What to Expect During Your Laser Treatments?

Any person who has to deal with rapid hair growth knows that shaving can be a very tedious task, waxing can be extremely painful and plucking is truly time-consuming. If you are tired of having to worry about hair removal, then you may want to consider having a laser treatment. Laser hair removal is a minimally invasive, effective and popular treatment in the cosmetic industry that will leave your skin feeling smooth and hair-free. The procedure will help to save you valuable time and money in the long run.

Before going ahead with a laser hair removal treatment, it is important to have an understanding of what you should expect from the procedure including how you can prepare for it and what should be done between each appointment. During your initial consultation with us at Solea Lounge, we will assess your current hair growth, talk you through the procedure, advise you on the number of sessions you will need for permanent hair removal and discuss the costs.

How Does Laser Work?

Laser hair removal targets your hair follicles directly with a light that is absorbed by the melanin, or pigment, in your hair. The light converts into heat which penetrates and damages the hair follicles in the chosen area of your face or body to prevent hair growth in the future. The treatment is usually most effective for those with lighter skin and darker hair however, it has proven to be successful on all skin types. It is worth noting that the treatment is not as effective for those with lighter hairs.

After the first treatment, you may notice that your hair grows back lighter and weaker, however; we recommend having a minimum series of 6 to 8 treatments that are spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart to see permanent and long-lasting results, with the additional requirement of maintenance appointments over time. Following each session, you will visibly notice an impressive difference until the hair follicles are completely destroyed and you have successfully stopped hair growth.

How to Prepare for a Laser Treatment

Before your first session, we ask that you shave the area of your hair 24 hours before each treatment. You should avoid waxing, plucking or threading the area you will have lasered throughout the entirety of your treatment. There are a few other things that you should stay away from before your treatment including:

• Wearing makeup, lotion and deodorant in the treatment area on the day of your appointment
• Avoid direct sunlight for a minimum of 3 days prior to your treatment and after
• Avoid using any tanning beds, spray tan or self-tanning products at least 2 weeks before your treatment
• Avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages for 24 hours before the treatment

During the Treatment

Before the laser is applied to your skin, our trained technician will apply a cold gel to the area you are having treated to protect the outer skin from any side effects and avoid any burning of the skin. For more sensitive areas such as the bikini line, you may have the option of receiving a topical anesthetic to reduce any discomfort during your treatment which is applied 30 minutes before the procedure.

The laser treatment will take place in a room of our clinic that has been specially set up for the treatment. In this room, you will be required to wear eye protection before the procedure begins to protect your eyes from the laser light. Once you have your eye protection and the cold gel has been applied to the area you are having treated, we will adjust the laser machine to a setting that matches your skin color, hair thickness and the location of your treatment.

Using hand-held instructions, we will go over the area of your choice to damage the hair follicles from growth. Generally, the treatment is not painful although you may feel a slight pinch, like a snapped rubber band or a warm pin pick; however, this will subside very quickly. For smaller areas such as the upper lip or chin, the procedure may be completed within a few minutes however, could take up to an hour for larger areas such as the back or full legs.

By the end of your treatment, we will remove your eye protection and the cooling agent where you may apply sunscreen to your skin. As mentioned before, you may need to have 8 appointments or more to successfully remove your hair from the chosen area with top-up treatments once a year but one thing that is certain is that your laser hair removal treatment will guarantee phenomenal results.

After Your Treatment

When your treatment is over, you may notice some redness in the area but this will subside within a couple of hours. Should you experience prolonged sensitivity, you may wish to apply ice packs to the area. The area you had treated should be washed gently with a mild soap and pat dry for the first 48 hours. You should definitely avoid scrubbing or aggressively washing the area. Similar to before your treatment, there are a few more things to avoid after your laser hair removal treatment including makeup, deodorant and lotions or moisturizers for at least 24 hours. You should also avoid direct contact with the sun and continue to apply sunscreen as usual.

Within the first few days after your treatment, you may notice new hair growth. This is a great sign that the treatment is working. These new hairs will initially present themselves as stubble which should be left alone, if possible, as they will begin to shed on their own within a few days or weeks. If you are concerned about the appearance of your hair growth if you’ve had the treatment in an area such as your face, we recommend exfoliating to speed up the process and shaving the hair as plucking, waxing or threading can affect the results of your treatment.

If you are ready for silky smooth, hair-free skin, give us a call today to book a consultation for your laser hair removal treatment!