Before Laser Treatment | 24 July 2019
It is important to shave before your laser hair removal appointment, 24 hours before is recommended. Shaving on the day of your session can be dangerous and should be avoided completely.
This is because when you shave the razor may lift a layer of skin off as it passes over your skin. This depends on how much pressure you use when your gliding the razor over your skin. This freshly shaved skin will be fragile for a period of time after you shave. In the hours that pass a new layer will develop causing your skin to be less sensitive. If we perform a treatment on freshly shaven skin i.e. skin that has been shaved on the day of treatment, we run the risk of causing damage to your skin with our lasers.
Why do you need to shave before every one of your last hair removal appointments?
As you are progressing through your course of treatments your laser settings will be increased. This will pose a greater risk to your skin as more heat will be used to target your finer hairs. It’s important to make sure you are doing this before each and every one of your treatments with us.
Top tips for shaving before your laser hair removal treatment and why it’s important
Use a good quality shaving foam
To help moisturise your skin while you are shaving.Immediately after shaving your skin may become dry temporarily. It may take some time for the oil glands to replenish the oil content in your skin. If we perform laser treatment when your skin is very dry it may become extremely itchy and irritated directly after your treatment. This reaction will be uncomfortable and may take a few days to heal. Shaving 24hrs before your laser hair removal appointment is probably one of the most important things to do to avoid an adverse reaction from laser.
Please allow yourself adequate time in order to shave properly
If you rush you may have nicks and cuts that we will have to avoid with the laser during your treatment. If this happens you may find that you are left with some areas that have been left untreated. Because we cannot laser over broken skin and will have to avoid these areas. Some people will develop slight regrowth overnight, this is normal and will not interfere with your treatment. It is not necessary to remove this hair on the morning of your session.
Don’t apply too much pressure onto the razor
Use a ight pressure, try to glide the razor lightly over the skin. Shaving too harshly will make your skin sore and sensitive. If you are finding you have to repeatedly shave over your areas it may be time to buy a new razor. If you are using a multi-use razor make sure to look after your razor blade itself. Clean and dry it after each use before replacing the protective cap when storing. This will avoid a build-up of bacteria on the blade itself and will prevent breakouts after shaving. To avoid your treatment being cancelled on the day it’s important that you shave properly before your laser hair removal session.
Before having laser it is essential that any excess hair above the hair follicle is removed. If the hair has not been shaven correctly treatment will not be effective and it may result with small temporary grazes on the top of your skin. These tend to take a few days to heal and are nothing to worry about but it is best to avoid this happening as they can be a little sensitive.
To avoid any adverse reactions from the laser it is essential that you follow these guidelines. Please inform your therapist if you have shaved on the day of your session as your appointment will need to be rescheduled for safety reasons.
How to prepare for your laser hair removal appointment?
To prepare for your appointment please follow these steps
- Lightly exfoliate 3-4 days before your session. This will help remove any dead skin cells from around the opening of your hair follicles
- Close shave 24 hours before your laser hair removal appointment, this is extremely important
- Don’t apply moisturisers, oils or creams to your skin after showering on the day of your session
- Stop applying fake tan 7-10 days before your session and make sure all tan residue has been removed
- Do not take Ibuprofen 48 hours before your laser session
As you can see there are a number of reasons why it is so important to shave before your session of laser hair removal. If you are unsure about any aspects of shaving throughout your course of treatment please contact us for advice, our team of laser hair removal specialists are on hand to answer any of your questions.
FAQs
What happens if I don't shave before laser hair removal? ›
The hair can absorb the laser energy itself, as opposed to it directly hitting the hair follicle, meaning it's a waste of time and will have no effect whatsoever. Having said that, it's important to note that only shaving is allowed prior to laser hair removal appointments.
Do you have to shave before every laser hair removal? ›Yes. You need to prepare the area by shaving the hair and removing chemicals from makeup, deodorants, lotions, and skincare products. Excess hair or chemical residue can react to the laser beam and cause possible skin issues.
Does shaving affect laser hair removal? ›Can You Shave After Laser Hair Removal? You can shave after you are receive a laser hair removal treatment. However, it is important that you do not shave right away. You'll be required by your medical professional to shave several days before your appointment to ensure the hair is the right length.
Should I shave my pubic hair before laser hair removal? ›Shaving is the only method recommended prior to laser hair removal so the hair is still within the follicle to be targeted. If you have any questions about how to prepare prior to a laser hair removal treatment your practitioner can provide you with more tips and recommendations for the most effective treatment.
