Shaving too close to your appointment may leave the skin overly sensitive, increasing discomfort during the procedure. It's crucial to use a new razor each time to ensure the blade is sharp and clean, helping prevent skin irritation and infections.
Shaving too closely right before your appointment can increase the sensitivity of your skin, making the treatment more uncomfortable. It can also increase the risk of skin irritation or redness.
You'll need to shave a day or two before the next appointment. Any hair on the surface of the skin can be burned by the laser, cause you extra pain, and create a plume of smoke that is not good to breathe in.
Shave Before Treatment
You should shave within 24 hours of your scheduled laser appointment. Your laser technician cannot treat areas that have hair above the skin. You cannot even receive treatment if there is rough stubble because this may create too much heat for the pigment of your skin.
Answer: Stubble prior to laser hair removal Thank you for your question. The less stubble present the better. The laser targets the pigment in the hair follicle. If there is a significant degree of stubble on the surface of the skin, this can create a heat sink that increases pain and raises the risk of a burn.
Blackheads and Stubble
Up to a few weeks after treatment, your skin will develop stubble or blackheads as a part of the shedding process that happens from hairs that were partially grown at the time of the procedure.
Ideal Hair Length for Laser Hair Removal
The recommended hair length for laser hair removal is typically about 1-2 millimeters, which is approximately the length of stubble a day or two after shaving. This length ensures that the hair follicle is intact and visible for the laser to target effectively.
Shaving allows the laser to reach the follicle without interference, but timing it right is crucial. Here's a quick guide: Shave 12 to 24 hours before your appointment – This allows the skin to calm, reducing irritation. Avoid shaving immediately before – Freshly shaved skin may be more sensitive to the laser.
Not shaving before your laser hair removal session can lead to several issues: Reduced efficacy: Hair above the skin absorbs the laser energy, diverting it from the follicles, leading to diminished results. Skin irritation: Unshaved hair can cause post-laser redness, inflammation, and swelling.
If you have active razor bumps or burns, it's best to let the skin heal before considering laser hair removal. Dr. Hardik Soni of Ethos Aesthetics + Wellness suggests waiting at least one week after shaving to ensure any irritation has subsided.
Dry shaving on the day may leave your skin with dryness, irritation and prolonged redness. If you cut yourself and the skin is open, bleeding or compromised your practitioner would not be able to laser over it. Which means you'll have patches of hair untreated for that session.
If you choose to shave, use a new, clean razor every time, as used razors can carry bacteria. It's best to shave in the direction of hair growth if you can, but that can be hard to tell. It's common for pubic hair to grow in multiple directions.
Avoid lotions, oils, and deodorants prior to treatment. Arrive to your appointment with clean, dry skin. Moisturizers, creams, lotions, or oils can prevent the laser from accessing the root, as can sweat or other debris. If you are treating your underarms, avoid wearing deodorant until after your appointment.
The Mechanics Behind the Laser Hair Treatment
After undergoing the treatment, hairs begin a shedding phase which can last between 10 to 14 days. It's crucial during this period to let the hairs naturally fall out. Shaving too early can risk complications like ingrown hairs and other skin irritations.
This is a sign that the laser successfully treated the follicle, and it's clearing out the dead hair shaft. This shedding process, also called “peppering,” can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. In some cases, it may feel like the hair is growing back because it's breaking through the skin.
Dr. Davis: That can cause little bumps that erupt like razor burn, but more extensive along the beard area and the neck. And that we call acne keloidalis or acne barbae, or other conditions that then cause lumps of retained hair along the beard area, mustache area or back of the neck.
It's critical to shave within 24 hours prior to undergoing laser hair removal. Even a small amount of stubble can damage the laser and cause unnecessary pain, hyperpigmentation, and burns.
The laser uses intense heat to target the hair follicles beneath the skin's surface, which causes them to enter a dormant phase. The hair present during the treatment eventually falls off, but not instantaneously. So patience is key. Post-treatment, you may find hairs that seem stubborn and resistant to shaving.
Reduces the Risk of Skin Irritation
At Laser Clinics Australia, we recommend shaving the treatment area 12 to 24 hours before your appointment.
If you don't shave before your laser hair removal treatment, the laser will target the surface hair, which can lead to a less effective session. This means you might require more sessions than initially planned, delaying your journey towards that attractive, hair-free body.
Some pain killers – Some people like to take pain killers before a laser hair removal session, which is absolutely fine. However, we recommend you opt for paracetamol instead of Ibruprofen or aspirin as these can react to the laser light.
Shave 24 to 48 Hours Before Your Appointment: It's best to shave 1-2 days before your session to give your skin time to recover and any potential irritation to settle. This timing helps ensure your skin is in its best condition for the treatment.
Hair Growth Cycles: The primary reason you might notice stubble after laser hair removal is the nature of your hair's growth cycles.
While laser hair removal significantly reduces hair growth, it doesn't always eliminate it completely, and some may still require occasional touch-ups. Skin reactions can also play a role in feelings of regret, although this is rare when the procedure is done correctly.