Laser heat destroys hair follicles to the point that no new hair growth occurs from them – effectively making hair removal permanent.
Before your laser treatment, avoid direct sunlight and keep hairs out of the area that will be treated; additionally, avoid waxing or plucking as this could reduce effectiveness of laser treatments. Tanning skin makes laser therapies less efficient.
1. One Week After Treatment
As soon as you complete a laser hair removal treatment, it is wise to refrain from waxing, shaving or plucking for at least the first week after treatment; doing so could compromise your results and cause new unwanted hair growth to emerge. Furthermore, tanning or any form of sun exposure on treated areas should also be avoided in order to maximize effectiveness of results.
Following your laser hair removal treatment, there may be some slight reddening or swelling in the area immediately afterwards. Applying an ice pack may help alleviate this discomfort temporarily; once this subsides, however, normal activities can resume.
Before undertaking a second hair removal session, it is advised that you wait 4-6 weeks. Most individuals need between six and eight treatments before seeing permanent, lasting results; however, certain follicles are resistant and will not respond well.
Importantly, once you begin laser hair removal it’s essential that you stick with it. While some results may show after just one treatment session, for optimal results it’s recommended that six sessions be spread out four to eight weeks apart with regular exfoliation and moisturizer applications at home.
Electrolysis remains the only truly permanent form of hair removal, as each individual follicle must be treated separately. Laser hair removal should therefore only ever be seen as a reduction method rather than permanent removal.
Laser hair removal can effectively disable hair follicles and stop them from producing new hairs; however, it isn’t a permanent solution and hair regrowth may still occur over time; especially for people experiencing hormonal fluctuations or lifestyle changes that increase hair growth temporarily.
If new hair growth appears after laser therapy treatment, it is often wise to schedule a maintenance session as soon as possible in order to catch it before it becomes too thick to treat with laser. A technician can then perform touch up sessions in order to make sure all follicles have been disabled and provide lasting, desired results from your session.
2. Two Weeks After Treatment
Once your skin has recovered from laser hair removal treatment, it’s time to start shaving or employing other forms of hair removal. Shaving is recommended because it removes hair at its roots rather than by pulling. Waxing or plucking should be avoided as they will interfere with the laser’s ability to target and destroy unwanted follicles.
Over time, you will notice some hairs are gradually falling out from the treated areas over the course of a week or two. This is a normal process which can be speeded up by gently massaging the area with loofah or washcloth to speed up this natural hair-shedding process. Keep in mind that not all your follicles were in an anagen (growth) phase at this time and therefore only those follicles which were anagen (growth) when you underwent laser hair removal will shed their hairs at this time.
After your treatment, it is also important to note that there may still be some hair regrowth afterward, particularly if light blond hairs were in the area being treated. As laser doesn’t respond as effectively with light-colored strands like dark ones do, additional treatments may be necessary in order to completely eliminate this regrowth – though any light fluffy growths that remain can easily be shaved off or maintained with regular wax treatments.
Maintain your results by forgoing waxing or shaving between laser hair removal sessions, which can potentially irritate skin and prevent treatments from reaching their full potential.
Plucking or waxing areas that are being treated with laser can cause irreparable damage to the roots of hair follicles, hindering subsequent laser treatments’ success. Tweezing, shaving and other manual hair removal methods should also be avoided for maximum success of laser treatment. In order to get optimal results it is advised that any unwanted hair in treated areas should remain free for 12 months after receiving laser therapy treatments – to achieve best results it may even be wiser to wait up to 18 months after your last laser session before waxing or plucking occurs.
3. Three Weeks After Treatment
After your laser hair removal treatment, some skin shedding may occur; this may appear like new hair growth; it’s actually just your body pushing out dead hair from its follicle to make room for healthier growth – this process usually takes anywhere between 7-30 days and most commonly affects facial, neck, arm, and leg areas.
After three weeks, you should notice a tangible change in the growth and thickness of your hair. Most people notice results immediately following their first treatment session but to achieve optimal long-term results it is necessary to complete several sessions; how many treatments may depend on factors like hair thickness, hormone levels and rate of hair growth.
Some patients may experience redness of the skin following laser hair removal treatments; this side effect should subside within hours and resolve itself on its own. Other possible reactions include mild burning sensation and puffy skin; to alleviate these side effects, take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help relieve symptoms.
After receiving laser hair removal treatments, it is wise to refrain from shaving, waxing, or plucking the area being treated as this can impact negatively on the results. Since lasers target hair follicles rather than just their ends directly, any form of removal could reduce effectiveness of treatment and significantly decrease effectiveness of results.
Instead, it is recommended that you use a washcloth or exfoliating scrub on the treated area three times each week to use gentle wiping techniques that speed up shedding dead skin cells from hair follicles and apply broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen daily for best results.
After your laser hair removal treatment, it is likely that you will experience an overall reduction in unwanted hair growth and an associated drop in treatments necessary for further hair removal. However, regular touch up treatments should still be scheduled every six to eight weeks; especially during times of hormonal fluctuations like pregnancy.
4. Four Weeks After Treatment
Plumping or waxing hairs is not advised as these methods damage both your skin and follicles. If necessary, make your appointment for laser hair removal treatment sooner so your follicles have time to recover before beginning again. This way you will have better success during each laser hair removal treatment session.
Once your laser hair removal treatment has taken effect, it is crucial to refrain from shaving the area for at least seven days post-treatment. Shaving can make laser treatment less effective by dislodging melanin from hair follicles which the laser needs to target. Furthermore, any use of sunless tanning products could darken skin tone further and increase hyperpigmentation post laser treatment.
After receiving treatment, it’s best to moisturize the skin as soon as possible in order to keep it supple and prevent further drying out and flaking. A light natural lotion should do just fine in keeping the skin soft; additionally, try staying out of direct sunlight as much as possible and avoiding hot showers or baths in order to minimize damage to your skin.
Avoid tweezing or picking at the area as this could cause hairs to become ingrown, leading to red bumps and ingrown hairs which are difficult to treat and require constant attention. Do everything possible to avoid these discomforting problems as soon as possible.
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to schedule regular laser hair removal treatments. Sessions should take place no sooner than once every four weeks to allow the hair follicles time to recuperate between sessions and achieve your desired results – don’t give up!
Laser hair removal treatments may cause an uncomfortable sensation similar to that of rubber band snapping or sunburn-like stinging, though after treatment this discomfort should fade and your skin should appear refreshed. If you have any queries about what to expect during a laser hair removal treatment at LH Spa & Rejuvenation we are more than happy to help with answering any queries and helping you on the journey toward smoother, more confident skin!
