormonal changes that result in changes in their hair growth.
Over-Production Of Androgens:
Androgens are male hormones such as testosterone that can cause various symptoms, including unusual hair growth. However, other symptoms of overproduction of androgens include:
- Oily skin
- Acne
- Male pattern baldness
- Amenorrhea
- Increase in skeletal muscle mass
If any of the above symptoms are noticeable, you need to talk to a doctor immediately to get tested and check your hormone levels using a blood draw.
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Certain Medications:
Certain medications might bring hair growth as a side effect. Glucocorticoids and testosterone are some medicines that lead to hair growth in the breast region.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome:
PCOS, or polycystic ovary syndrome, is nowadays a pervasive problem among women, caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. There are several side effects of polycystic ovary syndrome, including:
- Irregular menstrual cycle
- Ovarian cysts
- Infertility
- Excessive hair growth in regions where hair growth is expected in men, including in the breast region
Cushing’s Syndrome:
Over-exposure to high levels of cortisol and glucocorticoid hormones can lead to Cushing’s syndrome. Overexposure can result from overuse of glucocorticoid medications or tumours in the brain, adrenal glands or lungs. Some of the symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome are similar to the symptoms of PCOS. And in Cushing’s syndrome, increased hair growth in the breast region and abnormal menstrual cycles are pretty standard alongside several other signs and symptoms.
How To Remove Hair From Your Breast Region?
Suppose you have any of the above-mentioned health conditions leading to hair growth in the breast region. In that case, the best way to control the growth is to talk to a doctor and get the necessary medical attention to treat the symptoms of those conditions. However, getting treated for all the abovementioned conditions may stop hair growth in the breast region with time. Still, those treatments cannot do anything with the existing hair growth.
However, many women prefer several hair removal methods to get rid of the appearance of hair on their breasts for cosmetic purposes.
We will tell you about the best possible hair removal options for removing breast hair.
Trimming
Trimming breast hair is not difficult if you have a good quality trimmer. Trimming makes much difference when you look at yourself in the mirror. Before trimming your breast hair with a trimmer, ensure all the tools are thoroughly cleaned. Before each use, you can clean the trimmer with a disinfectant or rubbing alcohol. If the hair on your breast is long and thick, you can prefer cutting the hair about a quarter inch using a set of scissors. This step will help you avoid causing any clogging to your trimmer. You will also get a better view of your skin and the direction of hair growth, which will prevent any possible accidents.
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Tweezing
Tweezing is an option for hair removal in which you can pull the hair out at an angle that goes with the hair’s grain instead of going against it. Tweezing helps in the complete removal of hair without breaking, and it also reduces the likelihood of ingrown hairs causing less damage to your hair follicles. But one must remember that in many cases tweezing or plucking hair stimulates growth rather than diminishing it. Especially if you have hirsutism, getting rid of unwanted hair around your breast region can be a big business and time-consuming. To safely trim your breast hair, use sterilised tweezers and always pull out the hair while maintaining the right angle.
Shaving
Shaving is an excellent alternative to trimming and tweezing. For a clean shave, you can use a gentle exfoliator to exfoliate the region from where you want to remove your hair. Exfoliation leads to removing dead skin cells or sebum clogging the hair follicles, providing your razor with a smooth surface to glide across. No matter how much hair growth you have in your breast region, you must lubricate your skin before shaving. This step of lubrication minimises friction. You can use a cream or a gel while shaving breast hair. It is always suggested to shave your hair in the direction of hair growth to get smoother results.
Waxing
Waxing is another standard breast hair removal method, but this can be a little painful in the breast region since the skin of our breasts is pretty delicate and sensitive. It is better to go for a professional salon service for waxing breast hair instead of doing it at home to avoid developing the risk of infection or ingrown hair after the procedure.
Laser Treatment For Removing Breast Hair
All the above-mentioned hair removal methods are pretty outdated and painful. Hence many women prefer laser hair removal to get rid of unwanted breast hairs. Not even women but men also undergo laser hair removal for their chest, and we will now discuss all the details about laser hair removal.
What Is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal is one of the most prevalent cosmetic procedures done worldwide. It uses highly concentrated beams of light into hair follicles. The pigment in the hair follicles, melanin, absorbs that light and gets destroyed. Women or men who generally desire to smoothen their breast region without bothering with recurring hair removal sessions now and then can opt for laser hair removal.
