A Case Study into the effects of light-based Hair Removal on male sperm
Introduction
It is commonplace nowadays for men to seek the removal of hair from their man bits. The reasons vary and are irrelevant.
Surprisingly though, there is little information - at least none that is searchable in the public domain - about the effects of light-based hair removal on fertility in men.
Case Studies
As someone actively working in the industry, and without an authority of reference, I realised that my only available course was to conduct case studies to determine the effects of light based treatments on sperm count, and that the only way I could do this ethically and reliably, was on myself.
CASE STUDY 1: I performed the first series at Body Sync (now Man Thing) in Brisbane between September 2006 and April 2007. I performed a full treatment each month of penis, scrotum, perineum, anus, and pubis. For this series of tests, I used an air-cooled Chromolite S IPL machine at 30 Joules with a universal skin filter. The result which I measured was sperm concentration. Samples were collected 2 days after each treatment and tested by Queensland Medical Laboratories.
CASE STUDY 2: With the advent of more high powered machines and better filters, I performed a second series of case studies in late 2009. Additionally, I wanted to measure total sperm count as well as concentration to test for the effect on fluid volume. The areas treated were the same as the first test, however conducted one week apart instead of one month. As I had scheduled a vasectomy in December, the prospect of harming my sperm was of no concern, while presenting the perfect opportunity to create the most extreme scenario. For this series of tests, I used an air-cooled GSD 666 PTF machine at 60 Joules and no skin filter.
2006 Case Study
Prior to first treatment:
20.5 million
September 2006:
19.5 million
October 2006:
18.5 million
November 2006:
19.0 million
December 2006:
20.0 million
January 2007:
20.0 million
February 2007:
21.0 million
March 2007:
19.5 million
April 2007:
19.5 million
2009 Case Study
Prior to first treatment:
19.5 million/300 million
9 October 2009:
19.5 million/300 million
16 October 2009:
16.0 million/250 million
23 October 2009:
17.0 million/255 million
30 October 2009:
17.0 million/240 million
6 November 2009:
18.5 million/320 million
13 November 2009:
18.0 million/280 million
20 November 2009:
20.5 million/290 million
27 November 2009:
19.0 million/290 million
In the first case study, there is little fluctuation. Of note however is that the setting was low, and on a beauty grade IPL machine using a very strong filter.
In the second case study, there is a marked decrease after the second treatment then a return to normal levels over subsequent treatments. Of note in the second study is that treatments were fast tracked to a week apart instead of a month, and that the setting was very high without any filters, and on a high powered medical grade machine.
This was an extreme and painful and risky test that no responsible therapist would dare replicate on a member of the public.
Conclusions
The results indicate a temporary reduction in sperm count and volume following a light-based hair removal treatment, then an eventual return to normal, not too dissimilar from the effects of sitting in a hot bath. The results need to be read in context though. These case studies were conducted on only one person who had high range sperm and volume counts to begin with.
Other Observations
Since 2005, I have conducted several thousand genital hair removal treatments on men. Many of these clients fathered children during their course of treatments and/or afterwards. None have informed me of an adverse reaction in regards to sperm count, sperm volume, pain, or penile dysfunction.
Summary
While the findings of my case studies combined with observations of clients who have undertaken treatments indicate no significant negative impact on the health of sperm, the purpose of this article is not to suggest that light based treatments are completely safe, or that they may have the opposite effect and improve your sperm count. Both are suppositions and unfounded.
Indeed this article is not intended to convince you one way or the other about receiving a genital hair removal treatment. The decision is yours alone and should not be taken lightly.
If you have doubts or reservations, Manzilian Waxing is another option to consider.
