Laser hair removal may cause redness, itching and bumps immediately following treatment; although this is cause for alarm, this is normal and will subside within several days.
Follicular edema, commonly seen after laser hair removal, results from damaged or altered follicles that have been damaged or altered by laser treatment. As your body attempts to push them out from beneath the skin surface, red bumps appear that look similar to acne.
1. Apply Aloe Vera
As laser heat damages or kills hair follicles, they begin to respond by producing bumpy patches on your skin that should gradually subside over the course of two to three days. You may experience itching or redness at the treated site but avoid scratching as doing so can aggravate these bumps further and lead to infection.
Maintain good hygiene by not resorting to alternative hair removal techniques like shaving, waxing or plucking which may harm the skin by irritating its pores and leading to blockages that result in acne breakouts and pimples.
Keep this in mind after laser hair removal: aloe vera contains healing properties which may speed the recovery process and cool and soothe any redness, itching or swelling that may arise in affected areas.
If your skin begins to feel dry and itchy following laser hair removal treatment, use pure aloe vera gel without added perfumes and chemicals as these could irritate it further. Furthermore, cream with hydrocortisone could also help to reduce inflammation and soothe itching issues.
Laser hair removal sessions use heat from a laser beam to open up pores, causing them to become blocked with dead skin cells, bacteria, and dirt particles. When this happens, your body’s natural response is to create pus-filled bubbles as an attempt to get rid of these foreign particles – leading to your skin breaking out in red bumpy patches and producing red bumpy appearance.
To avoid this from occurring, the best way is to use a cleanser with high SPF and avoid tanning the areas where laser hair removal was completed. Furthermore, shaving, waxing, or plucking these areas could further disturb your pores leading to breakouts of acne and pimples.
2. Apply Cold Compresses
When experiencing redness, small bumps, or irritation directly following laser hair removal, a cool compress is your best solution to soothe the skin and reduce swelling while soothing pain, itching, and discomfort. Make sure that it’s fragrance- and dye-free since this could further irritate it further. For added relief and healthiness you could also apply a non-comedogenic or hypoallergenic moisturizer on affected area to keep it hydrated and healthy.
After laser hair removal, it is recommended not to shave the treated area for several days as this can damage skin cells and harm hair follicles. Waxing or plucking may also harm these follicles; however, you can still shave with a razor as long as you avoid lasered areas that could potentially regrowth hairs.
After laser hair removal, over the following 7-30 days you may notice what resembles ingrown hairs or small red bumps on the skin. This is normal and occurs as the body pushes the dead hair from its follicle. Do not pick at or tweeze these bumps as doing so could lead to infection and lead to scarring on the skin.
Some patients may experience an allergic response to laser treatment, causing itching, hives or redness. If this is the case for you, over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl, Zyrtec or Allegra may provide relief.
After laser hair removal, it is also important to avoid hot showers, baths and saunas as these can irritate the skin and lead to itching or burning sensations. Instead, it would be beneficial for you to only take cool showers for two days to help soothe your skin and ensure maximum recovery.
Once your six laser hair removal sessions are completed, it’s essential that you schedule maintenance treatments every four to eight weeks in order to keep the results of laser treatment intact and prevent any stray hairs from growing back. Maintenance treatments will catch any that haven’t been destroyed by laser light and prevent them from returning as new growth.
3. Avoid Heat
Laser hair removal is an effective solution to eliminating those pesky body hairs, but after treatment your body may produce bumps that need to be managed. There are ways you can help minimize their appearance.
One of the key things you can do to protect your laser hair removal treatment results is avoiding heat. This means avoiding hot showers, baths, saunas and steam rooms for several days post-treatment.
Avoiding heat can also help ease itching after laser hair removal. Scratching may be a very uncomfortable side effect of treatment and must be avoided at all costs; apply moisturizing cream regularly throughout the day if itchy spots arise; this should keep skin hydrated and help alleviate itching.
At this stage, it is also vital to avoid picking at your skin as this can aggravate its condition and potentially lead to more serious infection. Instead, apply a cool compress on the affected area and be sure to moisturize often.
Antihistamines may also help relieve itching after laser hair removal by relieving symptoms and helping you sleep more soundly. Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine will not only decrease itching but will also aid sleep quality.
After several days of avoiding heat, you should notice your itching and redness begin to subside. If these symptoms continue, speak to a doctor about taking prescription topical steroid creams or oral steroids to ease discomfort.
Acne breakouts are a common side-effect of laser hair removal, often appearing on arms, legs, underarms and other parts of your body. The heat from the laser opens up pores that were previously blocked with dead skin cells and bacteria; as your body attempts to clear these out through natural means such as pus-filled bumps – often known as acne breakouts.
Prevent acne outbreaks by wearing loose-fitting clothing and washing your hands often. This will prevent sweat and bacteria from clogging your pores, while over-shaving the area can irritate skin causing acne outbreaks.
4. Don’t Pick at Your Skin
Before having laser hair removal done on an area of skin, it must be completely clean. All lotions, makeup, deodorant and tanning products that may increase risk should also be removed such as deodorant, lotions or deodorants used for tanning or numbing creams should also be eliminated as these may increase risks from laser exposure. Physical activities which increase body heat may cause skin irritation; mild redness and swelling of hair follicles is to be expected and will gradually subside in time; picking at your skin could lead to inflammation and scarring!
Avoid tweezing, waxing, picking, plucking or pulling hair from the treated area as this will disrupt the hair follicles targeted with laser and can result in dark and thickened growth. Do not shave as this may cause surface burns and increase your risk of hyperpigmentation; if shaving nonetheless use a razor with low grit settings to minimize friction against skin and prevent ingrown hairs.
After your first session of laser hair removal, the hair bulb will gradually start coming out over seven to 30 days, causing redness and bumps as your body pushes it closer to the skin’s surface for removal. Many mistakenly perceive this as hair growth; in actuality it is your body trying to get it out of its follicle for removal.
If you notice small bumps on your skin, it is important not to pick at them as doing so can cause inflammation and scarring. Instead, apply a light ointment such as aloe vera or anti-inflammatory products like tea tree oil in order to reduce pain associated with small bumps.
After laser hair removal, it’s also essential to protect the skin by limiting exposure to excessive heat as this will aggravate inflammation and scarring, including hot showers, baths, saunas or working out in hot environments – hot showers, baths or sauna sessions will trap sweat against your skin and could open pores, leading to infection or ingrown hairs.
