Laser hair removal treatments may leave your skin with red, sunburn-like marks and an unpleasant sulfur scent, so for best results use cooling gel or cold compress to relieve any discomfort caused by treatment.
Do not shave, pluck or wax the treated area until after your next session. Expect some hairs in the anagen phase (the growing stage) prior to being treated to fall out over 7-30 days – this indicates they were in anagen.
After the First Treatment
Laser hair removal works by targeting and weakening or destroying hair follicles with heat from a laser’s light beams, melting away pigment that feeds back into them and leaving no hope for future hair growth. Therefore, it’s crucial that licensed professionals have experience and are knowledgeable of this form of treatment, along with having various types of lasers tailored specifically to your skin tone and color to provide optimal results for each individual body type.
One to three weeks following your treatment, you should notice a difference. Your treated area should begin shedding hair that was in its anagen phase during treatment – this indicates that laser light has had its intended impact. Furthermore, some mild hyperpigmentation may occur as a result of laser stimulating or inhibiting production of melanin – the pigment responsible for giving skin its color – within your body.
By your second treatment, you should have seen a significant reduction in hair. It is crucial that no plucking, waxing or hair removal creams be used during this phase, as such actions may disrupt hair follicles and prevent them from responding effectively to treatment.
Before your session, it is also advisable to apply a cooling gel in order to alleviate any discomfort. In the days following, avoid hot showers, saunas, and exercising as this may irritate or redden your skin further. Some individuals describe laser hair removal as feeling similar to being pinched while for others it stings like being hit with needles.
Be mindful that some areas of your body will experience thicker re-growth of hair than others; this could be caused by hormonal influences which affect how laser treatments treat them. Furthermore, multiple sessions will likely be required before seeing lasting results.
After the Second Treatment
After their second laser hair removal treatment, most people will notice a difference in the frequency and density of unwanted hair growth. This is due to laser damage on hair follicles which will no longer produce new follicles; thus resulting in significant hair reduction over several months; although some regrowth may still occur albeit not dense or thick as before.
As such, it is strongly advised that patients scheduling regular laser hair removal sessions to achieve maximum effectiveness. It’s essential not to miss sessions as laser will only target damaged follicles.
Laser hair removal differs from shaving, depilatory creams and waxing in that it treats the entire follicle rather than simply its shaft; hence the process may take more time than other options; but for many of our patients it has proven worthwhile.
Before laser treatment begins, your skin may appear red afterward; this redness could last several hours or days depending on the sensitivity of your skin type. After receiving treatment it is also advised that sun protection be utilized; laser treatments leave skin extremely vulnerable and susceptible to burning or pigmentation; it is also advised to apply cooling aloe vera gel after each session for maximum comfort and relief.
After receiving laser hair removal treatment, your body will gradually shed any dead hairs over 7-30 days, which may result in ingrown hairs forming as the hairs are moved up towards the surface by your body’s natural processes. It is important not to pick at them or risk infection.
Laser treatments can be very successful at eliminating unwanted hair on the face and neck, where unwanted growth is most prominent. However, it’s wiser to employ other hair removal methods for other parts of the body, as hair in these locations tends to be darker and harder to eliminate with laser.
After their fourth laser hair removal treatment, most patients will notice a marked reduction in unwanted hair growth; some even becoming completely hair-free! However, it is still recommended to use laser touch up sessions periodically as this will maintain amazing results you have achieved.
After the Third Treatment
Over the next several weeks following treatment, patients should see an insignificant reduction in hair growth and thickness. Results vary between people; it all depends on each hair follicle’s cycle and reactions; consistency with treatment sessions is vital because missing them could result in faster regrowth rates than would otherwise have occurred.
Laser hair removal works differently from shaving, depilatory creams or waxing in that it targets hair follicles directly and can therefore only work effectively when not preceded by other methods such as waxing, shaving or plucking – these disrupt the follicle and make laser treatments ineffective. Therefore it is not advised to wax, shave, pluck or use depilatory creams prior to starting laser treatments as this will disrupt them further and render laser less effective.
After your third laser hair removal treatment, the hair follicle no longer enters its growing stage; rather it has entered the telogen phase – moving beneath your skin’s surface and no longer visible – where hair begins to shed over a 7-30 day period and causes redness, bumps, or ingrown hairs to emerge. Patients should refrain from plucking at or plucking out these follicles as these don’t grow back anywhere new and can actually become trapped underneath the surface of your skin’s surface.
Before, during and after your laser hair removal treatments it is recommended that you continue applying sunscreen. This will help avoid hyperpigmentation due to sun exposure. Furthermore, be sure to speak to your dermatologist regarding any medications (especially antibiotics) you are taking as some could be photosensitive and lead to hyperpigmentation after treatments have concluded.
Most individuals require up to six treatments before their hair follicles have been fully damaged and future growth of hair has stopped. If after six treatments you are still not happy with the results, your dermatologist may suggest additional laser hair removal treatments in order to ensure that damaged follicles don’t recover and begin producing hair again.
After the Fourth Treatment
Results of laser hair removal will differ for everyone depending on individual hormone levels and hair cycles, although most will notice significant change after their second session; hair growth should become significantly slower and denser, leaving behind finer and lighter-colored strands behind.
Laser treatments differ from shaving and depilatory creams because they target the root of hair growth, meaning after each session, hair bulbs will gradually fall out over seven to thirty days – this may cause redness and bumps, as your body flushes out dead follicles that have become trapped under dead cells in your scalp. It is essential not to pick or shave as this will interfere with laser targeting of follicles properly and may result in their destruction by the laser instead.
Therefore, it is strongly advised to wait at least 24 hours after shaving before beginning laser treatment. Furthermore, sunlight or hot shower/sauna exposure for 48 hours after treatment could increase pigmentation, and aloe vera gel may provide soothing comfort if irritation arises.
At the conclusion of your full course of treatments, hair should begin growing back permanently. Once satisfied that optimal results have been attained, they will move you onto maintenance top-up sessions every 3-6 months depending on your hair cycle.
Before embarking on any maintenance program, it’s crucial that you follow the advice of your practitioner regarding shaving and sun exposure to avoid any pigmentation issues from emerging.
Additionally, it is advised to avoid tweezing, waxing or plucking hair as this may cause targeted follicles to regrow and cancel out the benefits of treatments. If tweezing becomes impossible to resist, electrolysis may be recommended where an experienced specialist uses wire and tweezers to target individual unwanted hairs for removal.
