The birds start to chirp, the trees bud, and it’s almost like you can feel the newness that spring ushers upon us. It’s no surprise that this time of year makes you think about a fresh start for yourself, especially when it comes to your body and hair. At Los Gatos Dermatology, located in Los Gatos, California, we understand the drive for spring renewal and remind patients that spring is the perfect time to start laser hair removal.
Laser hair removal treatments permanently reduce hair growth and we can perform them on various parts of your body, including the face, abdomen, bikini area, back, underarms, legs, and arms. Not only do these treatments eliminate the constant need to shave, pluck, and wax, but they leave you with smooth, soft skin that’s not riddled with razor burn and bumps — just in time for bathing suit season.
While you can start laser hair removal treatments any time of year, certain times and seasons are better than others and we often recommend spring to our patients for a variety of reasons.
During laser hair removal, the laser energy from the device penetrates into your skin, focusing on your hair follicle. The energy is drawn to the darker pigment of your follicle and the more contrast between your skin and hair, the more effective the treatment becomes.
Since you want as much contrast as possible, you need your skin as pale as it can be, just like it is in early spring, after your tan from last summer fades and before you start hitting the spray-on tanning booth. Plus, when you spend time in the sun, your hair tends to lighten. Again, this lowers the contrast between the follicle and skin, reducing the effectiveness of your laser hair removal treatment.
With a significant contrast between your hair and skin, spring laser hair removal treatments are more productive and remove your hair faster than in the summer and fall.
When you’re prepping for a laser hair removal treatment, you must stop plucking and waxing four weeks before your appointment. When you use these methods for hair removal, you pull the hair and its shaft from the follicle, disturbing how it grows. Without the hair shaft, the laser energy can’t focus on the follicle and destroy its ability to grow hair.
Since you can’t pluck or wax, you’re stuck with shaving before your laser hair removal treatment. While that’s not always a big deal, it’s better to be during spring, not summer — a little bit of stubble or razor burn doesn’t really matter when it’s pre-bikini season and you’re still hanging out at home in jeans or leggings.
After your laser hair removal treatment, your skin is sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light and you must protect it from the sun with sunscreen. If you fail to do so, not only does your skin burn and inflame, but you may also experience slight pigmentation darkening.
This makes spring the perfect time for laser hair removal. Your skin can heal during the spring, before you soak up the summer sun.
What’s more, the laser hair removal process takes time and a couple of treatments to take effect. It’s not an immediate procedure and your hair may actually grow back a little before it falls out. By having your treatment in the spring, this process has time to occur and your skin is smooth and soft by the time the weather allows you to hit the beach.
You need more than one treatment to make sure that the laser gets all of your unwanted hair follicles in their active growth phase. But, if you start in spring, you’ll have plenty of time to schedule your additional treatments.
If you’ve ever considered laser hair removal, think about starting the process this spring and get your skin bikini-ready by the time summer arrives.
