Laser treatments differ from waxing in that they damage hair follicles to inhibit new hair growth, making it essential not to pluck or wax between sessions.
At our clinic, our nurse will explain how long to wait between treatments depending on your skin type and target area. In order to get optimal results from our treatments, it’s also recommended keeping the treated area clean and moisturized while avoiding tanning beds.
Preparation
Though shaving does not require much prep, laser hair removal requires different considerations. Following a few key steps can ensure your laser treatment goes as smoothly as possible.
Before your laser session, we advise washing and exfoliating the area to be treated. This can help remove lotions, dirt and other impurities that could interfere with its energy. Be mindful not to exfoliate too harshly as this could cause cuts in the skin. Also avoid any products known to increase photosensitivity such as sunscreens, moisturizers or medications as this could impact on how effective it will be during treatment. A patient consultant can let you know if any current products you are using might impact it negatively.
Always inform your patient consultant of any medications you are taking as some can interfere with laser treatments or make you more sensitive to laser light. While you should continue taking any necessary medication if required, make sure you discuss this matter prior to scheduling any appointments with them.
Be careful to avoid shaving or waxing areas prior to undergoing laser hair removal as shaving will disperse its energy, potentially leading to burns. Also be wary of tanning in the months before receiving your treatment; although tanning might seem counterintuitive, pulling hair from its roots actually disturbs follicles and may cause pigmentation issues in the treatment area.
Prepare to invest multiple laser treatment sessions depending on the severity of your needs; typically it can take four to ten treatments to see results. We advise scheduling treatments on a regular basis to minimize future maintenance needs.
After your last laser hair removal treatment, you will see that hair in the treated area begins to fall out as a result of damage to follicles caused by laser pulses. While most hair may shed completely within three to five days, some could take longer. It is best to treat shedding gently by applying thin layers of aloe vera ointment several times daily to treat shedding hairs gently.
Treatment Area
Laser hair removal can be performed almost anywhere on the body, though it works best on areas with dark, coarse hair. Sun exposure or tanning beds should be avoided before and after your session; if necessary, broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 protection or higher should be worn to protect yourself in sunlight.
As your skin around hair follicles is very sensitive to light and heat, treatment should only be undertaken by an experienced laser technician. They will conduct a careful assessment to see if laser treatment is the appropriate choice for you and analyze your skin type before providing their services.
Heat energy delivered by lasers destroys stem cells in hair follicles, causing them to shrink and stop growing hair for the time being. But they may repopulate later once out of anagen phase – so regular treatments should be scheduled in order to maximize effectiveness.
Therefore, before each laser hair removal treatment session you should shave the area to be treated. Shaving removes hairs above the skin’s surface which enables laser hair removal treatments to more precisely target pigment of hair follicles. However, plucking or waxing are not advised prior to laser hair removal sessions as it could cause burning to skin during treatment sessions.
Through multiple laser hair removal treatments, hair in the treated area becomes much finer and thinner, typically within three to five days after their treatment session.
Dependent upon the nature and pace of your hair growth, more than four laser treatment sessions may be required for desired results. Most individuals require at least six laser sessions in order to see significant reductions in hair growth. After your full course has been completed, maintenance top-up treatments every 3-12 months (depending on individual hair growth cycles) should ensure lasting success of results.
During Treatment
Laser hair removal uses light to selectively destroy hair follicles with laser beams, heating their melanin pigment and killing off their root follicle. Once destroyed, no hair will ever grow back from it again and only finer and thinner hair may regrowth elsewhere; leaving behind smooth skin free from stubble and other imperfections.
At treatment sessions, clients typically sit or lie down as their technician uses a hand-held device to move over their skin surface. Some individuals may feel slight discomfort in sensitive areas but most describe the sensation as similar to rubber bands flicking their skin.
Numbing cream or cold compress can help alleviate any uncomfortable sensation after laser hair removal treatment, while some individuals may also experience temporary swelling at the treatment area; this should resolve within 24 hours and won’t require repeat sessions later on. Some individuals may require follow-up sessions in days or weeks following their initial laser hair removal sessions for maximum effectiveness.
For optimal results, it’s essential that sessions be scheduled according to how hair grows; multiple correctly-timed sessions may be needed in order to achieve your desired goals; this is particularly true in cases involving stubborn or sensitive areas like facial and private parts hair removal.
Avoid plucking, waxing or other methods of hair removal between sessions. While shaving the treatment area may help prepare it for laser hair removal, it should not be done during or immediately following laser hair removal as laser needs the hair follicles to be in their growing phase and shaving only removes surface-level hairs.
Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher should also be applied liberally over the treated area in the weeks after laser hair removal treatments to minimize risk for hyperpigmentation complications and promote healing. In order to do this, gently exfoliate and wash with aloe vera ointment several times daily without excessive rubbing – excessive rubbing may open up treatment sites, increasing scarring or infection risks.
After Treatment
After your laser hair removal treatment, your skin may appear darker or thicker due to hair follicles being destroyed during treatment. Please keep in mind that results won’t become visible for one to three weeks depending on hormonal levels in the body and amount of hair being removed – these processes vary between individuals based on personal factors and amount removed.
Importantly, it’s also essential that you recognize that getting permanent results may require multiple treatments over time. Although some patients only require one or two sessions, others may need six or more depending on the color or darkness of their skin and how much hair is being removed from an area.
Before every appointment, if possible, shave the area to avoid overgrowth. However, it’s wise not to shave right before an appointment as doing so can irritate treated areas and allow more energy from laser treatment to penetrate into hair follicles, leading to less effective treatments overall.
After receiving laser hair removal treatments, it is crucial that patients wear sunscreen with at least SPF 30 protection and refrain from tanning beds for at least two weeks after each appointment. This will protect the treated areas of skin from becoming sunburnt – which could leave it more sensitive and susceptible to side effects post procedure.
Before scheduling an appointment, it is also wise to discontinue use of skin products containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retinol that could increase photosensitivity – this makes it more difficult for the laser to target hair follicles and destroy them. Natural organic products should be utilized whenever possible if possible as natural and organic options will reduce these ingredients further. Upon healing after your session is completed it’s also wise to wait several days before shaving treated areas so as to allow your skin to recover naturally before doing this allowing its natural ability.
