Laser hair removal is a wonderful thing, and this is a great time of year to get started. While the procedure is easy and downtime is nonexistent, there are a few things you should consider before you dive in.
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Medications
If you are taking any medications that make you photosensitive, like antibiotics, they could make your skin more sensitive to the laser’s UV light. It’s a good idea to discontinue these medications or finish them before starting laser hair removal. Otherwise, the sensitivity could lead to blisters or changes in skin color. In most cases, you shouldn’t have taken the medication for at least 7 days prior to your treatment. If you have questions about a specific medication, we’d be happy to answer them.
2. Exfoliators
It’s important to be gentle with your skin before a laser hair removal procedure. Using an exfoliant could irritate your skin and in some cases could even cause scarring. Exercise caution when using any type of exfoliation on your skin before a treatment.
3. Skin Care Routine
You’ll want to skip the skin care before your treatment. It’s best if you have clean and product free skin to prevent potential skin discoloration. Products on your skin can have a reaction with the lasers, so you want skin that is bare. If you have any topical prescriptions, you may want to check with your doctor to see about potential reactions to the lasers. For extra precaution, we clean your skin before treatment.
4. Shave 1-2 days before
While waxing is convenient and last quite a bit longer than shaving, we recommend that you skip it prior to laser hair removal. Waxing pulls hair out by the root and our lasers need those roots to “see” the hair it is targeting. On the other hand, you want to make sure that you trim the hair before your treatment. Having longer hair absorbs the energy from the laser and basically wastes it, making it less effective.
5. Tanning
Aside from the risks we already know about tanning beds, they can make laser hair removal less effective because they are changing the pigment of your skin. Since the laser is attracted to pigment, it’s important to keep your skin as fair as possible.Therefore, winter is the best time to start the process since your skin is at its most natural.
6. Don’t Expect 100% the First Time
While laser hair removal is effective, don’t expect perfect results the first time. After each session, you can expect a 10-20% hair loss because your hair grows in cycles. The results build as we destroy hairs in each growth cycle. WebMD says that most patients have the best hair loss results after an average of three to seven sessions. This is why we recommend 6 sessions for each laser hair removal package.
To learn more about the laser hair removal process and our trained practitioners at Alazzo Med Spa, please visit our website.