You have had your initial consultation and patch test, you have decided to go ahead with Laser Hair Removal, and have signed your consent form. What happens next?
Always follow any pre-treatment advice given by your practitioner. This may or may not include the following, and if not, avail yourself of this data:
You should avoid sunbathing or sun beds, and use sunscreen if necessary to prevent tanning of the area to be treated with the Laser.
If the area to be treated is already tanned (not naturally a darker tone skinned but tanned via sunlight or a sunbed), you will need to wait until the tan has faded away. This commonly takes at least four weeks. The lighter your skin during treatment with Laser Hair Removal equipment, the better the results will be in the long run.
Avoid waxing, hair removal creams, plucking and electrolysis. These practices can hinder the effectiveness of Laser Hair Removal. You can trim hair or shave it; these methods do not interfere with the long term goals of Laser Hair Removal.
Your practitioner should request that you to shave the area the day before treatment. This is a beneficial practice because it does not damage the hair follicle, which needs to be unimpaired.
On your treatment day, avoid the use of any chemicals, and cosmetics such as creams, lotions, make up, deodorants, or oils.
If you know you have a very low pain threshold, you should have discussed this at your initial consultation and been given advice on any recommended preventions. For the majority of people it is a relatively painless procedure with minimal discomfort. Your patch test should have given you a good idea of the pain level.
If you implement all of the above your Laser Hair Removal treatment should go smoothly and without problems.
Preparedness is the key to successful Laser Hair Removal, and to ensure minimum disruption to your daily life.
This includes assessing well in advance of any holidays in the sun, so don’t wait to book your initial consultation and patch test, as your treatment may not start for some time afterwards. Several treatments before that sunny holiday can mean the difference between a holiday fraught with worrying about visible hair as opposed to a carefree, chiselled look on the beach for men or a confident, radiant and inhibited woman.