Can I shave 1 hour before laser? ›“When Should I Stop Shaving?” When you're getting ready for your laser hair removal procedure, make sure you shave the night before or the morning of your treatment. The reason for this precaution is simple – you want to remove as much hair as possible so that it doesn't absorb most of the laser's energy.
Is stubble OK for laser hair removal? ›Stubble. It's critical to shave within 24 hours prior to undergoing laser hair removal. Even a small amount of stubble can damage the laser and cause unnecessary pain, hyperpigmentation, and burns.
What happens if you miss a spot shaving before laser hair removal? ›Before having laser it is essential that any excess hair above the hair follicle is removed. If the hair has not been shaven correctly treatment will not be effective and it may result with small temporary grazes on the top of your skin.
What happens if you don't shave 24 hours before laser hair removal? ›Therefore, if you shave less than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment then there won't be enough hair present to burn, and this can cause irritation to the treatment area.
How can I make laser hair removal more effective? ›- Take Advantage of the Best Technology. ...
- Understand You Will Need Multiple Laser Hair Removal Sessions. ...
- Avoid Removing Hair by the Roots for 6 Weeks Prior to Your Treatment. ...
- Avoid Caffeine for 24 Hours before Your Treatment. ...
- Shave the Day of Your Laser Hair Treatment.
Rarely, laser hair removal can cause blistering, crusting, scarring or other changes in skin texture. Other rare side effects include graying of treated hair or excessive hair growth around treated areas, particularly on darker skin.
Why is laser hair removal not working? ›
You didn't time your treatments correctly:
Proper treatment times are essential. if not enough time have been allocated to each one of your sessions this will result in large areas being left untreated. Laser hair removal treatments should not be rushed in any way. This will affect your results.
Effectiveness of laser hair removal
After 3 sessions, a reduction of 58.4%, 67.6% to 75% of the hair can be expected. After 4 sessions, a hair reduction of 87% can be achieved.
Some women do get embarrassed about getting laser hair removal on their Brazilian area, this is completely normal. Treatments in this intimate area may feel a little intimidating, to begin with. Exposing this area to a complete stranger is something that is very difficult for some women.
Do you shave before Brazilian laser? ›Shaving for Brazilian laser is essential to ensure a safe, comfortable and effective result from your laser treatments. Shaving is the only method of hair removal recommended while having laser treatment.
How long does pubic hair need to be for laser hair removal? ›Shave the area that will be treated two to three days before a treatment. Laser hair removal treatments won't work on areas where the hair is longer than a grain of rice. After treatment begins, avoid waxing, tweezing and plucking hair in the treated areas.
How can you tell if laser hair removal is working? ›Most people start to see their hair fall out three to five days after their laser hair removal session. The hair follicles in the targeted areas are damaged with each laser pulse. Once the hair follicles are damaged, they release the hairs they were growing, and they can't grow any more hairs.
What happens if you shave 3 hours before laser? ›What happens if you shave less than 24 hours before laser? The answer is if you shave the same day or right before your appointment, your freshly shaved skin is too fragile and could be damaged during the treatment and cause you pain and discomfort.
When can I shower after laser hair removal? ›Following a laser hair removal treatment, you should avoid hot baths and showers for 48 hours to limit skin irritation. You should also avoid exfoliating for at least 10 days after your treatment. Not only can exfoliation cause severe skin irritation, it can also create clogged pores.
Will I be hairless after laser? ›After your laser session, the growth of new hair will be less noticeable. However, even though laser treatments damage hair follicles, they're not destroyed completely. Over time, the treated follicles may recover from the initial damage and grow hair again.
What are the black dots after laser hair removal? ›The black dots that appear after laser hair removal are called “post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.” They occur when the laser treatment causes damage to the hair follicle and surrounding skin. This results in an increased production of melanin, which is the pigment that gives colour to the skin.
How do you get a close shave before laser? ›
Shave, don't wax!
To prepare for your laser hair removal, shave the area 12-14 hours before your appointment with a clean, sharp razor. Be sure to remove all hairs especially longer hairs sitting above the skin as this can cause burns.
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- Take a shower.
- Dress comfortably.
- Avoid sunbathing or tanning.
- Exfoliate the treatment area gently a night before your procedure.
- Take pain relievers.
- Shave your bikini area.
Young teenagers have raging hormones that are rapidly changing; one of the major side effects is rapid hair growth. Since these hormonal changes impact hair growth, the most effective time to start laser hair removal is after eighteen. The results are more long-lasting when significant hormonal changes aren't at play!
Why do I look hairier after laser hair removal? ›So, what causes this? It's called paradoxical hypertrichosis — and even the name sounds scary. No one actually knows why this happens with laser patients, but after treatment, the laser can do the opposite of what you're expecting and actually stimulate hair growth.
