Shaving is acceptable; waxing and tweezing should not. They rip out hair from its source, diminishing laser treatments.
Your therapist will advise when it is appropriate for you to shave between sessions; it is essential that you adhere to his advice in order to maximize the efficacy of treatment.
Do Not Wax
Misconceptions about waxing between laser hair removal treatments often linger; however, this is simply not true – waxing can actually provide excellent hair removal between laser sessions. Shaving should still be avoided post-waxing for several reasons; see this list for details.
Before or during a laser session, shaving should be avoided because its action involves pulling hairs out directly from the skin and can reduce effectiveness since strong light beams are used to disable the follicles. Also avoid shaving or trimming cream use before and during your laser appointment.
Shaving directly after laser hair removal can irritate sensitive skin, potentially leading to razor burn, nicks, and inflammation. A gentle shaving gel will help ease these adverse reactions and minimize their negative side-effects.
Laser hair removal treatments often result in hair falling out within several days – not because of any laser therapy treatment but instead because the damaged follicles have died and shed out of your body naturally. You will likely notice lighter and thinner regrowth that could even grow back thinner than before.
Keep using a high quality electric razor with sensitive skin in order to avoid irritation, and maintain an at-home skincare regimen to support its health. Exfoliation is one great way of doing so as it removes dead skin cells that might clog the razor’s path across your surface and make shaving less irritating for all concerned.
Between laser treatments, it is wise to forgo other hair removal methods like waxing or plucking as these treatments interfere with its efficacy by pulling out hair roots that interfere with laser’s ability to target and destroy them. Furthermore, other forms of hair removal such as waxing or plucking could prolong recovery periods and diminish efficacy of procedures.
Do Not Bleach
Laser hair removal is an effective long-term hair reduction solution and far superior to shaving in terms of discomfort caused by frequent nicks, cuts, ingrown hairs and irritation. Laser treatments remove unwanted hair from its root without irritation, while some people may need to shave in between sessions (or until all their roots have been successfully eliminated) so it is essential to understand when and how often shave should take place so as not to compromise results of laser treatment.
Preparing for laser hair removal requires taking certain precautions. Plucking and waxing the area will be treated is inadvisable due to lasers targeting the roots of hair roots; thus preventing lasers from finding their target targets. While shaving right before laser hair removal appointments isn’t advised, shaving at least the day or night prior is highly advised.
As shaving removes hair above the surface of the skin, shaving will also lessen any risk of skin irritation caused by shaving treatments. Furthermore, before commencing laser treatments on any area, it is crucial not to apply makeup or creams as these could interfere with its results.
If you don’t shave before laser treatments, it is recommended that you wait at least three days afterward before trying again. This allows your skin to recover and reopen its pores; additionally it is wise to avoid shaving with razors containing blades as this could irritate it further and lead to redness and inflammation. After three days have passed, provided your skin has not become sensitive, you can resume normal shaving routine; but be careful not to apply shaving cream since this could interfere with quality shaving as well as cause an allergic reaction!
Do Not Apply Sunscreen
Ideally, to achieve more permanent hair removal through laser treatment, it is recommended to forgo sunscreen applications on areas of your body where laser treatments will take place. Sunscreen acts as a barrier against light that could impede its effectiveness; if using any form of protection it must have at least an SPF 30 rating and should be applied regularly.
After laser hair removal, it is advisable to limit sun exposure and tanning beds as this could increase your risk of hyperpigmentation or suffering a severe sunburn. Your skin can become particularly delicate following laser treatment and prolonged sun exposure may damage and irritate it further.
Shaving is an excellent way to manage unwanted body hair between laser treatments, as it doesn’t disrupt hair follicles like waxing and plucking do. Following laser hair removal sessions however, shaving should be limited – only shaving the areas which require it – in order to reduce irritation and possible skin damage caused by shaving immediately post-laser hair removal sessions.
Although not strictly necessary, after laser hair removal it is wise to wait until the new growth appears before trying again to eliminate the hair. This will ensure that no further follicle damage or disruption occurs that could reduce its efficacy on subsequent sessions.
If you choose to shave, it is recommended to use a razor with close shave and to avoid electric shavers as these may cause more discomfort and may increase the likelihood of razor burn. Furthermore, shaving in hot shower or bath water could further irritate the skin following laser treatment and could result in skin burns.
Finally, exfoliating products or techniques should not be used on treated skin as this may lead to irritation and clogged pores. Furthermore, using exfoliating products on treated skin could prevent laser beams from reaching hair follicles efficiently and reduce efficacy of treatment.
Do Not Exfoliate
After laser hair removal, exfoliation should not be performed immediately as this can irritate and inflame the area as well as lead to redness, bumps, and discoloration in some instances. Instead, wait at least four days after laser treatment before exfoliating in this region.
Laser hair removal treatments can be tempting, yet shave immediately following appointments can actually prevent the best possible results from your treatments. Shaving too far ahead or too soon after can put the laser’s effectiveness at targeting hair at its full potential.
Waxing or plucking can also interfere with laser hair removal treatments as this practice removes hair directly from its source – the roots. Furthermore, they make hair follicles appear dormant, potentially disorienting laser beams during treatment and increasing chances for confusion between treatments.
As soon as your laser hair removal session concludes, you may begin to observe some shedding. This is an encouraging sign and shows that it’s working; however, be careful not to shave this loose hair as this could damage surrounding areas and the surrounding skin. Instead, exfoliating gently can help ensure any damaged hairs can be extracted before shaving begins.
Following laser hair removal treatments, your shaving time should decrease as hair grows back more sparsely. However, it is still a good idea to apply sunscreen regularly after such procedures as it could take up to a month for your skin to recover from thermal damage caused by laser beams.
As it may contain bacteria or algae that could irritate your skin, swimming pools, lakes, rivers or the ocean should also be avoided as much as possible. Body scrubs should also be avoided to protect skin health.
