PREPARING FOR LASER HAIR REMOVAL

There are many factors which need be taken into consideration while preparing for laser hair removal treatment. It is advisable to stay away from the sun in the weeks preceding a hair laser removal session, since tanning is a contra-indication for the treatment. The darker the skin the more laser energy it will absorb during treatment this could make the procedure more painful and if the skin is tanned enough, the skin may absorb enough energy to damage it.

People under medication must warn their doctor since some drugs can lead to a reaction to light and require postponement of the laser treatment. In particular, the use of St John’s Wort can be a problem as it makes the skin very sensitive to light.

Before you sign up for laser hair removal, though, take into account your natural hair and skin color, as the treatment tends to work best on fair-skinned people with dark hair. If you are tanned or you have a darker skin tone, the laser gets absorbed by the pigment in the skin and it is less likely to reach the hair follicle, limiting the effect of the treatment and potentially damaging the skin. The procedure doesn't seem to work very well on light-haired people either, whose hair contains little melanin.

You should keep in mind that three or four treatments, six to eight weeks apart, may be needed to achieve a meaningful reduction in the amount of hair in the region of skin you are having treated. After that, you will need to wait a year to see the full effect of the treatment. Hair growth cycles on the body are about six months long, so it's best to wait through two growth cycles to see the final results.

Do not shave at least a week before your treatment since lasers require a little bit of hair growth to work. The more growth the better since your technician will use an electric razor to trim hair the perfect length. Also, do not tan or expose the skin that you are getting treated to the sun. The pigment increases your chance of getting burned.