Unwanted hair can get frustrating. Luckily, there is a solution. Laser hair removal is a great way to remove hair from almost anywhere on your body in a safe an effective manner. Before your treatment, though, there are some things you should and should not do.
The “Do’s” of Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
There are a few things you should take care of before your treatment!
- Begin preventative therapies. If you are prone to Herpetic Breakouts or another therapy-required skin condition, make sure you begin these therapies one week before treatment.
- Be clean-shaven. It may seem strange, but you should actually be arriving to your appointment with freshly shaved skin in your treatment area(s).
The “Don’ts” of Preparing for Laser Hair Removal
There are far more “don’ts” than “do’s” when it comes to preparing for your laser hair removal treatment.
Before treatment, you should avoid:
- Depilatory Cream: For laser hair removal to work, the hair needs to be pigmented to a certain extent. Using a depilatory cream means the hair follicles can’t absorb energy like they need to.
- Tweezing or Waxing: Plucking hairs from the treatment area will hinder the hair removal process.
- Tanning: Natural tanning or tanning beds may lead to hyper/hypopigmentation in the treated area. Scarring may also occur.
- Sun Exposure: Similar to tanning, exposure to the sun could cause a change in your skin’s pigmentation.
- Certain products: Up to three days before treatment, make sure you’re avoiding products with AHA or BHA. Also, stay away from any product that may contain benzyl peroxide or retinol. Also avoid the products Tazorac, Differin, Renova, and Retin A.
- Exfoliation: Skincare products like exfoliators can dry out or irritate your skin when used within three days of your appointment.
- Caffeine: Coffee and caffeine is okay on the days leading up to the appointment, but ensure you stay away from it on the day of!
