How to Prepare for Your Laser Hair Removal Treatment
Many men and women struggle with the discomfort of unwanted hair. When it comes to hair removal, methods like shaving, waxing, tweezing, and depilatory creams can prove to be a nuisance. Some of these practices are painful, and some are just too time-consuming. By using laser technology, hair is permanently reduced, rendering traditional hair removal methods obsolete.
Preparing for Treatment
Once you have decided to undergo laser hair removal treatment, there are several things to do to prepare for it:
Avoid Sunbathing and Tanning
While it is smart to keep sunbathing at a minimum anyway, it is especially important to avoid it for at least eight weeks before treatment. You will not be able to receive laser hair removal treatment if you have a sunburn or even a tan in the area to be treated. Some people choose to schedule their laser session during fall or winter when their skin is less exposed to the sun so they are smooth for the summer months that follow. Skin can be treated in the summer as long as the area that will be treated is covered by clothing, such as with board shorts.
Stop Waxing and Tweezing
Patients should stop waxing and tweezing the area they want to be treated with laser hair removal at least three weeks before a session. For the hair follicle to be treated, it must be present in the skin, and waxing and tweezing removes the hair from the follicles. That being said, it is important to shave the treatment site so there is no hair outside the surface of the skin.
Shave the Treatment Site
When someone is getting a part of their body waxed, they need to have a certain amount of visible hair growth at the appointment. With laser hair removal, patients must shave the treatment site the day before a laser session.
How Does Laser Hair Removal Work?
We provide a topical anesthetic that is applied to the target area an hour and a half before your appointment to minimize any discomfort. The laser safely destroys the hair and passes through the skin to target only the hair and follicles in the active growth stage. Because a given patch of skin has hair follicles in various stages of growth, most patients require between three and six laser sessions to achieve optimal results. Spacing between treatments ranges from five to eight weeks depending on the area treated.