As part of professional or home laser hair removal procedures, shaving before treatment is key. Laser light targets pigment in hair follicles to destroy them; if there’s stubble present then its effectivity is limited.
Tweezing or waxing should never be considered as they remove hair at its source, leaving it vulnerable to laser treatment.
Shaving
Shaving is an inconvenient and often painful way of removing unwanted hair, often leaving skin reddening, irritation, bumpy patches, ingrown hairs and razor burn. Not to mention taking up precious time! If you want a simpler alternative than shaving or waxing for hair removal, laser hair removal could be just what’s needed – though before embarking on any sessions it’s important to understand some things you should and should not do prior to scheduling any sessions.
If you plan to undergo laser hair removal, shaving the area where you will have your treatment the day or night prior can help avoid thermal injury to the skin’s surface and ensure the laser reaches hair follicles without being blocked by other materials.
Before your appointment, it’s a smart idea to use a new or nearly new razor. Doing this ensures you’re not shaving with dull blades that could potentially cut or nick your skin – this is especially important if you have sensitive skin!
Do not pluck or tweeze the areas where you intend to have laser hair removal done; these practices disrupt the natural growth cycle of hair in that area and may cause unwanted strands to regrow quicker. Ingrown hairs may occur post-waxing or shaving due to dead skin clogging up hair follicles; laser hair removal stops this from happening as it targets directly the follicle to disrupt it and stop producing additional unwanted hair growth.
Regular laser hair removal sessions over multiple months will effectively diminish unwanted body hairs by targeting their stem cells and preventing further growth. The number of treatments required depends on factors like hair color, coarseness and thickness as well as hormonal influences like menopause. It will also depend on where on your body it will take place.
Waxing
If you regularly wax, tweeze or use depilatory creams to remove hair from your body, it is advisable to discontinue these practices at least four weeks before beginning laser hair removal treatments. This is because chemicals found in these products could potentially harm the skin and impede with its effectiveness during laser hair removal treatments.
Laser hair removal requires shaving in order to target pigment in hair follicles; otherwise, its laser cannot see through long locks to locate and target its targets. By shaving beforehand or at least the night before an appointment, lasers can easily see and target specific hair follicles more efficiently.
Lasers utilize intensely focused heat to selectively disable the stem cells responsible for hair follicle development and thus halting its cycle of hair production. Once destroyed, no new hair growth can take place within that follicle and so its growth ceases.
Shaving is the only safe way to expose hair follicles to laser energy without endangering your skin, and thus should be completed prior to every laser hair removal session. Therefore, shaving must always precede laser hair removal sessions for best results.
Unless you are an expert shaver, shaving may seem daunting and time consuming; as such, rushing through or overlooking patches of skin could pose risks to its health as well as lead to infection post appointment.
Before your laser appointment, take time to properly shave and exfoliate your area to ensure no bacterial residue lies below the skin surface and that its target follicles can be effectively targeted by laser.
Avoid artificial tanning and self-tanners in the weeks leading up to your laser hair removal appointment for best results. Such products can lead to discoloration and sunburn which make the skin more vulnerable during laser hair removal treatments.
Your first laser hair removal treatment may require multiple sessions to effectively rid yourself of unwanted hair. The duration will depend on both your skin type and hair thickness; typically most people require 4-8 treatments over 3-6 months for best results.
Tweezing
Shaving and waxing are both time-consuming, painful, and costly methods of hair removal; fortunately, laser hair removal offers an alternative that’s less disruptive – and permanent! In fact, laser treatments have proven their worth as one of the best permanent solutions available to eliminate unwanted hair growth. Before beginning laser treatments it’s essential that you prepare properly by shaving all areas that will receive treatment;
When shaving your body, it is crucial to use gentle pressure and move the razor slowly across your skin. Too much force may result in cuts or nicks which could result in infections post laser hair removal treatment session. Furthermore, remember to keep your razor clean between uses and replace its blade on an annual basis.
Before undergoing laser hair removal, you should also avoid products that increase photosensitivity on the affected area, such as those containing benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid or retinol; such products could make your skin more light sensitive and increase the risk of burning during treatment sessions.
Avoid tanning beds and self-tanners as these can cause skin discoloration after laser treatments, in favor of using gradual self-tanners that don’t contain harsh chemicals.
Ingrown hairs result from dead skin clogging up the follicle after shaving or waxing, and should be prevented by regularly shaving your entire body 24 hours before starting laser hair removal treatments and exfoliating three to four days beforehand to clear out any hairs hiding beneath your skin’s surface. To achieve maximum effectiveness when it comes to ingrown hairs treatment, be sure to follow these two strategies – shaving every body part 24 hours beforehand as well as exfoliation three or four days beforehand is key!
Although shaving offers many advantages, it should not be done prior to laser hair removal sessions. Laser treatments work by heating up and damaging hair follicles to stop further growth; if you shave immediately prior to your appointment, however, the laser might not find and target all follicles efficiently, producing less-than-satisfactory results.
Depilatory Creams
Men and women spend hours upon hours shaving, waxing, and plucking unwanted hair from their bodies – an exhausting task which not only wastes their time but can become costly over time. Laser hair removal treatments offer an efficient solution that eliminates this need while saving both money and time in the process.
Laser hair removal treatments work by passing heat energy through the skin in order to damage stem cells in hair follicles, though if too long of hairs remain they could instead singe the skin, leading to small temporary grazes which take several days to heal and can be quite unpleasant.
As such, it’s vital that the hair on your body be at its ideal length prior to laser sessions. To do this, do not shave in the weeks leading up to an appointment, pluck or wax as these methods remove hair at its roots leaving no melanin for laser to target.
Make sure that the area being treated is clean and dry on the day of your appointment, as makeup or cream products can interfere with results. Furthermore, any medication which increases photosensitivity (such as antibiotics) should be communicated to your specialist as this could have an impact on how the treatment is applied.
Laser treatment relies on having skin as close to its natural state as possible for it to work effectively, so moisturizers should also be used prior to laser sessions.
Shaving is essential before laser hair removal as it leaves the follicle intact and allows the laser to target it more effectively. Other hair removal techniques, such as waxing or tweezing, could destroy the follicle, potentially stopping its future regrowth.
