How to Prepare for Laser Hair Removal

If you’re considering getting laser hair removal, it’s likely that you know about how it can completely refresh your look and the way you see yourself. As a Fort Worth physician will tell you, it’s equally important to know about the things you need to before your procedure.

This will allow it to go more smoothly, and it will also give you the self-assurance to walk in with confidence. Here’s a revision of the important things for you to keep track of and do before your laser hair removal.

Take A Shower Just Before

Before heading off to your appointment, take longer than usual in the shower, making sure your skin is well-scrubbed and as clean and clear as possible. Afterward, avoid applying any lotions, creams, oils or fragrances. After leaving the shower, do nothing else to your skin.

This will ensure that your laser hair removal is as accurate as possible, and it also significantly minimizes the chances of complications.

Shave

Your skin might be getting a full and bare shave during the procedure, but you should also make an effort to minimize the amount of hair in the area. For legs, this needs to no sooner than 24 hours before your appointment so that you don’t experience irritation for days after.

Be careful not to wax, epilate or use tweezers. Shaving is the only type of hair removal that’s welcome since laser hair removal targets the root of the hair, and those other forms might make it more difficult to accomplish that.

Avoid Sun Exposure and Use Sunblock

Sun exposure to the treatment area can significantly limit the effectiveness of laser hair removal. Wherever possible, avoid going out into direct sunlight for at least a few days before your treatment. Likewise, make sure not to use a UV tanning bed or come in close contact with other UV appliances for two weeks before your appointment.

If you have to go out into the direct sun, make it as brief as possible. Even then, you need to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above, whether there’s sunshine or it’s raining.

You should also stay away from products that cause photosensitivity, such as hydroxyl acids in the treatment area at least three days before your appointment. The treated areas respond best to gentle cleansers.

Following Oral Prescription Instructions

During your initial consultation, you will receive oral prescriptions to help prime your body for the procedure. It’s important to take these as instructed, at the given regularities and amounts.

If you take any others, you should contact your doctor’s appointment so that they make sure the new prescriptions have no adverse effects on the procedure.

Do Not Have Other Aesthetic Treatments

In at least the 14 days leading to your appointment, you should avoid having Botox injections, chemical peels or dermal filler injections in the treatment area. Having any of these can make your laser treatment removal much less effective and accurate, so you should book any other procedures as long as you can after the treatment.

Laser hair removal is a rewarding process, but it’s also a delicate process that requires a lot of care from you before you go ahead with it. Take the steps above to make sure it goes as smoothly as your skin after the treatment.