Philly Forum Laser Hair Removal A few Tips

A Few Pre-Treatment Tips First, What NOT To Do Before Your Laser Hair Removal Treatment
Don't Pluck!Prior to a laser hair removal treatment, you must abstain from tweezing, waxing, sugaring, or any other unwanted hair treatment that removes hair from its root. Why? Because there needs to be hair in the hair follicle for laser hair removal to work. Remember, the laser is attracted to the melanin, or pigment, of the hair. For a strong presence of melanin, the hair must be in its anagen, or active, growth phase. If you pluck the hair out yourself, you've not only blown your upcoming treatment, but you've also disrupted the natural hair cycle, thus your laser treatment regimen.

Don't Tan!You should also avoid sun exposure in the 4-6 weeks before your laser hair removal treatment. You should always avoid excessive sun exposure for a myriad of reasons, but in this case, it’s to allow the laser to do its job. Tanned skin has extra melanin, which attracts laser energy. This means the skin is at risk of being burned by the laser, and also that it will detract the laser energy from its target—the hair.

Don't Moisturize!Right before your laser hair removal treatment, avoid applying any lotion, sunscreen, perfume, or other similar cosmetics to the surface of your skin. There’s a chance that such products may block the laser energy or cause an allergic reaction. Now, What TO Do
Do ShaveLuckily for those who suffer with unwanted hair in obvious places, shaving before your laser treatments is okay. In fact, you should shave the area to be treated, about 1-3 days before your session. The idea is to have a nice, close shave, so that there is no hair outside the skin that may attract and waste the laser energy. But, you also want just enough hair to be visible so your laser technician knows what has to be treated. Be warned: There may be some slight charring of the small amount of stubble that gets hit by the laser. So, if you notice an odor of singed hair, that’s normal.