You have had your consultation, determined the right wavelength, and booked your first laser hair removal session. Now you are wondering the best ways to prepare for your laser hair removal. Of course, this will vary a bit depending on which part of your body you will be receiving laser hair removal. However, some general preparations are necessary for all clients who are about to attend a laser hair removal appointment.
Understand the precautions
First things first. While the popular epilation treatment is considered safe for most people, pregnant people should not be getting any laser hair removal. Besides that, it is important for laser clients to not tan, self-tan, or wax the selected area for three weeks before the session. Additionally, it is not recommended to tan the area for two weeks post-treatment either.
Do Shave!
In the few days before your laser hair removal session, you will be asked to shave your legs. This is because the laser hair removal treatment works by targeting the melanin in the hair bulb, where it will be most effective. If there is too much length, the laser will have a hard time heating up and destroy the roots of the hair. The shorter the hair, the better the treatment and less pain you will feel.
Do not apply lotion
When the day of your appointment comes, you should make sure not to wear any lotions or other products on the skin of the area you will be targeting with the laser hair treatment. The only exception for this is numbing creams which aclients sometimes useto alleviate any irritation side effects during the session.
During the treatment
This is where the details can vary depending on which type of laser hair removal treatment you will be getting. Obviously,, if you target a small place like the upper lip, it will take much less time than going in for a larger location like the whole back or both legs. For an upper lip, this can take just a few minutes; for the legs, you might be in your session for an hour max.
Of course there are also locations on the body that fall somewhere in between those two extremes. Plan your time accordingly, but your esthetician will inform you on the time before your appointment is even booked.
Know what results to expect
Another way to prepare is to be sure to manage your expectations. For example, while you will definitely be able to see hair removal results right away, if you are looking for permanent hair removal, you will have to return for several appointments before you notice a more complete, long-lasting effect.
In general, clients can expect to see 80 percent permanent hair removal after four to eight sessions. You will also notice that little leg hairs will start to fall out after about two weeks from your treatment. Being aware of this, so as not to worry when it happens, is good preparation.
Most estheticians will recommend that you exfoliate the legs 10 days after your laser hair removal with a sugar scrub to help remove these hairs. You will want to make sure you have an exfoliant at home for this. These hairs that fall out may seem like new growth, but they were actually already growing inside you before the exfoliation helped to push them out.
Post-treatment
When it comes to laser hair removal, the most common side effects are minor skin irritation, redness, and swelling. However, these are likely to subside within a few hours post-treatment.
People with darker skin tones may find skin discoloration, but this concern is typically alleviated with a thorough consultation at a high-quality salon you trust before the treatment.
Some people may find regrowth after months or years since laser hair removal works better on some people than others. Still, many others will find they never have to shave again after trying a laser hair removal treatment.
Preparation is key
Like most things in life, proper preparation during laser hair removal makes for much better results. Your consultation will likely provide you with a lot of these answers, though.
Avoid tanning and waxing in the weeks before your appointment, and make sure to avoid tanning in the two weeks after it as well. Don’t wear lotion the day of your appointment, unless it is a numbing lotion. But your best option is taking ibuprofen if you are looking to avoid the slight discomfort of the zaps.
Remember that your appointment lasts can depend on the body part you have selected for the treatment. And be sure to have a sugar scrub exfoliant at home so you can help bring up any hairs that were left behind about 10 days after your session.
Finally, don’t throw out your razors just yet because you may still need them over the next few months, over the course of more treatments. But you definitely won’t need to have a large supply of them in stock. After four to eight sessions, you can look forward to achieving roughly 80 per cent permanent hair removal. Eventually, though, with time and more laser hair treatments, you may be able to ditch the razors for good.