Hair growth is a natural part of life; however, you should refrain from pulling out these new follicles as this could damage their development.
Pulling out hairs deprives the laser of something to target and can alter your treatment plan. Waxing and tweezing may damage hair roots further.
1. It will irritate your skin
Laser hair removal employs light beams to destroy hair follicles, thus inhibiting further hair growth. Unfortunately, however, laser treatments don’t fully destroy all the hairs; some will continue growing back after treatment has concluded; these regrowth may include resting stages called telogen that don’t show on your skin’s surface, and pulling these out would likely interrupt their natural shedding process and cause skin irritations.
Allowing hairs to fall out naturally over a period of weeks or months is usually best, to prevent accidentally pulling them out by accident. Unfortunately, this process may take months – particularly for patients with sensitive skin – but if this proves uncomfortable for you it may help to use gentle exfoliants on the area in question rather than harsh peels and aggressive scrubs which could irritate it further.
If you choose to exfoliate the area, make sure not to do it too frequently as overdoing it could lead to breakouts and dryness. Also it’s advisable not to use other hair removal methods such as waxing and plucking in the weeks leading up to laser therapy as these processes remove hair roots, hindering its effectiveness.
Avoid this hassle by shaving 24 hours before your laser hair removal session; this will allow the laser to focus its beam more precisely on follicles that need targeting by laser light.
If you’re planning laser hair removal, ensure you set aside at least six weeks between treatments to allow your skin to recover between sessions, thus improving results and minimizing side effects. Also make sure not to tan, which increases risk for hypopigmentation and burns.
Laser hair removal works best on people with dark hair as the contrast between skin and hair makes it easier for laser to target both. Unfortunately, however, pregnancy hormonal changes may make the procedure ineffective as additional hairs grow unexpectedly in unwanted places.
2. It will slow down the shedding process
Hair shedding after laser treatments is common and necessary in order to ensure effective future treatments. This occurs as heat energy causes hair follicles in their anagen (active growth phase) to die due to heat energy applied by laser beams, releasing dead hairs into your skin over the course of several weeks as they release their hold on them and release them naturally through your pores. The goal of this shedding process is to ensure all unwanted dead hairs have been completely removed from your body so future treatments will be as successful as possible.
If you encounter hairs that haven’t yet shed, it is crucial not to pull or prick them in any way. Doing so could disrupt their natural growth process and force them into an extended telogen stage that reduces chances of successful laser treatment in future.
One way to speed up the shedding process is to exfoliate your skin twice every week after treatments, in order to remove dead skin that might be holding hairs in place and stimulate follicles to move through their growth cycles more rapidly.
Care should be taken not to scrub too hard as this could irritate the hairs and cause them to start growing back early. Furthermore, shaving the area will prevent hairs from falling out as well as interfere with laser treatments which depend on intact locks to target. Also note that shaving only removes tips of hairs without fully eliminating their root presence, so wait until after your shedding process has ended before shaving again; this will allow all hairs to completely shed for smooth results.
3. It will increase the risk of infection
Laser hair removal works by targeting dark pigmented follicles with beams of light that heat them, damaging their bulb, bulge and vascular supply and stopping new hair follicles from producing new growth. After multiple treatments, hair production ceases altogether while ingrown hairs may also decrease as laser treatments help stop hair breaking off at the skin surface.
Laser hair removal treatments may seem permanent; however, over time the hair follicles will regrow and you will need repeat sessions. Furthermore, these procedures may leave your skin vulnerable and it may take some time for it to fully recover; until that time arrives it’s important not to tweeze or wax that area until its healing process has completed.
After laser hair removal, people often experience ingrown hairs in areas prone to them like the groin, bikini line, and underarms. Ingrown hairs occur when hair follicles become entangled with one another and unable to break free of their connection to skin; they can be painful, irritating, and unsightly; however there are ways to avoid ingrown hairs such as refraining from shaving, plucking or waxing these areas regularly.
If you choose to shave or trim the treatment area yourself, use an electric razor without blades as shaving can cause painful splinters and ingrown hairs. Professionals are best placed to take on such work. Be wary when applying sunless tanners in this area as this could darken skin further, limiting how well the laser reaches underlying hair follicles.
As well, avoid depilatory products or waxing the treatment area as this could interfere with laser hair removal results. Instead, opt for loofahs or gentle washcloths to gently remove dead hairs from treated areas – any attempt at hastening this process by scrubbing or tweezing could thwart treatment as you pull out healthy follicles that were left alone by laser light treatment.
4. It will speed up the regrowth of hair
Laser hair removal treatments often result in hairs falling out post-treatment, indicating they were successful. In most cases, those in the anagen phase of their growth cycle will shed, as heat from the laser heats up their pigment and destroys it – blocking further unwanted growth of unwanted hair. Meanwhile, those left in their resting or telogen phase will continue growing until eventually stopping altogether.
After laser hair removal, the shedding process may take anywhere from several days to several months or longer. It is important to remain patient during this period and do not attempt to speed up this natural process by scrubbing, shaving, plucking or waxing your skin as this could cause further irritation while hindering full healing of damaged follicles. It is also wise to protect the treated area from direct sunlight exposure or harsh soaps while waiting for hairs to naturally fall out on their own.
If you notice hairs that haven’t fallen out within several days, gently exfoliating can help facilitate their removal faster. Scrubbing the area can cause irritation so a gentle scrub such as KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub that contains 10% AHA may be best.
Your skin can also benefit from exfoliation with the use of a loofa or soft cloth to speed up its shedding process, although this should only be done no more than twice weekly and never prior to laser sessions. Picking or tweezing may irritate skin conditions that have healed from laser treatment and prevent proper healing afterward.
Important to keep in mind is the fact that it will take at least four or six treatments before seeing results; any hormonal fluctuations could prompt new hairs to grow between sessions requiring touch ups at LH Spa & Rejuvenation when necessary.
