From the Research
You can provide a letter stating your patient is on Fluoxetine 20 mg for laser hair removal clearance, as there are no significant contraindications between SSRIs like Fluoxetine and laser hair removal procedures. While some medications (particularly photosensitizing drugs like tetracyclines, retinoids, or St. John's Wort) can increase skin sensitivity to light-based treatments, SSRIs are not generally considered to cause clinically significant photosensitivity that would interfere with laser hair removal 1. The letter should simply document the medication without making specific claims about safety, as this allows the laser technician to follow their facility's protocols.
It's worth mentioning to your patient that they should inform the laser technician about all medications they take, as the technician may perform a test patch to ensure no adverse skin reaction occurs. If your patient experiences unusual skin sensitivity, they should report this to both you and their laser treatment provider. Laser hair removal has been shown to be safe and effective in various studies, including a recent network meta-analysis that found diode laser to be effective in reducing hair count with minimal side effects 2. Additionally, a study on the safety and efficacy of laser hair removal using a 755 alexandrite laser found no significant differences in hair reduction rates between single pass and multipass emissions, with minimal side effects reported 3.
Overall, the current evidence suggests that laser hair removal is a safe and effective procedure, and SSRIs like Fluoxetine do not pose a significant risk of adverse interactions. However, it's always important to exercise caution and monitor for any potential side effects, especially when combining medications with light-based treatments.