To maximize the efficacy of laser hair removal treatments, it’s essential to adhere to some basic rules. These include not shaven the treatment area and not waxing or plucking at any point during treatment.
After your laser treatment, it is normal and an indication of success to find that hair has begun to fall out, an indicator that your treatment has worked.
Shaving
Many people mistakenly believe that one laser hair removal session will bring permanent results, eliminating their need to shave. While this goal may sound appealing, multiple sessions — and most likely annual follow-up visits — may be required in order to reach this end result. Hair grows at various rates and stages and lasers work best on actively growing hair. Furthermore, destroyed hairs must fall out gradually — something which can be speeded up by shaving the area prior to treatment.
After your initial laser session, some hair may still appear as though it were growing back, which is normal and an indicator that your treatment is working. Over time, they should be replaced by healthy follicles producing new growth – for best results exfoliate the treated area after this time to remove any damaged or dead follicles.
Before shaving the areas that were treated during your laser therapy treatment, it is essential that the skin has returned to being less sensitive. Shaving too soon could irritate it further and reduce effectiveness – optimal shave time is three days post treatment although some individuals can even go up to seven days without needing another session of shaving.
Avoid waxing and plucking the areas where laser treatments have taken place as this could increase hair thickness and darkening, diminishing their efficacy and making removal of pigmented hairs difficult.
When shaving, use a mild razor and apply gentle pressure. Too much pressure or using a dull blade can cause cuts or ingrown hairs. Also avoid shaving during hot showers or baths as these can irritate the skin; keep the water cool so as not to over-shave or cause cuts or ingrown hairs; as if using soap, your razor could slip and cut you more than necessary!
Waxing
As part of your laser treatments, it is common to experience some hair shedding. This is a sign that the laser is working. Be careful not to shave off newly fallen hairs as these will regrow quickly – an action which would negate the results of laser therapy treatments. For best results, exfoliate after each session in order to minimise unwanted hair growth.
If you choose to shave following laser therapy, it is wise to wait until your hair growth has stabilized before waxing the area in question and using lotions or moisturizers on it until redness and swelling have decreased.
Plucking, waxing and bleaching should not be conducted prior to or concurrent with laser treatments as these processes disrupt the pigment and root of hair follicles and prevent laser from effectively targeting them.
Additionally, before receiving laser treatments it is advised not to tan or use skin lightening creams which darken the skin as this could reduce its efficacy and impair laser treatments.
After receiving laser hair removal treatment, it is recommended to wait several days before shaving the treated area. This allows the hair to reach an appropriate length so the most powerful laser for hair removal can target it effectively.
After just a few laser treatments, you should notice a significant reduction in hair regrowth – in many cases no need for shaving at all! Depending on your hair’s unique pattern of growth, maintenance appointments should occur every four or six weeks at your laser salon.
Laser is more of a “hair reduction” method than one intended to permanently eliminate hair growth, with electrolysis remaining the only truly permanent method available today – but it requires time, money, and specialized technicians for maximum effect. For optimal results from Laser, all scheduled sessions must be attended in order to achieve dramatic reduction in size as quickly as possible – miss an appointment and your results could take longer and might even return!
Exfoliating
To achieve optimal results after laser treatment, exfoliation between sessions is vital in order to preserve them. Exfoliating helps remove damaged hair that has returned and also promotes gentle exfoliation that won’t irritate skin in that area. Exfoliate before your appointment (either the night before or day of), in order to target its most active growing stage when lasering will work more effectively.
Within days after laser treatment, it’s normal for your hair to start shedding; this is an indicator that the treatment was successful as the destroyed hairs will no longer regrow. At this time, avoid shaving the area in order to allow damaged strands to fall out naturally while exfoliating regularly can hasten this process.
Waxing or plucking should also be avoided between laser treatments, as this can decrease their efficacy. Lasers target hair roots directly; their presence allows the lasers to work effectively.
Once you undergo several laser hair removal treatments, you should notice a decrease in hair growth on your body – this means fewer shaves will likely be necessary and some individuals may even go months without needing to shave altogether!
Laser hair removal can be dauntingly effective; yet many people make the mistake of setting unrealistic expectations about it. Some believe a single session will do just the trick, yet multiple treatments are usually necessary in order to achieve permanent results. Therefore, keeping track of how often you shave will help determine the most efficient schedule for laser hair removal treatments.
Cool compresses
Laser hair removal has quickly become an effective solution to end the cycle of shaving, waxing and plucking unwanted body hair. This minimally invasive procedure involves passing a light beam through pigment in hair follicles to damage their bulbs; over time this causes hair follicles to stop producing new hair production and begin shrinking; it may require multiple sessions before reaching desired results; but there are ways you can prepare for your treatment in order to maximize its efficacy and lengthen its effects.
One of the best ways to prepare for a laser session is to shave the area you wish to treat prior to or on the day of your appointment. This will prevent thermal injury to your skin while also enabling the light beam to directly target hair follicles.
Waxing or plucking should also be avoided in the area to be treated, as this removes hair at its source, hindering its effectiveness.
Once your laser hair removal session is over, you should anticipate some redness or irritation in the treated area. It is common for this area to feel sensitive when exposed to direct sunlight and clothing rubbing against it; you can reduce this discomfort by applying a cool compress over it.
Misconceptions about laser hair removal often include the idea that one treatment will be enough to permanently erase the need for shaving. Though ideal results could take several sessions to achieve, as hair grows at various rates and stages and laser treatment works best when targeting actively growing follicles.
