If you add up the hours you spend removing body hair, it would likely surprise you. Between shaving, waxing, and plucking, it seems like a never-ending battle to keep your skin smooth and hair-free.
Thanks to our laser hair removal services, you can get a much-needed leg up in the battle against unwanted body hair. While Dr. Bruce Saal and our team here at Los Gatos Dermatology will do our part with our advanced hair removal technology, you need to do yours at home when it comes to aftercare.
In the following, we review some best practices for taking care of your laser hair removal treatment areas.
Most of our patients require a series of laser hair removal treatments — usually between two and six depending upon the size of the treatment area — so these instructions apply for after each of these sessions.
Our laser hair removal treatments rely on intense-pulsed light microbursts that target your hair follicles. After your treatment, your skin may be a little sensitive so avoid hot showers or baths for about 48 hours.
We should also note that hot tubs or pools with chlorine can also irritate newly treated areas.
We also want you to keep your treatment areas out of the sun. As we already mentioned, laser hair removal treatments can leave your skin sensitive, which makes it especially vulnerable to sun damage. Not to mention, you may be more susceptible to sun spots after your treatments.
So during your series of treatments, it’s best you stay out of the sun, and once you’re finished, be vigilant about using sunscreen.
Most people lose 10-25% of the hair in the treatment area after the first laser treatment, and subsequent treatments tackle the rest. So if you want to remove hair between treatments, do so cautiously.
For example, don’t take a razor to red, irritated, or inflamed skin. Wait for a few days after your laser hair treatment to remove hair.
And, remember, your hair doesn’t fall out immediately, but gradually, so be patient.
We want you to moisturize your laser hair removal treatment areas, but please use lotions and creams that don’t contain fragrances or perfumes. These additives can irritate your skin, so we suggest that you opt for more medically oriented lotions that are long on moisturization and short on fragrance.
The same holds true for makeup. Use hypoallergenic products that are easier on your skin.
If we treat your underarm areas, we ask that you refrain from using deodorants that can irritate your skin, especially for the first few days after your treatment.
With a little care on your end, you’ll breeze through the laser hair removal treatments and come out the other side with smooth, hair-free skin.
If you have more questions about laser hair removal aftercare, we invite you to contact our office in Los Gatos, California.
