Laser Hair Removal - Some Before and After Tips

New and better techniques for hair removal are constantly being developed. Some have been successful, while others have done their jobs less effectively. The success associated with hair removal is still a matter of debate. This debate centres around the fact whether hair removal offers a permanent solution for hair removal and more importantly whether it is safe or not. There are a few things that you must take care of before and after laser hair removal, to get the maximum benefit out of the procedure.
What is laser hair removal?
As the name suggests, laser hair removal is a process of epilation that uses a laser beam to destroy the hair follicle. A laser device emits a beam of light, which is absorbed by the hair follicle. It is the presence of melanin that helps the follicle to absorb this beam of light. In doing so, the follicle is destroyed and permanent hair reduction takes place. A person needs to go through various sessions of laser hair removal in order for this procedure to be successful.
Before laser hair removal - Things to take care
There are some things that you must be aware of and incorporate before you undergo laser hair removal:
- Learn as much as you can about the procedure that your body will go through. This will help you ask the right questions to the expert who is going to perform the procedure.
- It's important that you have no suntan or sunburn when you undergo laser hair removal treatment. At least a 4 week gap between the time you had a suntan or sunburn and the laser hair removal treatment is a must for a successful procedure.
- You might be asked to avoid laser hair removal if you have a dark skin tone. But if you have been given the green signal, you will need to embark upon a bleaching regimen, at least two weeks before you start laser treatment.
- Do not undergo epilation procedures such as waxing electrolysis or tweezing a minimum of three weeks before you undergo laser treatment.
- You need to shave the area that needs to be treated before undergoing the procedure. Discuss with experts as to when this needs to be done. Typically, you need to shave the area around 1-3 days before treatment.
- Before going through the procedure, it's important that you don't suffer from skin infection on the target area for removing hair.
After laser hair removing - Things to take care
Post treatment care is very important. Here are some things that you must consider after the end of the treatment:
- Redness of the skin is a common side effect of laser. Bumps might also appear after treatment. This is normal, and the situation takes care of itself in just a few hours. You can also use a cold compress on the area if needed.
- Liberal use of a moisturizer on the treated area will help the skin remain hydrated. This helps prevent drying of the skin and associated problems with the skin. It's advisable to not use anti bacterial creams, as they might accelerate the drying of the skin.
- A sunscreen lotion or cream should be used for a week post treatment. Preferably a sun block with SPF 25 should be used.
- When you have just undergone laser treatment, stay away from waxing, plucking, tweezing, or bleaching of the area. After a certain period of time, it's advisable to shave.
- For a period of around 3 weeks after treatment, the hair will continue to shed. You might be fooled into thinking that it is new hair growth. A washcloth can be used to help ease the removal of such hair.
- Laser will be even more effective if you don't expose the treated area to sunlight for some time. If you don't take such care, there is a chance that your laser treatment won't be as safe and successful.
Ask the expert for more information on the things to care pre and post laser hair removing. This will help make the treatment even more effective.