Shaving can be an inconvenient and time-consuming task, but with regular laser hair removal sessions you may be able to reduce its frequency.
Consultations will help you to decide whether laser hair removal is suitable for you. Your consultant will suggest when it’s best to shave so that your hair has reached an appropriate length prior to treatment.
The day before
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective method for removing unwanted hair, but to get optimal results it’s essential to follow certain pre-treatment guidelines. Shaving, waxing and plucking should all be avoided prior to laser hair removal as these activities could compromise its efficacy. In addition, tanning or using skin lightening creams could darken pigmentation of your skin further making laser targeting of hair follicles harder.
If you plan to shave before laser hair removal, it is recommended that you do it the night before or day of your appointment to minimize surface skin damage from razor burn or rash due to shaving. Furthermore, electric or single blade razor shaving is suggested to decrease risk of ingrown hairs and minimize risk. Shaving too soon before treatment could mean hairs are too long to target effectively while shaving too soon after can cause irritation as healing takes place.
Once your laser hair removal session is over, it is wise to wait a few days before shave again. This allows the hairs time to naturally shed out of their follicles; what may appear as new growth may actually just be dead hairs attempting to push their way out from under the surface of their follicles. To accelerate the shedding process further, exfoliating can speed up this process significantly.
Your skin type and shaving schedule will determine when it’s best for you to start again, but speaking to a dermatologist first is recommended in order to make sure any new routine won’t hinder results. Your consultation specialist can recommend an ideal schedule tailored to you.
The day of
On both the night before and day of your laser treatment session, make sure that you shave or trim the area to be treated. This will eliminate long hair follicles that might interfere with light energy from laser treatments and thermal injuries to the skin. Exfoliation may also help ensure a closer, cleaner shave while decreasing risk of razor bumps.
Avoid waxing and plucking prior to your appointment as these forms of hair removal can irritate the scalp, leading to inflammation that interferes with laser treatments. Also avoid tanning sessions as tanning increases melanin pigment around hair follicles which could result in hypopigmentation.
Laser hair removal involves the application of a focused beam of light onto the pigment on skin and its bulb, heating the pigment and disabling the bulb to render hair follicle useless over time, leaving weakened and thinner follicles behind. Individuals should schedule multiple laser hair removal sessions in order to reach desired results; the frequency and number of sessions required depends on each person.
After just a few laser treatments, many people are able to stop shaving, plucking, and waxing as unwanted hair naturally falls out. You may need occasional touch up sessions in order to maintain desired appearance.
After laser hair removal, it’s advisable to wait several days before shaving the treated area again – this allows your skin to recover fully and avoid using other methods like threading or tweezing as these may also lead to unwanted results.
If you are uncertain when it is safe to shave after laser hair removal, reach out to Blissfusion | Encinitas for advice from our specialists. They are on hand to offer personalized advice so you can maximize the benefit from your treatment! Call now or schedule your consultation – we look forward to helping you break free from time-consuming shaving, plucking, and waxing routines!
The day after
Between laser hair removal sessions, it is vital that the area be cared for to achieve maximum results. Avoid waxing, plucking and shaving as these could compromise the efficacy of treatment and allow the skin to heal naturally while decreasing risks such as redness and sensitivity – both common side effects of laser treatments.
Before shaving again, it’s best to wait until all of the hairs have reached the anagen stage of their cycle – the active phase wherein hair grows visibly above the surface of skin and visible above all surfaces of skin. That is why laser hair removal appointments must take place 10 weeks apart to make sure all the anagen-stage hairs have entered into this phase of growth.
Shaving during this phase can disrupt the anagen process and cause hairs to grow back early, which will compromise the results of your treatment plan. If it is necessary, use only disposable razors or electric shavers with short blades; moisturizing shaving gel or cream is recommended to minimize razor burn and ingrown hairs.
On the day following your laser session, it’s normal for some of the damaged hairs to begin falling out; this is an encouraging sign that the treatment is working and will contribute towards improving future sessions.
After several days have passed, gently exfoliate the area to remove any remaining dead skin cells and prepare it for shaving again. Just be cautious not to irritate treated skin and don’t rub as this may only worsen existing sensitivities.
If you need advice about shaving after laser hair removal, reach out to Blissfusion | Encinitas today. We specialize in laser hair removal for both men and women looking for relief from waxing, shaving or plucking unwanted hair – book an appointment with us now!
The week after
Once redness, swelling, and itching have subsided, it should be safe to resume shaving as usual. Before proceeding though, be sure to touch and test your skin sensitivity; if any areas remain tender wait a day before shaving again as shaving too early may disturb healing processes or cause irritation.
Waxing or plucking hair immediately prior to laser therapy should also be avoided, since these techniques pull hair directly from its roots beneath the surface, leaving no place for laser beams to target follicles – and possibly making your treatment less effective! Furthermore, doing this could even harm your skin!
Exfoliating and using moisturizer that won’t irritate sensitive areas are great ways to keep skin healthy between laser sessions, and you should apply high SPF sunscreen whenever going outdoors to safeguard it against sun damage.
Your hair may continue to grow after laser therapy, though at a much shorter length than it was before. This is because hairs shed at random depending on their phase in the growth cycle – anagen, catagen, or telogen stage. As some hairs will come in while others shed, keeping track of when and how frequently shave is necessary is key in order to manage hair growth after each laser session.
Idealy, shaving should be avoided until all of your hair has fully regrown after your first laser hair removal session to maximize effectiveness of laser hair removal treatments. However, if necessary between sessions it’s best to use a razor designed specifically for sensitive skin with these tips in mind if shave between treatments is unavoidable. Additionally, laser hair removal isn’t an everlasting solution – regular follow up treatments must take place in order to achieve results; we advise booking sessions at least quarterly or twice annually in order to maximize effectiveness of laser hair removal treatments and achieve results! We suggest scheduling at least quarterly or twice annual laser sessions so as to maximize results of laser hair removal treatments!
