Laser hair removal: what to expect

So you’ve decided on laser hair removal. Congratulations! You can throw away your razors/hair removal cream/home waxing kit forever. But before you go hair-ing off to the nearest salon, remember: laser hair removal is a medical procedure and you should exercise caution. Let us give you an idea of what to expect… Laser hair removal works best on dark hair – if you’re a flaxen-haired sort, you may need to have your hair artificially darkened before your procedure.

This makes it easier for the laser to target individual hairs. You’ll have to be hairy for a while – it’s best to avoid tweezing, waxing etc. for six weeks or so before your treatment. If you get desperate you can shave, but no yanking any hair out by the root. It’ll be gone forever before you know it. Expect pain – sorry, it will hurt. Most people describe the pain as being like a rubber band slapping consistently against your skin, or tweezing multiple hairs at once.

It’s up to you whether you think that’s something you can cope with, but if during your treatment things get a little too sting-y let your technician know and they’ll sort you out with some coolant, or a numbing cream. Redness – after being zapped with a laser, your skin may look a little red for a while. Fortunately, this no longer means looking like you fell asleep on a sunbed – advances in technology mean post-treatment redness is much reduced and fades faster. You won’t win at the first attempt – laser treatment takes several sessions before permanent hair loss is achieved.

After the first go you’ll notice that hair does grow back, but don’t be disheartened; you can help the shedding process along by scrubbing away hairs with no resistance in the shower. Don’t try and pull out hairs that don’t want to be pulled – you’ll have to wait for the root to die in your next session. Yanking them out when they’re not ready will actually slow your process down.

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