Shaving is often recommended before laser hair removal to remove any hair above the surface and ensure that laser can find all hair follicles below.
Shaving is essential as the laser needs to reach your follicles in order to destroy them, so failing to shave prior to an appointment could result in temporary grazes on your skin surface.
Ingrown Hairs
Anyone who has ever shaved, waxed or plucked away body hair knows all too well the discomfort caused by ingrown hairs. These red bumps on your skin resemble pimples and often irritate surrounding areas of skin. Laser hair removal treatments make ingrown hairs easily avoidable. An ingrown occurs when an outward-growing hair becomes trapped beneath your skin’s surface and curls back towards itself instead of growing out. Hair that grows too short from being cut too short with razor or wax blades or has an inward-growing pattern can lead to irritation, itchiness and even infections of the hair follicle, leading to skin rashes or pus collection under the skin surface.
Shaving is one of the leading causes of ingrown hairs; by blunting the ends during shaving, shaving encourages them to grow into rather than out from under your skin. But there could also be other reasons for having ingrown hairs such as poor growth patterns or hair type characteristics which lead to hair re-entry into your skin, or clogged pores which result in blocked hair follicles resulting in ingrowns.
Laser hair removal is an effective solution to ingrown hairs because it destroys the hair follicle. Once dead, hair growth ceases and this requires at least 24 hours between shaving the area that will receive laser hair removal and your appointment for laser hair removal. Exfoliation should also take place regularly to remove dead skin build up in this region.
If you fail to shave before receiving laser treatments, the laser may singe the top layer of hair follicles causing burns that result in small temporary grazes that take several days to heal and may be quite sensitive. Furthermore, waxing or plucking the area before receiving laser treatments would be too much for it to handle and will lead to excessive redness or skin discoloration from too much hair being removed by laser.
Skin Damage
Are you experiencing painful waxing sessions and unwanted hair regrowth? Laser hair removal could be the perfect solution! Pulses of light energy from lasers target and destroy hair follicles to stop hair production; eventually hair will grow back less frequently for silkier smooth skin.
Shaving prior to laser treatments is a critical component of their process, as too much hair would prevent the laser from heating it enough to damage its roots and stop future growth. However, overly close shaving could cause cuts that take time to heal after your procedure.
Makeup or cream products on the day of your appointment should also be avoided as these contain ingredients which could interfere with how the laser heats your skin and destroys hair follicles. Furthermore, makeup or cream products could make your skin too slippery for it to reach and target effectively.
Keep sun exposure out of your system in the days prior to your appointment as this could adversely impact the results of the laser hair removal treatment. Laser treatments utilize pigment in order to locate hair follicles; if you have a tan, the laser might mistake your skin for hair and damage it instead.
If it is necessary for you to shave before having laser treatment, make sure you use a razor that is free from bacteria and sharp. Shave at night rather than during your treatment; this will allow the laser to locate hair follicles more accurately while decreasing risks to skin damage.
Prior to your laser appointment, it’s also wise to exfoliate in order to rid the surface of dead skin cells that might inhibit access by the laser beam to your follicles and make treatment more effective. After treatment has concluded successfully, some hair may shed from affected areas – this is completely normal and shows that your laser therapy was successful!
Skin Irritation
Shaving can be an unpleasant and time consuming task that leaves your skin bumpy and uneven. Unfortunately, this practice often ends up becoming quite costly over time. Luckily, laser hair removal provides an easy solution. By targeting and destroying unwanted follicles with laser light energy pulses, this procedure targets them before new growth emerges in future cycles – safe and effective when performed by trained professionals; just be mindful of certain things before beginning treatment to ensure its success!
Before beginning laser hair removal treatments, it’s vital to refrain from waxing or plucking hair before the appointment. The laser will focus on hair follicles and waxing can prevent it from working to its potential. You should also try to limit sun exposure and self-tanner use as they increase melanin in your skin which affects how the laser reacts with it.
Be mindful that, without regular shaving for 24 hours prior to laser sessions, the laser may not penetrate through hairs to reach follicles beneath. This could result in ineffective treatment and irritation. If this proves impossible for any reason, regularly moisturizing will help alleviate irritation.
Your skin may also temporarily become very dry if you do not shave before laser treatment, as it takes time for oil glands to produce new natural oils that replenish those lost during laser. This may be an uncomfortable or irritating reaction that takes a few days for recovery.
Men who shave prior to laser treatment may develop ingrown hairs that loop and curl beneath your skin’s surface, causing painful itchy irritations that should be extracted using a sterile needle or pin and treated with antiseptic solutions such as rubbing alcohol to avoid infection.
On the day of your treatment, it’s also essential that you use a fresh razor with light pressure; using too much pressure could result in razor burn, which would irritate your skin further and render laser treatment ineffective.
Pain
As part of your laser hair removal treatment on arms, legs, chest, back or bikini areas, shaving is an essential step. Not doing it correctly could result in bumps, redness and razor burn as well as stopping laser reaching hair follicles resulting in ineffective treatments.
Laser treatments must target hair follicles at their roots to be effective; this will enable it to prevent ingrown hairs, reduce regrowth and permanently disable them. Otherwise, any hair above the surface of skin could absorb heat from laser treatment and burn its top layers – leading to extreme discomfort and even potentially leading to the loss of sensation in that area.
Since laser hair removal specialists emphasize shaving as part of the procedure, most specialists advise shaving on or near the day or hour of an appointment, or in the 24 hours leading up to it. Furthermore, it is advised not to pluck or wax the area as this could disrupt follicles and pose health risks to you.
Avoid direct sunlight and products that could darken your skin, such as tanning beds and self-tanners that could lead to discolouration after treatment.
As well as using these strategies, it is also wise to apply a topical numbing cream 30 minutes before receiving treatment as this will help reduce any pain you might experience during and post appointment. Ice packs can provide additional comfort relief.
If you are unhappy with your body hair and would like to explore solutions that could lead to smooth and hair-free living, consider visiting Premiere Center for Health and Wellness for a complimentary consultation. They specialize in hormone health for both men and women and can create an individualized plan designed to address unwanted body hair while providing you with healthy, beautiful skin.
