The Smooth Edit

Science Writer · Editorial staff

Paloma Eriksen

Reports on safety, side effects, and informed consent in laser hair removal.

4 stories by Paloma Eriksen

A clinician gently examining the skin of a patient's forearm under soft daylight in a dermatology officeDispatch

Laser hair removal side effects: what is normal, what is not

Redness and bumps are expected. Blisters and pigment change are not, and both are avoidable.

· Paloma Eriksen · 6 min

A pregnant woman in soft knitwear resting her hands on her belly by a bright windowField Notes

Laser hair removal during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Why clinics ask you to wait, and when it is fine to resume.

· Paloma Eriksen · 5 min

A focused diode laser handpiece and a broad intense pulsed light handpiece side by side on warm fabricDispatch

IPL vs. laser for hair removal

They are not the same technology, and the difference shows up in results.

· Paloma Eriksen · 6 min

A licensed aesthetician guiding a laser hair removal applicator across a patient's lower leg in a clinicField Notes

How laser hair removal actually works

The melanin target, the growth-cycle catch, and why it takes several sessions.

· Paloma Eriksen · 6 min

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