Shaving several days prior to laser hair removal is essential in ensuring your skin won’t be too sensitive and reduce the chances of any potential grazes from treatment.
As part of your laser hair removal treatment plan, it’s also important to avoid plucking or waxing as this disrupts the natural cycle of your hair growth and makes lasers harder to access follicles.
Shaving
If you plan to undergo laser hair removal, it is crucial that you know how to prepare your body properly for it. Most medical practitioners will advise shaving the day or night prior to your laser appointment in order to maximize results and limit discomfort.
Shaving is often recommended prior to laser treatment because it exposes the hair shaft beneath, enabling laser light to more efficiently target and locate follicles. A high-quality razor should also be used to avoid shaving bumps which could potentially lead to infection.
After shaving close, skin can become dry, so it is recommended to moisturize immediately prior to receiving laser hair removal treatment. Sunless tanning products should also be avoided as these may negatively impact on results of laser treatment. Furthermore, exfoliation before an appointment should also be avoided, as this could leave skin sensitive or red following laser hair removal sessions and could increase number of sessions necessary for successful hair removal.
Waxing and plucking should also be avoided as these methods interfere with the growth cycle, potentially decreasing laser hair removal effectiveness. Shaving is the only effective method that does not interrupt this cycle and should be utilized as instructed by healthcare providers.
Be mindful that hormones, testosterone levels and other body changes can have an effect on hair development. Therefore, it is advisable to discuss your hormone health with your physician in relation to laser hair removal plans.
Once hair follicles have been destroyed by laser energy, they will naturally shed off of your skin over several days to weeks – an essential process necessary for its health. Light exfoliation may speed this natural process along.
Waxing
Shaving is a fast and effective way to prepare the skin for laser treatments, but it shouldn’t be used as the only form of preparation. Regular shaving can cause red bumps, breakouts and hyperpigmentation – as well as itching and irritation from running the razor over sensitive and delicate areas.
Waxing is both safer and more effective at eliminating unwanted hair than shaving alone, since it removes its root to stop future re-growth. Plus, with regular waxing sessions over time it may reduce hair growth so you need less frequent sessions!
Before scheduling a laser treatment appointment, it is essential that you avoid waxing or plucking the area being treated prior to visiting. Plucking and waxing pull out hair follicles from their roots, making it more difficult for laser beams to target them effectively. You should also refrain from tanning with fake tanners three to four weeks prior to having laser therapy treatment done.
Shaving before a laser appointment is permissible, though you should use only new blades in order to avoid bacteria build-up on them and exfoliate beforehand in order to clear away dead skin cells that might prevent the laser from reaching its intended destination: hair follicles.
Before coming in for laser sessions, it is also wise to refrain from applying lotions, oils, or deodorants, as these could obstruct access for the laser beam to reach hair roots. Furthermore, inform your laser professional of any medications you are currently taking as this could impede results.
Finally, wait at least six weeks since your last waxing session to schedule another laser hair removal appointment. This allows the hair to grow back enough so it can be targeted again by laser technology.
Over the six weeks, it’s important to use gentle fragrance-free soap and moisturizer that will leave your skin soft and healthy. Incorporating Starpil’s Ingrown Hair Serum into your post-wax regimen is also key in order to reduce inflammation or ingrown hairs after waxing. In conclusion, choosing between shaving or waxing is ultimately personal, so experimentation may be required in order to find out which method is the most beneficial choice for you.
Tweezing
People tend to avoid shaving their legs due to fear of razor burn, yet that doesn’t preclude laser hair removal treatments. Dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons advise against shaving too close before laser hair removal treatments as this will remove fragile top layers of skin which prevent the laser from burning them during their session.
Before seeking laser hair removal, there are a few key points you should keep in mind. First and foremost is to avoid waxing, plucking or using chemical depilatories in the weeks leading up to your appointment as this prevents laser targeting of individual roots of hair which would otherwise be invading its beam path. The laser targets hair from its source rather than trying to reach it through other methods like shaving.
Before arriving for your laser appointment, it is also crucial not to shave too closely. Doing so could result in accidentally cutting or nicking delicate skin being targeted by the laser and cause unnecessary irritation – this may even result in cancellation of an appointment!
On the day of your laser appointment, avoid shaving as this will remove layers of your skin that could interfere with its effects and could compromise results of treatment. If an appointment was planned for that same day, try to reschedule so as to not put your skin at risk.
As you begin laser treatments, it will likely become apparent that some hair grows back between sessions. It is important to keep in mind that this natural process should not be rushed along by using other forms of hair removal such as picking or plucking between sessions; such methods could damage skin tissue as well as hair follicles and make results less effective and take longer before reaching smooth skin.
Chemical Depilatories
Chemical depilatories differ from shaving and waxing by dissolving hair at its source, rather than from just its surface. Chemical depilatories usually contain thioglycolates which work by breaking disulfide bonds that secure hair follicles to disrupt disulfide bonds, making the hair weak enough for wiping off. Like all hair removal techniques, chemical depilatories provide only temporary results – since more hair will grow back after some weeks.
Depilatories should only be used on hair that is already short to avoid any skin irritation from this product. There are various forms available such as creams, gels, aerosols, roll-ons and powders; select one that best meets your needs and preferences or ask your dermatologist for recommendations on suitable options.
If you are planning to undergo laser hair removal, it is advised to forego other hair removal methods, particularly plucking and waxing, which pull the hair shaft from its root, possibly interfering with its effectiveness. For optimal safety purposes, it would be prudent to shave at least 24 hours prior to any scheduled laser appointments.
Your skin should also avoid being exposed to UV rays from sunlight, artificial tanning or tanning booths as this could increase sensitivity to laser’s light pulses and cause an adverse reaction. Tweezing or other methods that remove hair by its roots should be avoided, as they can damage or even destroy hair follicles. Finally, UV radiation could increase skin sensitivity to laser’s light pulses causing adverse reactions that could complicate treatment further.
Laser hair removal does not provide a permanent solution, however. For optimal results, you must maintain an active hair growth cycle by forgoing shaving, waxing and other forms of epilation between treatments – instead encouraging hair shedding through exfoliation using gentle cleansing agents or damp cloth. In order to maximize long-term success of this treatment plan, touch-up sessions with your dermatologist are also a necessity; they can determine how many sessions will be necessary in order to reach the level of reduction you seek.
