Are you thinking about getting laser hair removal? If yes, you may have already been forewarned by your friends and relatives! While some might have shared their terrifying experiences of having their skin burned, others may have talked about full hair regrowth just after a few weeks of treatment. However, don’t let that scare you! The truth is that successful and effective laser hair removal treatment starts with avoiding common mistakes and errors. And that’s where we can help you!
Here are some mistakes you should avoid when getting laser hair removal.
Exposing Your Skin to the Sun Before the Treatment
Although everyone enjoys a golden glow, excessive sun exposure prior to laser hair removal treatments can increase the risk of burns, skin irritation, and hyperpigmentation. Tanning can affect the laser’s accuracy because it targets the melanin in your hair follicles. Not just that, recent sun exposure can make your skin more sensitive, even if it isn’t obviously burned, which increases the chance that treatment will cause discomfort. Thus, at least two weeks before your session, avoid direct sunlight. If you must be outside, protect your skin by wearing a hat or cover-up and applying sunscreen with an SPF of 50+.
Plucking or Waxing Just Before the Treatment
Before your laser hair removal session, you might be tempted to continue your waxing or plucking routine. However, since laser hair removal targets the pigment in the hair follicle, it cannot detect anything if the hair is removed from the root. Remember, your treatment won’t work as well if there isn’t an active hair shaft in the follicle, which will delay the outcomes. So, before every session, make sure to shave the treatment area. This ensures that the laser energy is fully absorbed where it is most needed while maintaining the integrity of the follicle.
Being Inconsistent
Keep in mind that consistency is essential when it comes to laser hair removal treatments. The entire protocol must be followed, just like with antibiotics. The usual time between laser sessions is six weeks. Additionally, it usually takes five sessions to fully deactivate the hair follicle. To ensure guaranteed results, all sessions are required. Additional sessions could be necessary for particular skin types or places with thick hair.
Forgetting to Patch Test Before the Treatment
You won’t know how your skin will respond to the laser hair removal treatment if you miss the patch test, even if it is made for safe at-home use. Testing on a tiny area beforehand help ensure a comfortable treatment experience because some people may feel slight redness, sensitivity, or discomfort. Therefore, to check for any sensitivity or negative effects, conduct a patch test on a small region at least 24 hours prior to the complete course of treatment.
Exfoliating the Skin After Laser Hair Removal
Exfoliation is excellent for getting rid of dead skin and promoting the shedding of treated hairs, but if you do it too soon, it may irritate your skin and cause redness or irritation. Before you start exfoliating, give your skin time to heal.
To encourage the natural shedding of treated hairs, wait at least five days before gently exfoliating. To avoid irritation, use a gentle exfoliating glove or a soft washcloth rather than abrasive scrubs.
Early Treatment of the Same Area
Despite the temptation to zap the same region again in an attempt to get faster results, over-treating can create needless irritation and won’t speed up the procedure. Patience is essential in this situation because your hair grows in cycles, and the laser only works on hair that is actively developing. Therefore, you must strictly adhere to the prescribed treatment plan for laser hair removal. For best results, most regions should be treated once every two weeks. To give the skin time to heal completely, prolong the interval between treatments if you observe irritation.
Not Finishing the Course of Laser Hair Removal
The anagen (growth phase), telogen (resting phase), and catagen (transition phases) phases make up our bodies’ hair growth cycle. Every hair strand could be in a distinct stage of growth at any given time. Thus, patients must have several treatments because the laser will only destroy the follicle while it is still growing. Every hair follicle in the treated region will be targeted and zapped at the ideal time. Your hair growth cycle takes roughly six weeks, and it takes six to eight sessions to get the best results. You will usually be given a treatment plan by your cosmetic clinic, and it is crucial that you follow it. Otherwise, you may not get the desired results.