Table 1. Paradoxical hypertrichosis after laser hair removal

 

Light Source

Incidence

Location

Fitzpatrick Skin Type

Months / # of treatments until onset

Possible contributing factors

Level of Evidence

Reference

Long-pulsed diode laser

1/1

Upper back (M)

III

12 / 3

None identified

Case report

Bernstein et al [7]

Long-pulsed alexandrite laser

3/489 (0.6%)

Face (2, M/F)

Back (1, M)

IV

 ? / 6-11

?

Retrospective review

Alajian et al [11]

Intense pulsed light

5/49 (10%)

Face (F)

III

4-20 / 2-8

PCOS (5),

hormone therapy (3)

Retrospective review

Moreno-Arias et al [5]

Intense pulsed light

51/991 (5%)

Face (F)

?

? / ?

?

Retrospective review

Radmanesh et al [10]

IPL, long-pulsed alexandrite laser

30/750 (4%)

Face (28, F)

Abdomen (1, F)

Back (1, M)

II (4)

III/IV (26)

 

3-24 / 3-10

PCOS (1),

oral prednisone (1)

Retrospective review

Kontoes et al [9]

Intense pulsed light, long-pulsed alexandrite and Nd:YAG lasers

57/543 (10%)

Face (M/F)

III/IV > I/II

? / 3-10

Irregular menses/ovarian cysts (16)

Retrospective review

Willey et al [8]

Long-pulsed diode, alexandrite, and Nd:YAG lasers

8/75 (10%)

Face

?

? / ?

?

Retrospective review

Bouzari et al [6]

M, male; F, female; Nd:YAG, neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet; PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome