In last week's blog post, we elaborated upon what you should expect when you receive a laser hair removal treatment. Plus, we detailed how you should prepare for the procedure in the days and even hours before you undergo it.
What is equally important is what you should do after the treatment has concluded. There are five things to keep in mind once the laser is turned off and you literally get back on your feet again:
- After your laser hair removal treatment, the treated area of your skin will be mildly to moderately red. This redness is caused by the heat that is produced when the laser beam intersects with hair root. While you are still in the treatment room, we will apply cool compresses over the area, which will usually reduce a large percentage of the redness before you even leave the office. If redness persists by the time you arrive home, you may continue to administer cool compresses or chilled aloe vera gel to that red area until the intense color subsides.
Because laser is a form of light energy like the sun, we recommend that you avoid all tanning after your treatment. You should wear a mineral sunscreen every day over the treated areas if you anticipate sun exposure.- We recommend avoiding any exfoliation or retinol or acid peels for at least 3 days post treatment. After the hair removal laser treatment, your skin will be more sensitive than usual for several days, and you don't want to upset that treated area any further.
- Your skin may be itchy for several days after the treatment, or you may see some small slightly swollen bumps over the treated area. This is a reaction to dead hair follicles that may be causing some local inflammation. Using a topical Benedryl cream will usually resolve this condition. If it persists or is very bothersome, you can use 1% hydrocortisone cream for the short term.
- You may see hairs falling out in the first few days after treatment, especially in the first several treatments when you have the most hair in an area. This side effect is perfectly normal and is actually a good sign.
With our laser equipment at both offices here at Maine Laser Skin care, we recommend a minimum of a month in between laser hair removal appointments for maximum benefit. The average number of treatments needed is 6 to 10, although this number can vary depending on a number of factors including the darkness of the hair, gender of the patient, and other hormonal factors.
We hope that this information is helpful to you when you are considering hair removal by laser or needing reassurance concerning the aftercare of this amazing and sometimes life-changing treatment. For a free consultation to see if laser hair removal is appropriate for you, please call us either at (207) 873-2158 in Augusta, or (207) 303-0125 in Scarborough.