Why is my hair growing so fast after laser hair removal? ›Unfortunately a possible side effect of laser hair removal is that the laser treatment actually makes the hair growth worse. This is called paradoxical hypertrichosis.
How often should you do laser removal? ›Most patients can have laser hair removal once every 4 to 6 weeks. Your dermatologist will tell you when it is safe to have another treatment. Most patients see some hair regrowth. Your dermatologist can tell you when you can safely have laser treatments to maintain the results.
How permanent is laser hair removal? ›When the hairs do grow back, they'll be lighter, finer, and fewer in number. Although the procedure is often touted as a form of “permanent” hair removal, laser treatment only reduces the number of unwanted hairs in a given area. It doesn't get rid of unwanted hairs completely.
How do I stop my pubic hair from growing permanently? ›Laser hair removal
In laser removal, a doctor or dermatologist uses a laser device on your bare skin that sends concentrated light down to the hair follicles. Heat from the laser weakens or destroys the hair follicles, keeping the hair from growing back.
Hair needs to be short for treatment to be successful, but the follicle also needs to be intact. In other words, you'll not be able to wax or tweeze the treatment area for six weeks before your session.
Does laser get rid of hormonal hair? ›Laser hair removal is currently the most effective method for removing dark hair from different areas of the face and body. However, laser hair removal is unsuccessful for women who have hormonal imbalances. These individuals will only feel transient effects until the underlying problem is addressed.
Is 4 sessions of laser hair removal enough? ›
Each person is different, so it's difficult to tell exactly how many sessions will be needed without an initial consultation. Generally, people need between six and eight sessions to remove the hair fully. That's because our hair goes through different growth phases.
How can I speed up shedding after laser? ›What Can I Do to Speed up Shedding? Shedding is a good sign, since it means the LHR treatments are effectively removing your hair. But if you want to help speed up this process, you can gently exfoliate your skin using a shower loofah or body scrub after laser hair removal.
How many laser sessions before hair stops growing? ›Laser treatments are often sold in packages of four sessions or more. You may need 12 treatments or more to completely eliminate hair growth. After that, the need for touchups should be minimal. Some people may require semiannual treatments at first.
Do you tip your laser hair removal lady? ›Gratuity cannot be accepted on services such as injectable and laser treatments, medical level microneedling, platelet-rich plasma treatments, and laser hair reduction.
What hurts more Brazilian laser or tattoo? ›Pain or sensation from laser hair removal is often described as an elastic band snapping against the skin. In comparison to having a Tattoo, the pain difference is chalk and cheese. Getting a Tattoo is far more painful than laser hair removal.
What hurts more Brazilian or laser? ›Laser hair removal does not hurt as much as waxing and is way quicker. Yes. You read that right. It feels either like a cat sneezing or like tiny pin pricks, depending on the area being waxed.
Can you laser your entire pubic area? ›' Yes, it is safe to laser the pubic area for most patients. It should be noted that this is one of the more sensitive areas when it comes to laser hair removal, but it is quick and effective. Many patients also believe it is overall less painful than waxing.
Where does laser hair removal hurt the most? ›The underarms are among the most painful areas of the body to undergo laser hair removal because the skin is so thin. This isn't necessarily the case for the rest of your arms, though, where the pain is much milder.
How painful is Brazilian laser? ›During Your Brazilian Laser Hair Removal Treatment:
If you have ever had your bikini area waxed, then you can expect less pain than you have felt during any waxing treatment. Most of our clients' say that laser hair removal feels like a slight pinch on the treatment area.
Shave the area that will be treated two to three days before a treatment. Laser hair removal treatments won't work on areas where the hair is longer than a grain of rice.
What happens if you shave the same day as laser? ›
It is important to shave before your laser hair removal appointment, 24 hours before is recommended. Shaving on the day of your session can be dangerous and should be avoided completely. This is because when you shave the razor may lift a layer of skin off as it passes over your skin.
Do Pubes grow back after laser? ›In short, no. Laser hair removal works by heating the hair follicles to stop new hairs from growing. This puts the hair follicles in a state of dormancy for a long period of time — much longer than with shaving and waxing.
How many laser sessions do I need for Brazilian? ›Generally, 6-8 sessions are required to get your hair permanently removed. However, as Brazilian laser treatment for hair removal targets only a small area, a session usually takes 10-15 minutes.
What is the best age to do laser hair removal? ›Young teenagers have raging hormones that are rapidly changing; one of the major side effects is rapid hair growth. Since these hormonal changes impact hair growth, the most effective time to start laser hair removal is after eighteen.