Have you taken all the necessary precautions before undergoing laser hair removal on your whole body or face? Unfortunately, even in a salon, laser hair removal is not completed in a single session.
You will need to complete several sessions and keep your skin in the best condition throughout the process. So, you are wondering what to do after your first laser hair removal? Or are you afraid of the side effects of the laser and want to avoid them by taking all the necessary steps?
Then you've come to the right place, because in this article we have a detailed guide about the pros and cons of laser hair removal aftercare. Before we get into the article, we would like to tell you more about professional laser hair removal devices and their alternatives.
Table of contents:- Part 1: What to expect after laser hair removal?
- Part 2: What to do after laser hair removal?
- Part 3: What should you not do after laser hair removal?
- Part 4: The findings
What can you expect after laser hair removal?
The first thing you can expect after laser hair removal is the loss of unwanted hair. This is true in the sense that hair regrowth is reduced after each session and you will be hairless for several months to years after the 6 to 9 hair removal treatments.
Additionally, laser hair removal is safe and recognized by health and safety organizations around the world, which makes you believe that it is completely harmless. So if you think that laser hair removal has no side effects, unfortunately that is not the case.
When you undergo laser treatment, you may feel pain or stinging in the treatment area. But that's not all. After the treatment, you will also feel redness, swelling, bumps or irritation. Also, your skin will become sensitive, which means you must avoid going out in the sun. But all of these side effects are temporary and will disappear after some time.
What to do after laser hair removal?
These are the tips to keep your skin in the best condition after laser hair removal and avoid the side effects of the laser.
Use cold compresses
When the heat from the laser hits your skin, it turns red. In addition, the skin becomes inflamed within a few hours, causing redness and swelling of the follicles. This is harmless in most cases and can be treated with cold compresses. Cold compresses also prevent long-term skin changes after laser treatment, as described in a study [1].
Use prescribed creams
If the pain and swelling after laser hair removal do not subside with ice packs, you should see your doctor and use prescription creams. These creams contain anti-inflammatory agents such as steroids and numbing gels such as lidocaine.
You can also just take oral medications, but topical creams work better and have no side effects, as Dr. Eric says [2].
Wear loose clothing
The skin becomes sensitive after laser treatment. It is important to avoid worsening sensitivity and to soothe the skin. So avoid clothing that touches the treated area and wear loose clothing.
In addition, it is better to wear soft and flexible clothes for a day or two after laser hair removal. Also, you should not scratch the treated area, otherwise the delicate skin may peel off.
peeling
The laser kills the hair follicles and the hair falls out from the roots. Or it can get stuck inside instead of falling out immediately. This can manifest as ingrown hairs and rough skin. Therefore, in addition to cleaning the skin with your normal cleansing product, you should also exfoliate once a week to remove ingrown hairs and dead skin cells and make the skin smooth.
After the laser treatment, you should take a week off before starting the peeling, as immediate peeling can irritate the skin.
Treat the treated area gently
Therefore, after laser hair removal, it is best not to use deodorant that may irritate the skin, avoid extreme exercise that stretches the skin, stay in a warm environment that makes you sweat, and avoid using harsh products for the skin.
Avoiding these things for 2 to 4 days will allow your skin to heal after laser hair removal.
Use sunscreen
While it is recommended that you avoid the sun completely for 24 hours after laser hair removal, this is not possible for everyone, so you should use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher when you go out in the sun.
Also, make sure to reapply it every two hours to prevent the sun's UV rays from burning the laser-treated skin. You can also use antioxidant-rich skincare to protect it from free radicals. This will help protect your skin from cancer [3].
Hydrate your body
Although doctors use a soothing, cooling and numbing gel before laser hair removal, this does not completely neutralize the heat from the laser. As a result, the moisture in the skin burns along with the hair follicles, leaving your skin dry.
So make sure you apply a generous amount of a gentle lotion to your skin after each session. Keep your skin moisturized for the next session too. We have recommendations for the best body lotions and the best facial moisturizers.
Just shave
Laser hair removal takes a while and doesn't make you hairless immediately, so you will notice hair regrowth and new strands of hair until you have fully completed the treatment.
The only recommended method to remove hair between laser hair removal treatments is shaving.
What should you not do after laser hair removal?
Here are the things you need to avoid after laser hair removal to get the best results.
Do not go into the sun
You should avoid sun exposure both before and after laser hair removal. It is best to stay indoors for 24 to 48 hours after treatment, so plan your hair removal treatments on the weekends.
After the 2 days of staying indoors, you should regularly wear UV protective hats, UV protective clothing and sunscreen to prevent the sun's harmful rays from reaching your laser-treated skin.
No hot showers
The goal after laser hair removal is to keep the skin cool and not make it sweat and irritate it, so avoid hot showers, swimming and saunas for 2 days after laser hair removal.
Instead, use cool or lukewarm water for a bath.
Avoid chemical products
The skin is slightly swollen after laser treatment. Therefore, it is prone to irritation, cracking, peeling and scarring. Therefore, avoid using chemical products until the inflammation subsides. These products include chemical-based makeup, chemical peels and retinol.
A study on methods for skin care after laser treatment shows the importance of avoiding chemical products [4].
Avoid waxing, threading or plucking
If you are getting laser treatment for hirsutism, it may take longer to get rid of all unwanted hair and your skin is completely hairless. You should not wax, thread or pluck during the entire time as you are already getting the best treatment for hirsutism as mentioned in research [5].
This is because you need hair pigment for the laser to act on the hair-producing cells. Even if you don't suffer from hirsutism, you should only shave between sessions.
Do not use makeup or tanning products
After laser facial hair removal, only makeup based on minerals or natural ingredients can be used. The other types of makeup contain ingredients that can irritate the skin treated with the laser.
You should also make sure that your skin does not tan in the meantime, as this can lead to the laser being absorbed by the skin and thus to the formation of blisters.
The findings
Laser hair removal is a harmless procedure if you follow the necessary steps to protect the skin from the intense and hot radiation of the laser. You can find out how to prepare your skin for laser hair removal in the article mentioned.
Here we have explained the advantages and disadvantages of laser hair removal .
references
- Anupam Das , Aarti Sarda , and Abhishek De . Cooling Devices in Laser Therapy. Oct to Dec 2016. National Library of Medicine. PubMed Central. 5211
- Dr. Eric Berkson. NSAIDS; Topical vs Pills for Pain. Jan 1, 2023. Harvard Health Publishing Medical School. 5211
- Megan Sander , Michael Sander , Toni Burbidge , and Jennifer Beecker . The efficacy and safety of sunscreen use for the prevention of skin cancer. Dec 14, 2020. Canadian Medical Association Journal. PubMed Central. 5211
- Anypriya Goel and Kritika Rai. Methods to Overcome Poor Response and Challenges of Facial Laser Hair Reduction. Jun 2022. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. PubMed Central. 5211
- Yasmeen Jabeen Bhat , Safia Bashir , Nahida Nabi , and Iffat Hassan . Laser Treatment in Hirsutism: An Update. April 20, 2020. Dermatology; Practical and Conceptual. PubMed Central. 5211 .
