Ipl hair removal after breast cancer

Hi Sj54,

Thank you for getting in touch with Macmillan Cancer Support and welcome to the online community.  My name is Kelly one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists.

I understand that you have questions about whether it is okay to have IPL hair removal treatment while taking tamoxifen.

There appears to be no research that I could find  looking at the use of this after breast cancer so it’s difficult for us to confirm if  IPL hair removal treatment is okay for you to do or not. 

Limited studies have been done about its use after skin cancer and it is generally considered safe.  It may not be effective for everybody.

However, there may be concerns if you were using this after chemotherapy or around  areas which have been  actively treated with radiotherapy.  The skin in general may be more sensitive or prone to damage and that undergoing any form of laser or light therapy for hair removal may potentially aggravate any sensitivity in these areas. 

It’s also unclear if this would be suitable for people with certain skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or infections.

The advice is to always discuss the use of IPL hair removal treatment with a healthcare professional such as your consultant or breast care nurse.  As they are directly involved with your care and have access to all your medical information, they are best placed to give the reassurance you are looking for.

I can see that you have joined our breast cancer forum.  Sometimes the support here can be invaluable as other women share their experiences of managing side effects of treatment including hormone therapy.

I hope this information helps.  Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if needed.

Best wishes,

Kelly

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts.  Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

Ref/KA/GHi

Thank you for your reply. I didn't need chemotherapy and my radiotherapy was nearly 2 years ago now and nowhere near where the light treatment goes.

It was more to do with the tamoxifen but I have had one treatment with no adverse reaction and will only be going monthly

I will post in the other forum. As you mention it doesn't always work