Laser hair removal is an excellent way to get rid of unwanted body hair. It’s one of the most popular treatments offered by many beauty salons and dermatology clinics. But, if you want to ensure you have a successful laser treatment, there are some things that you should do before going in for your appointment. This article discusses some of them.
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Don’t Use Lotions
When you are doing laser hair removal, avoid lotion prior to treatment on the day of your treatment – lotions can be used between appointments. Lotions block light from reaching your hairs roots/follicles and can slow down or prevent treatment outcomes. Not using lotions could result in fewer treatments needed to properly damage all the hair follicles targeted by laser therapy so they no longer produce hair.
However other skin care products may be beneficial. If you have a dry skin, then it’s important to exfoliate the area on which your laser hair removal will be done. Use cleansers that contain salicylic acid and alpha-hydroxyl acids to clear away dead surface cells and prevent clogged pores and blackheads from forming. You can rehydrate your dry skin with a hydrating lotion right after your hair removal appointment.
Shave Before The Treatment
You want to give your aesthetician as much surface area of skin as possible. Shaving will help you do that, and also allow the laser beam more access to hair follicles on any shaved areas. Hair that is above the surface of the skin will cause the skin to burn, so be sure to shave the evening before or the morning of your appointment. However, this is an individual preference – so if you don’t shave before treatment but have sensitive skin, inform your cosmetic aesthetician. For IPL hair removal, the area must be shaved prior to treatment. If you don’t shave the aesthetician will do it and it adds to your cost.
Don’t Expose Yourself To The Sun
It’s not a good idea to expose yourself to the sun while you’re undergoing laser hair removal. That’s because it can cause your skin sensitivity level to go up (it will also increase the likelihood that the skin to burn in the area you were treated) and affect how effective the treatment will be. Avoid tanning beds as well! It may sound counter intuitive, but avoiding the sun and UV rays can help you get healthy-looking smooth skin without any pesky hairs in sight. If you have to go outdoors, use sunscreen for protection against UV rays. Also be sure to protect the area treated from other sources of heat for a couple of days after treatment, such as saunas, hot showers, hot tubs, hot yoga, and intense exercise for example. If too much heat is reintroduced into the treated area, you can end up with burnt skin.
Plan To Go For Multiple Sessions
Some people want to go for a single session and call it quits. However, you must have multiple sessions to get the best results possible. You can typically plan on having anywhere from six to ten treatments done over the course of roughly six to twelve months or so. This is not only described by some as “the life-time effect” but also ensures that every hair is eliminated. Multiple treatments are required as the laser is only effective on hairs that are in the anagen phase of their hair cycle.
Save Money For Treatment
It’s important to save money for laser hair removal treatments. A single procedure can cost upwards of $1000 – but it will also be much less for small areas of the body such as the upper lip, back of neck or underarms. And because there are usually at least six treatments required on average, you’re looking at about $6000 in total costs. You can apply for a loan or credit card with 0% APR and then pay off the debt once your done- which is what many people do. (Many spas offer a discount if you purchase a package of hair removal treatments, so to save money, buy at least a 6 or 8 treatment package. Some spa’s will also allow you to pay for the package over a few months).
The sooner you start saving, the less stress will be involved when it comes time to actually getting rid of those pesky hairs forever. Save yourself two weeks’ worth of wages every month so that you’ll have enough saved after one year.
Conclusion
It’s important to prepare for laser hair removal beforehand to ensure you have the best experience possible. These tips can help you to have a successful stress-free procedure.