However, just like any other treatment procedure, it is not a simple decision to make while opting for laser breast hair removal for the first time. And one thing everyone needs to know about laser hair removal is that it takes more than one session to remove breast hair altogether.
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To understand why multiple laser hair removal sessions are necessary, you need to know how laser breast hair removal works.
- In laser, light energy of different wavelength target specific molecule in the tissues. Specifically, the melanosomes present in the roots of the hair are targeted.
- The light energy or laser is converted into heat energy that destroys the root leaving the surrounding skin intact.
- Since the melanosomes are highly concentrated within the hairs’ roots compared to the surrounding skin, it is easy for the laser light to target those specific tissues.
- Several laser hair removal sessions are necessary since some hair will regrow after the first session of the therapy, and the patients need to go for ongoing sessions to remove them altogether.
- The first session does not damage the hair follicle; it takes up to 6 treatment sessions to remove hair and retard the growth.
What Are The Types Of Laser Hair Removal For Breast Hair
- Laser hair removal promises to reduce hair growth by 90%. Then there are several laser technology used.
- Laser hair removal is appropriate for people looking for a long-term solution. Since technology is improving daily, laser hair removal services are becoming more affordable for average citizens.
- Diode laser, alexandrite laser, and Nd YAG laser are some of the market’s most commonly used laser technologies.
- A dermatologist or aesthetician decides what laser technology suits an individual patient’s skin type and hair thickness. Sometimes dermatologists may combine more than one of the above-mentioned laser technologies for better results. It is always best to get laser hair removal done by a qualified dermatologist.
- Laser hair removal has no long-term side effects for breast hair since this is a targeted light treatment, not radiation.
- Laser therapy generally targets the growing roots of the hair, which is rich in melanin.
- After the laser light destroys the hair root, the hair grows smaller and weaker and gradually gets removed permanently.
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What Are The Most Common Side Effects Of Laser Hair Removal?
Even though you are getting laser hair removal done to get rid of breast hairs, the side effects of laser hair removal are all the same as the side effects that occur when the laser is done at different parts of the body. However, most side effects of laser hair removal are minor and temporary. But if anyone experiences the side effects for a long time, they must consult a dermatologist.
Redness And Irritation: The targeted hair follicle is damaged in laser hair removal. And since different body reacts differently to this, many people might experience redness and irritation in the affected areas. During the laser hair removal session, the skin might sense a tingling effect, and after the treatment, the skin may appear slightly swollen.
This symptom is relatively short-lived, and the treated skin might look like the skin has just been waxed. Since the breast area is quite susceptible to other parts of the body, many dermatologists apply a topical anaesthetic to reduce discomfort.
The irritation derived from laser hair removal for breast hair eases after the initial reaction and within just a few hours of the treatment. Redness and swelling can be reversed using ice packs or a cool bath.
Crusting: Skin crusting is another common side effect of laser hair removal for breast hair. This is a minor issue but may cause inconvenience to many. Crusting can sometimes lead to scarring, and by using a moisturiser and taking good care of the treated area, a person can prevent any lasting issues from laser hair removal.
Changes In Skin Colour: Some people also notice minor changes in their skin colour, especially in the treated area of the skin. The skin colour may get slightly darker or lighter following the laser session. People with more delicate skin might experience dimmer pigmentation changes, while the opposite might happen to people with darker skin tones. These changes fade with time, and the skin returns to its usual manner.
Some Rare Side Effects Of Laser Hair Removal For Breast Hair
Though the following side effects are rare, one should know about them too before going for their first laser breast hair removal session.
Burns And Blisters: The risk of burns and blisters is there in laser breast hair removal. But such a thing happens only when laser therapy is not done incorrectly. With a qualified practitioner, burns and blisters can be avoided. The risk of accumulating burns and blisters is that high-heat lasers are used in laser hair removal. However, in many cases, dermatologists use a cooling device before starting the laser treatment to prevent the laser from burning the skin.
Scarring is typically not a side effect of laser breast hair removal. However, if anything goes wrong during the process, scarring can occur. With a qualified practitioner, you don’t need to fear scars. However, scars may arise if you don’t take good care of the treated area after the treatment.
