The Complete Laser Hair Removal Prep Guide

Follow this prep guide.

Four Weeks Prior to Treatment: Stop Plucking and Waxing

Any form of hair removal that involves taking out the hair root should be avoided for at least a month prior to your appointment. This including waxing, tweezing, plucking, and threading but only pertains to the area that will be treated. The reason this is so important is that the lasers used for laser hair removal target the pigment in hair roots. Without a hair root, the laser won’t be able to work. You may think that it only takes a few days or a week for hair to start growing back after tweezing or waxing, but your hair’s growth cycle actually takes much longer.

Four Weeks Prior to Treatment: Stop Bleaching

If you bleach your dark hair regularly, you’ll have to stop a month prior to your appointment if you’d like to see results. Lasers are designed to target the dark pigment of each hair follicle, which is why they don’t work on light red, gray, and blond hairs. Bleaching the hair will make it difficult for the laser to target the hairs, so it likely won’t work.

Two Weeks Prior to Treatment: Avoid the Sun

It’s recommended that you stay out of the sun for a minimum of two week prior to your laser hair removal appointment. This is because a tan will increase the likelihood of side effects, such as skin discoloration. Consequently, you also need to avoid tanning beds, spray tans, and any product that is designed to darken your skin.

Three Days Prior to Treatment: Refrain from Taking These Medications

Certain medicines increase skin sensitivity and should be avoided for at least three days prior to your laser hair removal appointment. One example is acne medication. Others include:

• Aspirin
• Vitamin E
• Differin
• Retinols and retinoids
• Tazorac
• Hydroquinone
• Alpha hydroxy products
• Beta hydroxy products

24 Hours Prior to Treatment: Shave

A day before your laser hair removal session, shave the area you’re having treated. Lasers work best on freshly shaven hair because follicles absorb the laser better. Unshaven hair tends to prevent the laser from reaching the root because long hairs absorb all of the laser’s energy. Since shaving doesn’t remove the root, the laser is able to target the pigment in the root and destroy the follicle.

The Day of Your Appointment: Remove Any Product from Your Skin

The skin around the area to be treated should be cleaned with soap and water before you go to your appointment. This will ensure that any products you use on a regular basis are eliminated and won’t affect hair removal. Some products that should be washed off are:

• Deodorant
• Lotion
• Perfume
• Makeup
• Acne medication
• Ointment

Now that you know how to prepare your skin for laser hair removal treatments, you need to find the best possible laser clinic to suit your needs. Simply choosing one that offers the cheapest deal on Groupon will likely end in poor results and waste your money. Here are some things to find out before you schedule your appointment.

Does the clinic have a good reputation?

Nothing is more telling about a business than its reviews, and these days it’s easy to find them online. Don’t just rely on the testimonials the company provides on its website, do some digging. Check out Yelp and look at comments customers have left on the company’s Facebook page. If the laser clinic is close to a lot of your friends, contact a few who have undergone treatments for their thoughts. This is often the best way to get a feel for a company’s reputation.

Who will be performing the procedure?

Not all laser clinics require education or even a certification, and you never know who will be providing your treatments unless you ask. Be sure that you will be dealing with an experienced licensed medical laser technician.

What kind of laser will be used?

Not all lasers are created equally, and there’s a variety that are used for different cosmetic procedures. Some laser clinics only have one laser and use it for everything, making it practically ineffective for most procedures they offer. Don’t get stuck paying for laser hair removal treatments that never work. The best lasers on the market right now are True Lasers, which are FDA-approved class IV lasers designed for laser hair removal.

Does the clinic offer a numbing agent to reduce discomfort?

Not all laser clinics offer something that will help reduce a client’s pain or discomfort, and while that might not be an issue for some, many first-timers prefer to at least have the option. The most popular form of numbing is a cryogenic cooling spray, which is released with each laser pulse.

Body Details True Laser Hair and Tattoo Removal offers the highest form of hair removal technology and experienced licensed medical technicians. As one of the most reputable laser clinics in the South Florida area, we’re the only business in the industry that provides a free lifetime guarantee. If you’re interested in learning more about laser hair removal, schedule your free laser hair removal consultation now at www.bodydetails.com or call 866-708-8645.