Laser hair removal works most effectively when light beams can directly target hair follicles. Waxing causes hair to come out from its roots beneath the skin, rendering laser sessions ineffective and leaving lasers without an appropriate target to attack.
Permanent results typically require multiple treatments spaced four to six weeks apart; however, hormonal fluctuations may cause new hair growth in between treatments.
Shaving the day or night before your appointment
Shaving can leave your skin dry and irritated, which could hinder the effectiveness of laser hair removal treatment. Laser treatment relies on strong light beams that target individual hair follicles. If these follicles cannot be seen by the laser beams, its ability to do its job will be severely limited; to maximize success for these sessions it is therefore imperative that you shave at least 24 hours prior to an appointment and avoid waxing or plucking in between sessions.
Waxing and plucking both pull out hair roots, making it impossible for laser treatments to reach its follicles – thus leaving hair growing back after your sessions have concluded. However, shaving offers an alternative that safely eliminates only the surface-level hair growth on your body.
Although shaving can be used as a safe preparation method for laser treatment, excessive shaving may cause problems. Depending on which area is being treated, shaving may leave small scratches on the skin’s surface that require several days to heal; these should not be considered serious and are an integral part of healing processes; nonetheless it is essential that any areas being treated be left alone until fully recovered before any additional shaving takes place.
Before your appointment, avoid products which increase photosensitivity such as sunless tanning products, retinol and benzoyl peroxide – these ingredients can make your skin more sensitive to laser treatments and make laser sessions less effective. If in doubt as to what products may affect this sensitivity level, consult your dermatologist.
Once your series of laser hair removal treatments has concluded, you should notice that any hairs that regrow are finer and sparser than they were before treatment – an indicator of successful laser hair removal sessions and that you may eventually reach hair-free results. It is best to wait two weeks after healing has occurred before attempting further shaving sessions as shaving too early can result in irritation, scarring or hyperpigmentation of your skin.
Exfoliating the day or night before your appointment
If you’re considering laser hair removal, exfoliation the day or night before is crucial in order to remove dead skin cells and lower the risk of burns during your session. Also it’s a good idea to avoid tanning the week leading up to your appointment as this increases hyperpigmentation after treatment; so lathering on SPF every day during this period in order to protect your skin from sun damage.
Shaving is not recommended prior to laser treatment sessions, but you should do it carefully and without plucking or waxing because that can damage follicles and prevent the laser from treating them effectively. Also, shaving at least 24 hours in advance allows it to target only hair root without harming surrounding skin cells.
Exfoliation should also take place the night or day prior to any session, in order to remove dead skin cells and reduce the risk of bruising. Use a gentle razor when shaving in the direction of hair growth as this can cause ingrown hairs. In addition, avoid any products containing scent or creamy textures on this area, as these could potentially irritate during treatment.
After your laser treatment, you may experience discomfort or redness in the area that was treated. To ease these effects, use cold compresses or take an over-the-counter painkiller, while applying soothing cream can also help. In certain instances, doctors may recommend prescribing steroid cream.
After receiving treatment, it’s also important to avoid direct sunlight as this can increase hyperpigmentation and damage your skin further. Make sure you use an SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen each day as protection from UV rays; additionally it would be wise to avoid tanning beds and self-tanners altogether.
Laser hair removal sessions take time, but you should see results after three or more months. After these appointments, there should be a noticeable reduction in both the amount and rate at which hair grows back.
Avoiding the sun for two weeks before your appointment
Before laser hair removal treatments begin, it is advisable to avoid sunbathing or tanning as your skin will be at its most fragile. Laser light targeted towards hair pigmentation could potentially interfere with its targeting process and lead to burns, hyperpigmentation, or an uneven color tone resulting in unsatisfying results.
At your appointment, it is essential not to apply lotion, cream or makeup in any form that could act as an obstacle in targeting hair follicles with laser therapy.
Shaving prior to or the night before an appointment can also be beneficial, as this removes dead skin cells that could interfere with the laser and cause burning sensations, while simultaneously helping reduce risk of razor bumps or burns later on. However, post-treatment shaving is best avoided since light from laser can only reach hair follicles directly and not damage surrounding tissue; shaving too soon could make reaching them impossible.
Though most people can undergo laser hair removal without issue, it’s essential that you inform your practitioner about any health conditions or medications you take – for instance tetracycline and doxycycline antibiotics can increase photosensitivity; in other words, your body becomes more vulnerable to sunlight than before.
Note that laser hair removal requires more than just one session in order to be successful; you should schedule multiple four to six week interval sessions as part of a comprehensive treatment program, and even annual touch ups after that may be necessary in order to keep unwanted hair at bay. As opposed to shaving, which requires daily maintenance, this method of hair removal is much more convenient and time-efficient. Maintenance treatments required are significantly fewer than waxing or threading, and can effectively address ingrown hairs, inflamed bumps and other common issues associated with traditional methods. Plus, unlike these other hair removal techniques, laser hair removal doesn’t hurt at all! Unfortunately, its only drawback is its cost; but this remains far cheaper than buying and maintaining an entire wardrobe of razors and shaving creams!
Avoiding tanning for two weeks after your appointment
Tans can interfere with a laser’s ability to target hair follicles, so tanning should be avoided for two weeks prior to an appointment. If necessary, make sure to lather on SPF and wear protective clothing such as wide-brim hats and long pants to shield yourself from UV rays. Exfoliate before getting tanned so it becomes less sensitive for treatment later on.
Shaving several days or the night before an appointment will help the laser target hair follicles more directly, and prevent thermal injury to the surface of your skin. Be careful – too close shaving could damage skin or lead to razor bumps! Additionally, moisturizer can impede results so it’s wise not to use one when shaving.
At some point during your session, you may notice that some hair has shed immediately following treatment – this is a normal reaction and shows that the treatment has worked! Please be patient – some damaged strands could take up to one week for their natural shedding process to take place!
Before your laser hair removal appointment, it is advisable to refrain from tanning for several days afterward as UV rays from the sun can damage skin permanently and interfere with treatments. Lotion or self-tanner should also not be applied directly on treated areas, while plucking, waxing or bleaching methods could disrupt hair follicles which would then interfere with treatment.
Your treatment time could last anywhere from minutes to an hour or more, depending on the size and location of your area of concern. Following each session, redness and swelling are likely; though this can be uncomfortable at times. In order to achieve lasting results, multiple sessions may be required; your practitioner will inform you how many appointments will be necessary during their consultation appointment.
