Laser hair removal offers an ideal solution to those tired of shaving and waxing their legs and bikini area, eliminating the need for ongoing maintenance in order to maintain smooth skin. It aims to do just that!
However, it’s essential to keep some rules in mind, such as staying out of direct sunlight prior and after treatment. Here are a few reasons why laser hair removal shouldn’t take place during summer:
1. It’s Too Hot
Laser hair removal exposes your skin to powerful beams of concentrated light that transform into heat, targeting and destroying individual hair follicles. As such, it is wise to limit direct sun exposure during both the weeks leading up to and two weeks following a laser hair removal treatment session.
As such, you may have heard that laser hair removal in the summer can be dangerous, but this is far from true if you follow certain key instructions. We consulted Niki Garcia of Boom Boom Brow Bar in Greenwich Village New York City for her top tips on safely receiving laser hair removal during summer months.
Niki advises that it’s crucial that you stay sunburn free prior and post laser hair removal appointment, since prolonged UV exposure makes skin extra sensitive to laser treatments resulting in painful burning sensations during treatments and hyper-pigmentation or burns afterwards.
If you do find yourself with a sunburn before or after laser hair removal sessions, Niki advises rescheduling them until your skin has fully recovered. She also suggests wearing sunscreen every day – particularly outdoors and at the beach!
Niki describes that the laser hair removal process itself is generally quick and pain-free; most individuals report experiencing only slight stinging sensations similar to rubber bands snapping against your skin.
Results of laser hair removal can often be immediate; however, according to Niki it may take up to 10 days for all your hair to shed off your body. You’ll likely notice lighter than anticipated shed hair that causes patches on your skin for several days following laser hair removal – this is why it is crucial that you reschedule and use high quality SPF daily until your complexion has returned to its previous state.
2. You’re Too Tanned
Preventing sun exposure and tanning for two weeks prior to laser hair removal treatment is generally advised for optimal results; this ensures your skin can respond positively without risk of burns, hyperpigmentation or scarring during the procedure. But this does not preclude getting laser hair removal during summer.
Avoiding sunlight is important because when your skin has become tanned, it becomes more challenging for the laser to identify hairs and remove them effectively – this may render your treatment ineffective and will take longer for results to show up.
In the past, more primitive laser treatments struggled to interpret all of the various wavelengths present on skin’s surface, thus disallowing darker skin types from receiving laser hair removal as the light could not absorb by its pigment.
Modern technology has revolutionized laser hair removal treatments and made them more effective than ever. New lasers can work across a range of wavelengths to treat darker complexions more efficiently – meaning people with darker complexions are now eligible to receive laser treatment even during summertime!
It is highly advisable that if you decide to undergo laser hair removal during the summer, sunscreen is applied daily as this process can also cause skin damage.
Underarm and bikini areas provide year-round shelter from sunlight and can therefore be treated year round with laser hair removal – perfect if you want to look and feel confident when wearing swimwear! If laser hair removal is something that appeals to you, give us a call and schedule your treatment session today.
3. You’re Too Wet
As part of laser hair removal, one rule states that you should avoid exposing the treated area to direct sunlight for two weeks prior and post treatment. This is because direct sunlight makes skin vulnerable to heat exposure, making the treatment potentially riskier with serious side effects including hyperpigmentation or burns occurring as a result of lasers being used on such heat-sensitive areas.
However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go outside when you have an appointment scheduled in the sun; just ensure to apply plenty of sunscreen on the area being treated as UVA rays can also damage skin in a similar fashion and cause wrinkles, age spots and sunburn.
Applying sunscreen regularly is also essential in maintaining good skin health and preventing sunburn in the future. If you need assistance applying your sunscreen correctly, speak to a dermatologist – they’ll know which product works best with your specific skin type, along with how much to apply.
After having laser hair removal done, it’s wise to avoid applying body lotions that contain chemicals as this could irritate the skin further. Instead, opt for natural alternatives like aloe vera lotions instead.
If you’re anxious about the pain of laser hair removal, talk to your doctor about topical anaesthetic. He or she might suggest an anaesthetic cream you can apply prior to your appointment; this will make the procedure as painless and quick as possible.
As part of a normal process, your skin may feel bumpy and uneven after your appointment. While this should go away soon enough, cooling lotion or an ice pack may provide some temporary relief from discomfort. If your symptoms continue for extended periods, contact your physician about it immediately.
4. You’re Too Active
But unlike shaving, which only offers temporary relief, laser hair removal actually reduces or even eradicates unwanted body hair growth over time. But this process takes multiple sessions before producing visible and long-term results; to make sure that this happens for you follow these tips and refrain from certain activities prior to your sessions.
First, before your appointment, shave the area that will be treated. While you don’t have to completely shave all hair away, try and get as much as possible out. This will allow the laser light to target and destroy hair follicles without harming other areas of skin cells nearby.
Avoiding sun exposure prior to starting any type of treatment is also key; this will help protect your skin from being burned and ensure its natural state remains as unharmed as possible, increasing its efficacy as a therapy option.
Exercise or engaging in any activities that will cause sweating. Laser heat lingers in the skin after each treatment session, and sweat can irritate any treated areas and ruin results of hair removal treatments as well as being harmful to health!
Finally, tanning or using fake tanners in the weeks prior to laser hair removal treatment should be avoided in order to preserve your skin and ensure the most successful experience with treatment by changing the color of your hair follicles and improving results.
Laser hair removal can be an ideal way to get smooth, soft skin. While results will require multiple sessions to achieve, the investment of time and money into laser hair removal in Fall River, MA could save both money and effort in the long run. Give us a call now to discover more!
