People often opt for laser hair removal during the summer so that they can wear short-sleeved tops and swimwear more freely; however, it is essential to know how sun exposure may impact results.
As laser treatments can react negatively with fake tanning products like spray tans or body foundations, it’s crucial that any such use be avoided prior to treatments. This includes both sunless tanning products as well as foundations.
Time to Fade
Laser hair removal is an excellent way to get rid of unwanted body hair safely and effectively, regardless of skin tone or type. Although laser hair removal treatments are safe for all complexions including darker complexions, tanning your skin before receiving laser treatment can make the laser difficult to distinguish between your hair and skin, leading to less effective treatment and uneven results.
Those considering laser hair removal to eliminate any signs of summer skin should begin treatments in the fall. While it may seem counterproductive to skip out on some summer fun activities, now is actually an optimal time for laser hair removal treatments to start. Here’s why:
Tanned skin contains increased melanin, making it more difficult for lasers to differentiate between your hair and skin, leading them to instead target your tan instead. This may result in uneven appearance as well as burnt and itchy spots caused by tanning processes – which prolong healing processes as well as increase risk factors like hyperpigmentation or scarring.
Before and after laser hair removal sessions, it is crucial that you avoid tanning. A broad spectrum sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays should be used at least two weeks prior to treatment to ensure an even skin tone and the most efficient results.
Once your laser hair removal treatment is over, your skin may be particularly delicate and vulnerable to infection. As such, it is advisable to stay out of gyms, saunas, jacuzzis and swimming chlorinated pools or oceans for at least two days; similarly exfoliating products like body scrubs, shower loofahs or sponges should also be avoided until after healing has taken place.
Fake tan must be completely removed prior to any laser hair removal session. While you can use sunless tanning lotion between sessions, on the day of your appointment it must all be off of your skin and completely vanished from memory.
Self-Tanning
Everybody desires the post-vacation glow, but real sun-bathing can lead to serious skin issues in time – fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and cancer are just some of the potential side effects. Luckily, there are various sunless tanning lotions and sprays which offer similar colors without risk. Although self-tanners once had a poor reputation of leaving an orange stain behind them – formulas have advanced since those tangerine days; now producing results almost indistinguishable from natural skin tones!
Still, it is recommended to stop using self-tanners (including gradual and instant wash off tans, body foundations and shimmer bronzers) at least 10 days before receiving laser hair removal treatments in order to allow time for them to fade and possibly reduce risk of adverse reactions during laser hair removal.
Combining fake tanning and laser hair removal could have adverse side effects such as burning, scarring and hyperpigmentation. IPL light and the laser used for laser hair removal both target dark pigmentation on the surface of your skin; thus if there is any dark tan present it will also be targeted resulting in oversensitive skin for a short period.
To avoid this problem, it’s a smart move to exfoliate before applying self-tanner or other skin care products. Exfoliation helps rid dead skin cells, making application smoother and lasting longer. In addition, wearing loose clothing with enough breathing room is highly advised and being mindful about how you apply your tanner is important too.
Make sure to wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, especially on areas of skin to be treated by laser hair removal, including areas containing tattoos. Also consult your dermatologist about whether laser hair removal would be safe on that area of the skin before beginning this journey.
Sun Exposure
Laser hair removal can be used to effectively and safely eliminate unwanted body hair on lips, chin, arms, legs, chest, back and stomach areas. Lasers cannot be used on or near eyes or face due to safety reasons; while treatment is effective across most body areas it’s essential that sun exposure not impact treatment, and tanning before or after laser hair removal treatments is never advisable.
Before beginning any type of laser treatment, it’s essential that the skin be clean and free from makeup, lotions, oils, deodorant products, sunless tanning solutions or numbing creams; such items can increase side effects and make your experience uncomfortable. Furthermore, any physical activity which increases body temperature could trigger red and hot reactions on treated areas and impair treatment results.
Sunbathing or using sunless tanning products prior to laser hair removal treatments can dramatically increase the side effects and decrease efficacy, as the light from laser or IPL machines cannot find dark pigment in your follicles and destroy them completely – leading to additional sessions than necessary and longer recovery periods.
After laser hair removal, your skin becomes highly vulnerable to heat exposure from sunlight, leading to burns or hyperpigmentation on areas treated. We advise avoiding sunbathing or tanning for several weeks after your treatment if possible; otherwise we advise covering treated areas with shirts and using high SPF sunscreen (like Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense SPF 30) instead.
If you opt for tanning after laser hair removal, ensure you protect yourself with a tan-fade moisturizer and use exfoliating scrubs or aloe vera for speedier results. Although waiting may be uncomfortable and time consuming, it’s much preferable than experiencing painful burns or needing additional sessions than anticipated.
Sunless Tanning Lotion
These tanning lotions and sprays come in the form of mists, mousses and lotions containing Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), an active ingredient which reacts with amino groups on your stratum corneum layer to change its color in much the same way the Maillard reaction causes bread to brown when you cook it – producing a natural-looking tan that may last up to one week.
DHA has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an ingredient in externally applied cosmetics intended to give skin color. DHA is a three-carbon sugar found naturally in skin as well as in other mammals’ bodies and found as food ingredients such as marshmallows and chocolate. When applied topically, sunless tanning lotions and sprays give your skin an authentic golden-brown hue often mistaken for real sun tanning results.
Most sunless tanning products work by temporarily altering the epidermis layer of skin – typically the darkest area when sunbathing – through DHA in their product reacting with dead cells of epidermis layer that lie atop your natural tan. This temporary color change occurs due to DHA reacting with dead skin cells of epidermis layer on top of natural tan layer, creating temporary color change and producing temporary darkening effect.
Sunless tanning products come in many different forms, from lotions and mists to wipes for those on a tight schedule. Sunless tans can easily give skin an intoxicating tan within hours!
However, if you want to be hair-free during the summer and are planning IPL or laser hair removal sessions, it is essential that self-tanners be stopped on areas that will be treated by these methods in order to give enough time for your tan to fade and make laser treatments more efficient.