Some Myths About Laser Breast Hair Removal
First, most people don’t think they would be comfortable going for a laser breast hair removal since they find it pretty tricky to talk about their breast hair openly with the dermatologist or aesthetician. However, that taboo has given birth to many unfounded myths surrounding laser breast hair removal, such as:
Laser Breast Hair Removal Causes Breast Cancer:
There is no evidence to justify the claim that laser breast hair removal can cause breast cancer. The lasers used in laser hair removal are designed to pass through the skin cells and target only the hair follicle within the skin. The lasers used in breast hair removal produce minimal radiation that is not harmful. There is also no evidence that laser breast hair removal causes skin cancer.
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Laser Breast Hair Removal Affects Fertility:
Again, not enough study confirms that laser hair removal affects fertility. The laser light emitted from the laser device can only penetrate the skin and does not reach any other organs. And therefore, laser hair removal is usually safe in sensitive areas like the breast.
Home Laser Kits Are Better Than Seeing A Dermatologist:
Multiple laser hair removal kits are available in the market for people who want to remove unwanted hairs from their best region without meeting a dermatologist. However, the results derived from those kits are modest, and home kits are not as powerful as medical devices used by qualified practitioners.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Laser Breast Hair Removal
How To Prepare For Laser Best Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal is an entirely safe process. Still, one must abide by certain restrictions before going for the treatment, such as avoiding swimming and over-exposure to the sun at least a week before the session, not tweezing, waxing or plucking the hairs from the breast region before sessions, and not applying any lotion, deodorant or sunscreen before the treatment. Moreover, during the consultation session, the dermatologist or the aesthetician makes the patient aware of all the necessary precautionary steps to follow before coming for a laser breast hair removal session.
How Long Does It Take For Laser Breast Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal targets the root of the hair, especially in its active growth stage. With time and repeated laser sessions, the hairs appear to be more delicate and less noticeable, and maintenance sessions are also required to preserve the results derived from previous sessions. Laser hair removal is a long process that might continue for 6 to 8 months for complete hair removal. In general, one session per month is suggested. If you are planning to start your laser breast hair removal treatment, show the dermatologist the complete hair growth to help them set treatment expectations from the beginning.
Is Laser Breast Hair Removal Painful?
Laser hair removal is a painless procedure because, in this treatment, light energy of different wavelengths is used and not radiation. The laser light penetrates more than 3 mm into the skin, and therefore it does not have any other body organ. The only precaution the patient needs to take during laser breast hair removal is to protect their eyes from laser light which the dermatologist does in the clinic.
How To Decide If Laser Breast Hair Removal Is Good For Me?
Before undergoing a laser hair removal session, the patient must go for a one-on-one consultation with the dermatologist to discuss the scope of the treatment and the possible side effects. After assessing your skin, condition, hair density, growth, and a few more necessary points, your dermatologist will let you know whether or not you are ideal for laser breast hair removal. Remember, no matter how safe laser hair removal is, it is not for everyone.
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Can I Do Laser Hair Removal Around Nipples?
Especially Nd YAG laser is excellent for removing darker hair around the nipple area. Since the sensitivity of the breast region is relatively high, the dermatologist might apply a topical numbing solution to make the treatment less uncomfortable. It is always suggested to find a board-certified dermatologist or aesthetician to remove hair from the breast region.
What Are The Cons Of Laser Breast Hair Removal?
There are specific side effects associated with laser hair removal regardless of the body part where it is being done. The common side effects are redness and irritation, crusting skin colour change, risk of skin infection etc. However, choosing a board-certified dermatologist for the procedure can avoid all the mentioned side effects.
Can I Go For Laser Breast Hair Removal During Pregnancy?
Indeed, laser hair removal on the breast region can be done when a woman is pregnant. However, during pregnancy, a woman’s body becomes more prone to experience more hair growth in the breast region due to hormonal fluctuations. Therefore it is best to wait until the delivery and the hormones in the body right themselves. Most doctors, anyway, suggest avoiding laser treatment for pregnant women.
Conclusion
Indeed, laser hair removal treatment is the best option for removing breast hair. A laser is a safe and secure procedure to banish all breast hair without facing any significant side effects or injury. The laser does not hurt or damage our skin or leave any marks. When done repeatedly, laser hair removal can permanently remove all breast hair.
One must not be disheartened if they have breast hair, as it is a common feature in many women. And that also does not necessarily mean you have to live with it. Start looking for a hair removal clinic and start your laser hair removal treatment today to have the hair-free and silky smooth breast skin you are longing for.
