Is Laser Hair Removal Safe For Underarms?

By Brian Lett
10 Min Read

Unwanted armpit hair can lead to bumps, ingrown hairs, and razor burn. Laser hair removal is the safest and most effective solution to eliminating unwelcome armpit fuzz.

Ideal Image’s laser treatments for unwanted underarm hair removal provide safe, non-invasive ways of eliminating it – and after several sessions will essentially eliminate your need to wax or shave anymore!

Preparing for Treatment

Are You Tired of Shaving and Waxing Your Underarms, Or Seeking More Permanent Hair Removal Solutions? Laser treatment could be your answer. Safe for all skin types, this procedure will lead to decreased hair growth in treated areas over multiple treatments.

Though laser hair removal is highly effective, it does come with some discomfort. While you should expect redness and swelling at the site of treatment, an ice pack should help soothe any minor discomfort. Most often these symptoms will dissipate within several hours. During your consultation appointment it’s essential that you discuss your medical history with your laser professional in order for them to assess whether you qualify as a good candidate for laser treatment based on any current medications, including acne medication, supplements or birth control pills that you are currently taking.

Shaving is recommended prior to any laser appointment as this gives your skin an opportunity to absorb its energy. Be careful only to shave what is visible above the skin surface – too much shaving could reduce effectiveness as laser energy may not reach all hair follicles in underarm area. Furthermore, plucking or waxing the area prior to treatment could disturb hair follicles and reduce effectiveness.

Before getting laser treatment, it is wise to avoid tanning or using sunless suntanners in the area where laser treatment will take place. Such products can cause your pigments to darken, potentially interfering with laser therapy.

Arrive to your appointment with clean skin. Avoid applying any creams, oils or deodorant before heading in; if necessary use thick layer of sunscreen afterwards and wear loose cotton underwear as a safeguard.

As part of your laser hair removal treatment, protective eyewear must be worn to shield your eyes from direct heat from the laser beam. A technician will then guide the laser over your underarm area in order to target unwanted hair; each pulse of laser light targeted a specific hair in your armpit and destroyed it; however due to natural growth cycles of hair it will require multiple sessions in order to eradicate unwanted underarm hair completely.

During Treatment

Laser hair removal involves pressing a handheld device against your skin, typically equipped with either a cooling device or gel, against it and pressing against your body. Once activated, a doctor will use pulses of energy from a laser beam to target individual hair follicles and disrupt future hair growth – depending on the size and type of laser used, your procedure could take as little as 15 minutes or up to an hour depending on its effectiveness and how quickly or slowly treatment proceeds.

Laser hair removal may cause mild discomfort; however, compared with shaving or waxing. Some users might describe the sensation as that of rubber bands snapping against your skin; however, individual reactions will vary greatly.

Before having laser hair removal treatments, it is recommended to refrain from shaving the area that will be lasered, waxing and tweezing hair in this area at least two to three days before your appointment to ensure hairs remain as short as possible and do not interfere with laser treatments.

Before scheduling laser hair removal appointments, it is essential to select an experienced and suitably qualified practitioner. Before booking an appointment with any practitioner, check that they are registered on a body that ensures training, skill and insurance standards are met before scheduling an appointment.

As you progress with laser hair removal sessions, some redness or swelling might develop after each session. This resembles mild sunburn symptoms and can be reduced with cold compress applications regularly after treatments. Also important after laser sessions: Avoid direct sunlight as much as possible after each treatment and when outside use a broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen sunscreen to stay safe!

People typically require three to eight laser hair removal sessions in order to reach permanent results. Your specialist will evaluate your individual follicles and advise how many sessions may be necessary in order to reach those results.

Post Treatment

Laser hair removal can be your ally when it comes to getting rid of unwanted hair. Unlike waxing or shaving, which may lead to razor burn or ingrown hairs, laser hair removal provides a long-term and safe solution for eliminating those pesky body hairs that will only ever appear during tank top season.

Laser hair removal treatments require multiple sessions spaced about four weeks apart in order to ensure every hair targeted is at its appropriate stage of growth. Although individual results will differ, typically six to eight sessions will suffice.

Before selecting a treatment location, discuss which laser will be used and how your skin may respond. Your practitioner may advise avoiding tanning or sunless skin products in the days leading up to your procedure and taking shorter showers and baths while forgoing saunas and steam rooms.

After your procedure, your skin may feel irritated and red. To minimize irritation, wear loose cotton clothing and use a gentle moisturizer with soothing ingredients such as aloe vera gel to keep skin from becoming too dry; or apply a cold compress on top to help with swelling reduction.

Once your treatment is completed, it is normal for some dead hairs or stubble to appear on your underarms as a sign that hair follicles have responded positively to laser therapy. Over time these will fall out naturally; however, for faster results try exfoliating regularly or even exterminating to speed up this process.

Keep in mind that the skin under your armpits is considerably thinner than elsewhere on your body, making it more vulnerable to laser hair removal treatments. While you may experience some discomfort initially, laser hair removal offers permanent hair reduction solutions and will give you smooth and bare armpits all summer long!

After Treatment

Once your laser hair removal treatment has completed, avoid perfumes, detergents, and any products containing fragrance (e.g. deodorant) which could potentially irritate the skin, including harsh exfoliating body scrubs until after your treatment site has healed. It is also wise to forgo hot showers/baths (including sauna use) until your treatment site has recovered fully; excessive heat could burn the area and chemicals present in shampoos, conditioners, or soaps can also cause skin reactions.

Laser energy penetrates the surface of the skin, targeting pigmented hair follicles to destroy them and thus permanently or near-permanently reduce hair growth.

Select a qualified practitioner when choosing to undergo laser hair removal. Your ideal practitioner should be registered on an official list that ensures they meet certain standards regarding training, skills and insurance coverage; also ask about their experience treating areas you wish to address.

Laser hair removal requires multiple sessions in order to be most effective, which your specialist will determine depending on the color, coarseness and location of the unwanted hair. Most people require five treatments spaced four weeks apart in order to eradicate most unwanted hair.

As part of your recovery period from laser hair removal, it’s best to forgo shaving the area or using other forms of hair removal such as waxing or plucking – this allows the treated hairs to fall out naturally while decreasing irritation at the skin surface. Although hair may reappear between treatments, usually it will be thinner and lighter in appearance than before.

Laser hair removal is one of the most permanent solutions to unwanted hair, yet it doesn’t guarantee 100% permanent results. You may need touch up sessions as your hormones fluctuate throughout the year – these maintenance sessions typically occur every 4-6 weeks depending on hair growth and hormonal fluctuations to keep skin smooth and healthy looking.

Share This Article
Exit mobile version