Laser hair removal works best on people with dark hair and light skin as the laser’s light targets pigment in hair follicles. Furthermore, plucking or waxing the areas to be treated will disrupt these follicles and lessen its effectiveness as a hair-removing method.
Tips for successful laser hair removal include avoiding products which darken the color of your skin. Furthermore, sunblock containing tinted elements should also be avoided in areas undergoing treatment.
1. Avoid Sunburn
No matter the season, laser hair removal rules cannot be broken: sun exposure makes skin vulnerable to heat damage that could wreak havoc during treatments as well as lead to hyper-pigmentation later.
Before and during treatments, it’s best to avoid sunbathing and tanning as much as possible for two weeks prior. If necessary, apply plenty of broad spectrum (SPF 30 or higher) sunscreen, wear wide brim hats and long sleeves to shield your skin from direct sunlight, and reapply sunscreen frequently.
2. Don’t Bleach Your Hair
Laser hair removal has quickly become one of the most sought-after solutions for getting rid of unsightly body hair on faces, arms, legs and underarms. Lasers deliver a light burst that penetrates each hair follicle directly and stops future growth while leaving nearby skin undamaged.
Bleaching hair alters its pigment, making laser treatment harder to target and requires six weeks before bleaching the areas being treated for optimal results.
Before beginning any type of plucking or waxing treatment, it’s recommended to wait two weeks between plucking or waxing and your appointment date. This allows time for hair roots to return in their natural color so the laser can easily identify and destroy them. This is particularly important if using self-tanners or tanning beds prior to your treatment session.
3. Don’t Shave the Day of Your Treatment
Shaving can leave behind nicks and cuts on the skin that require laser treatment to cover up, potentially leading to infection. To minimize this risk, it’s best to use a sharp razor and take the time to shave properly.
On the day of your laser appointment, it is also essential not to pluck or tweeze any hairs as this may alter their natural growth cycle and interfere with its outcome.
Shave either the night before or morning of your appointment at LH Spa & Rejuvenation to help the laser target and destroy hair follicles for future non-growth. Exfoliation prior to shaving also allows for closer shaves while decreasing razor burn risks; add topical numbing cream for additional comfort!
4. Don’t Exfoliate the Day of Your Treatment
On the day of your laser hair removal session, using harsh scrubs, exfoliants and masks may make your skin extra sensitive, leading to redness and irritation that make the treatment more uncomfortable than expected.
These products often contain chemicals that can interfere with the natural cycle of hair follicle growth, and prevent your technician from getting optimal results from your treatments.
Avoid shaving on the day of a laser treatment as this could leave behind bacteria that could lead to contact dermatitis, making your treatment extremely itchy and uncomfortable. Instead, shave using a fresh new razor in the days leading up to your session.
5. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Treatment
Laser hair removal is a popular treatment option used to eradicate unwanted hair on the face, arms, legs and underarms. This option offers long-term results while being safe to use on all skin colors.
Laser treatments use soft bursts of light to target pigment in hair follicles and inhibit future growth. After treatment, moisturizing with aloe vera can be helpful in keeping skin hydrated; its natural ingredients make for gentle care of your complexion.
Avoid using any sunless skin creams that darken the treated area as this could interfere with normal hair growth cycles and make it more challenging for Houston medical spa technicians to achieve the optimal results from laser treatment.
6. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Maintenance Session
Laser treatment often leaves skin feeling bumpy or uneven in texture; this is normal and should not cause alarm. Applying aloe vera-based lotions directly to affected areas can help ease redness or burning sensations that may arise as a result.
Scrubbing or picking at any dry, scabby skin that appears after laser hair removal sessions could result in permanent scarring; to minimize risk, gently exfoliate this area when any redness has subsided.
Please refrain from tweezing or waxing areas that have been treated, as this can disrupt the hair’s growth cycle and potentially spark hair regrowth. Shaving is fine but only between laser sessions as this doesn’t remove all root-level hair removal.
7. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Maintenance Session
Laser hair removal can be an ideal alternative for people who have grown tired of shaving, tweezing, using cream or waxing their body hair. Multiple sessions will likely be needed in order to completely extract all pigment from hair follicles – meaning you must visit a Houston medical spa regularly as part of maintenance plans.
At your appointment, make sure you arrive with clean, dry skin. Moisturizers, oils, deodorant and perfume can impede with the laser’s ability to reach the root of hair roots. In order to maximize effectiveness of treatment sessions it’s also vitally important that hydration occurs throughout the week prior to an appointment.
After your session, redness and swelling may develop in the area that was treated, which typically dissipates quickly with taking Tylenol. Furthermore, avoid placing lotions, perfumes or skincare products directly onto this treated area as doing so may lead to burns and irritation.
8. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Maintenance Session
Laser hair removal is a safe, long-term way of permanently eliminating unwanted body hair. While side effects such as redness or bumps may occur during treatment, patients can often minimize these by adhering to certain skin care protocols.
Laser light emits a soft burst of light that targets hair follicles directly, with pigment in them absorbing this wavelength and becoming permanently damaged, thus stopping future hair growth.
Exfoliation can aid healing and speed up the shedding process by exfoliating skin regularly. Although this step should be avoided within 24 hours of laser treatments as it could cause irritation, regular exfoliation will have its place after that. Try using sugar or salt scrub on a washcloth or sponge and scrub over the area where laser treatment was applied in circular motions.
9. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Maintenance Session
While laser hair removal will effectively get rid of most unwanted hair, it cannot reach all follicles on your body; some might still be dormant while some could be in growth phase. Therefore, it’s essential that you stick with your treatment plan and have regular maintenance sessions for optimal results.
These sessions should be spaced no sooner than every four to six weeks so the laser can address new follicles as they enter their growth phase and help achieve silky skin without needing to shave or wax.
Once your session is over, it is crucial that your skin be protected with an effective sunscreen and avoid hot showers, saunas and heated towels on the area being treated. Instead, wet a clean wash cloth frequently with cool water and apply it directly over the treated area; this will help reduce swelling and pain associated with laser treatment.
10. Don’t Exfoliate the Day After Your Maintenance Session
Laser hair removal is an excellent way to quickly get rid of unwanted body hair and reduce time spent shaving, waxing or using depilatory creams. Furthermore, it may help relieve skin conditions associated with unwanted hair growth such as folliculitis and discoloration.
Hair grows in cycles, with approximately 30 percent in their growth phase at any one time. When lasers target hairs in this stage, it damages their follicle and stops further growth until repaired.
Shedding is an inevitable part of treatment, so be prepared for some level of shedding immediately following your procedure. But don’t attempt to speed this process up by exfoliating too quickly – doing so may irritate your skin, leading to reddening and inflammation, along with excessive scratching which will only make matters worse.
