Your skin naturally sheds old cells every 28-30 days. Unfortunately, when these dead cells combine with sebum, makeup or other impurities they can block pores, leading to dull skin and breakouts.
Use cooling aloe gel or lotion to relieve redness, swelling, and itching. A cool shower or bath may also be beneficial.
1. Wait at Least 24 Hours After
Those seeking laser hair removal treatments should first wait 24 hours before exfoliating. This is because laser beams work best when used on skin that is free from oils and debris; exfoliation prior to this point risks cutting into your skin, rendering it less responsive to laser light treatments.
Once 24 hours have passed, it’s safe to use an exfoliator provided you abide by certain guidelines. Most importantly, don’t exfoliate immediately after laser hair removal as this could cause irritation and sensitivity; rather, exfoliate a few times per week in the weeks following your appointment to promote hair shedding faster and prevent ingrown hairs.
To exfoliate, a gentle scrub or body wash with soft sponge or washcloth will do. Wipe in circular motions across your area. Salt scrubs or rough exfoliators that use rough grains should be avoided to protect sensitive skin from irritation.
Be careful when exfoliating, as overdoing it could result in burns or ingrown hairs. To avoid an unpleasant mistake such as this one, exfoliate only several times weekly and always opt for gentle exfoliators.
Don’t forget to moisturize! Your skin may become dry and flaky after laser hair removal sessions, making regular moisturization essential. We suggest using a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer with aloe vera or hydrocortisone in it to maintain skin hydration and keep you looking your best!
Are You Looking to Remove Unwanted Hair? At Spring Street Dermatology in SOHO, Tribeca and Uptown NYC we would be more than happy to show you the benefits of laser hair removal services! Visit online or call us to schedule your consultation for our laser hair removal services and let us help you achieve a more permanent, hairless glow. We look forward to helping you!
2. Don’t Overdo It
Exfoliation should be an integral part of a daily skincare regime. However, immediately following laser hair removal treatments and for several days thereafter it’s wise to avoid overscrubbing because your skin could become sensitive and be easily irritated from excessive scrubbing; additionally this could also cause ingrown hairs – something not desirable after laser treatments!
Laser hair removal causes skin to look dark and thicker as its cells shed themselves, tempting people to shave or pluck at any new growth that appears after treatment. While doing this might seem tempting, doing so disrupts hair follicles and can result in ingrown hairs to form further down the line.
Instead, opt for a gentle manual exfoliator such as a loofa or scrub designed specifically for your skin type. Doing this will allow you to get rid of dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface of your skin more quickly while speeding up hair follicle growth cycles and speeding up shedding processes.
As part of the shedding process, it is vital not to shave or wax during this phase. Although it may be tempting, as some hairs appear longer and thicker than they should, shaving can actually lead to ingrown hairs which should be avoided at all costs. You can trim hairs to maintain an appropriate length but any attempts at tweezing or waxing could interfere with laser’s work and hinder its efforts of permanently eliminating unwanted hair in future.
After laser treatment, it’s wise to avoid applying extreme heat directly onto the skin, such as hot showers or baths, saunas and even hot tubs. Instead, opt for showering or bathing in lukewarm water instead. An ice pack may also be applied briefly after treatment if desired.
3. Don’t Apply Lotions or Moisturizers
After laser hair removal, it may be tempting to apply lotion or moisturizer as soon as it feels itchy. But touching or irritating treated areas could lead to redness and inflammation which in turn clogs pores even further.
At least 48 hours post treatment, it’s also important to avoid hot showers, saunas, steam rooms and any other heat sources such as saunas on treated skin. Exposure to such heat sources may irritate and increase hyperpigmentation risk – taking cool showers is recommended as this will help protect the treated area against further hyperpigmentation risk.
Another mistake after laser hair removal should be plucking, waxing or shaving the area treated. Doing this may disrupt the growth cycle and lead to early regrow. Instead, wait for natural shed of your hair; or speed it up by exfoliating with physical scrub. Exfoliation helps open clogged pores and loosen dead skin cells that could block hair bulbs from growing back in.
After laser hair removal, it’s also crucial to limit sun exposure as much as possible in order to protect your skin from hyperpigmentation, rash or severe sunburn. Luckily, it’s simple to protect yourself with sunscreen with at least an SPF 30 rating by reapplying regularly throughout the day.
If you have any inquiries about laser hair removal at Therapie Clinic or are considering it as a treatment, feel free to reach out! Our friendly specialists would be more than happy to answer all of your queries and start you on the path toward silky skin! We hope to see you soon!
4. Use a Gentle Exfoliator
Exfoliators are one of the key steps in maintaining healthy skin after laser hair removal, helping keep the area free of ingrown hairs and red marks fade more rapidly. Avoid harsh scrubs or abrasive exfoliators on your face; opt for one with finely milled particles that won’t irritate it instead.
Use a soft washcloth or loofah with an exfoliating body wash or scrub to gently exfoliate dry skin, using an exfoliating body wash or scrub as an exfoliator. Just be mindful to stay out of hot showers, baths or saunas for at least 48 hours after treatment as excessive heat can irritate skin. In addition, avoid using fragranced or scented soaps which could further irritate it.
Your skin will naturally shed dead cells after laser hair removal, but to speed this process up it is wise to use a gentle exfoliator. This will help avoid ingrown hairs while encouraging your follicles to remain healthy, thus eliminating hairs at their source.
Exfoliation after laser hair removal is possible, but only using a light manual scrub with micro-granules should be undertaken. You should limit yourself to exfoliating twice per week and avoid heavy, perfumed and chemical-packed soaps as these could irritate the skin as well.
Once your skin has healed, exfoliation should become part of your routine a few times each week to remove dry skin and help prevent ingrown hairs from returning.
When it’s time to exfoliate, choose a gentle scrub containing alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs). Glycolic and lactic acids, two common AHAs found in scrubs, can help break apart bonds that hold dull skin to the surface of your skin while simultaneously encouraging it to shed dead cells naturally.
AHAs can also be beneficial to those suffering from acne-prone skin as they will not cause irritation; just be careful not to overdo it, which could result in burning or stinging sensations. One great choice for these purposes is KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub which features finely milled pumice buffing beads for exfoliation without irritating skin; its formula also features glycerin, lactic acid, bisabolol to soothe redness and inflammation, among other ingredients.
