What to Expect from Your Laser Hair Removal Treatment

When undergoing laser hair removal treatment, you need to know how to prep yourself beforehand, what to plan for during the procedure, and what to expect afterward.

Prepping for Laser Hair Removal

Many people mistakenly think they need to grow their hair out in order to undergo laser hair removal. This misconception is probably based on the fact that it is necessary to grow out your hair if you undergo electrolysis. In fact, your hair should be shaved as close as possible prior to treatment. This helps make the procedure as effective and safe as possible. Waxing and plucking, however, should be avoided for at least two weeks. This is because these hair removal procedures remove the laser target and make it impossible for the laser to destroy the follicle. Shaving, on the other hand, is fine and actually encouraged.

During the Laser Hair Removal Procedure

There is pain involved with the laser hair removal procedure. Exactly how painful you find the procedure to be depends upon your own personal pain threshold. Before starting the procedure, however, the doctor can apply a numbing anesthetic cream to the area to help minimize the pain. In addition, all treatments are fast. Lips and chins take just one minute, while underarms take five minutes, and the bikini area takes only ten. Therefore, you can expect to get in and out quickly.

If you have a tattoo, the doctor will not be able to perform the procedure in that area because the pigment does not react properly to treatment. In addition, some large moles will also need to be left alone, even if they do have hair growing in them.

After the Laser Hair Removal Procedure

What to expect after laser hair removal?:
After the procedure is complete, you will most likely experience redness and maybe even a little stinging. This generally subsides in about two to four hours. For a few days after the procedure, you might experience some mottled skin or discoloration. These problems, however, will resolve themselves. If you have particularly coarse or thick hair, you might also experience some blistering or crusting. As with the skin discoloration, this will go away on its own within a few days.

You will also notice that hair remains on your skin after the procedure. This is because the procedure does not actually extract the hairs. Rather, it kills them at the root and it can take some time for them to fall out. As time goes on, you will notice a gradual lessening of hair. You should not, however, attempt to pull the hairs out or try to help them along in any way. You will notice right away that you no longer need to shave as often.

Following Up on Laser Hair Removal

For most people, it takes anywhere from four to six treatments to achieve the desired results form laser hair removal. This is because a percentage of your hair is dormant at all times, which means it is not growing. Since your hair runs in cycles, the dormant hair will be active later and will grow. Therefore, the follow up treatments are necessary in order to kill off the hair that was dormant during the previous session or sessions. Typically, you should wait six to eight weeks between treatments to allow the dormant hair time to become activated for the next treatment.

You cannot pluck or wax the area between treatments. This will remove the hair from the follicle, which will make it impossible for the laser to find during your follow up treatments. As with the first treatment session, however, it is perfectly fine to shave between treatments.

Laser hair removal treatment is a simple procedure. Nonetheless, you should be sure to have all of your questions answered thoroughly before undergoing treatments. Do not hesitate to ask the specialist if you are unsure or uncomfortable about any part of the lazer treatment plan. The more you know going into the procedure, the more satisfied you will be with the final results.