In the present day, cosmetic treatments such as laser hair removals have become quite frequent and common with people. Did you know that Unwanted facial or body hair can be safely and efficiently removed with either Laser treatment? Considering the alternatives to laser treatments, many people prefer to undergo the extensive procedure, to avoid frequent and painful hair removal methods.
As the market for such cosmetic treatments grows and widens, many new type of laser treatment machines have no sprung up. However, considering the lasting impact of the treatment and the quantum of funds involved in getting the treatment done, it is important to make an informed decision regarding the suitability of the procedure.
We bring you the top 5 things that you must know about a laser hair removal treatment, including tips that you must bear in mind before going under the ray!
Top 5 things and tips about laser hair removal treatment
These tips are guaranteed to give you a hassle free and error free time while you undertake the treatment. It is highly recommended that you cross check with your skin and cosmetic surgeon before following these tips to ensure that your treatment is not hindered for any reason.
Always shave before your appointment
Most cosmetic surgeons ask their patients to shave the area where the treatment has to be done, at least 24 hours before the appointment. This makes the whole process quite efficient, in the terms of an experienced skin doctor. During the progress of the treatment, be it one year or even more than that, you may be asked not to use any other form of hair removal method on the target area, including waxing, threading and plucking. This is suggested since such methods lead to removal of the hair from their roots, which leads to the treatment becoming ineffective in the long run.
For this reason, the cosmetic surgeon will only recommend you to go with shaving, which only trims the ends of the hair, without impacting its roots. There are multiple devices out there which allow getting a close shave on the hairs that emerge in between the sessions. It can be very useful for someone who needs to maintain a groomed image and avoid stepping out with a stubble of hair on the target area.
So before heading out to meet your skin doctor and get your monthly or routinely laser appointment, make sure that you have shaved your hair with a razor since that will things more comfortable for you. You may not want someone at the clinic to do that for you since it can be downright irritating and uncomfortable.
Make sure you do not have any product on your skin
This applies most importantly to any area on the face. There have been cases when patients did not heed to the advice of their doctor and went ahead with application of foundation or sunscreens on their face. As soon as the rays of the laser stuck those regions, the patients experienced near permanent changes on their skin, resulting in pigmentation that takes months to fade. Moreover, it is highly possible that the regions being treated in this manner could also end up burning.
Always listen to your skin doctor and heed their advice before going under the laser machine. If you do not remove any residue makeup or skin products, there is a high chance that you end up with problems like these, which will only account for a roadblock in your treatment. Not only will this dampen the progress of your treatment but also make you shell out your money to cure the damage.
So, before heading to your appointment, make sure that you are leaving aside your foundations and skin products and only focusing on the impending treatment.
Sun exposure is a big NO
You may be stepping out in the sun for only a few minutes a day but the amount of damage it causes to your skin in inexplicable. This is why, every dermatologist recommends using a sunscreen on a regular basis, without fail.
When it comes to a laser hair removal procedure, you might even be told by your skin doctor to avoid sun exposure. To be on the safer side, it is highly recommended that you avoid stepping out in the sun for a minimum two weeks before your laser treatment begins. It goes without saying that this also includes avoiding any self tanning or tanning beds.
It has been proved and studied that the use of these or sun exposure can lead to skin discoloration once the laser treatment is complete. Moreover, the incidence of undergoing pain and blisters cannot be ruled out either.
This is why, you might come across laser specialists and professionals who refuse to treat a patient if they have even a minor sunburn on their skin. It is absolutely important to make use of a sunscreen while you are heading out to ensure that the target area is not affected adversely.
Avoid bleaching during the treatment
As might be abundantly clear, the impact of a laser treatment is made on the roots of the hair under the skin. The pigment or the colour of the hair is mainly concentrated in the root area, which absorbs the light from a laser, which is how your hairs are expected to recede, either temporarily or permanently. Bleaching of the hair or the skin can lead to changes in the pigment of the hair.
Ultimately, it impacts the effectiveness of the treatment and might make it difficult for the lasers to target the hair in the first place. Ideally, you must stop any bleaching activity on your skin and hair at least 6 weeks prior to your first laser appointment, which will give enough time for your hair to come out in their original colour.
Always check your medications
While fixing your appointment for laser hair removal, it is important to talk to your skin doctor about any medicines that you may be consuming during that time. Make sure to inform them about all the medicines that you consume on a regular basis. It is suggested so because certain medicines have the potential to interact and intervene with the laser treatment being given to you and reduce its effectiveness, in which case, your skin doctor might ask you to take their alternatives.
Any antibiotics, birth control pills or acne medications can especially have a bad impact on your treatment, which is why it is important to inform your skin doctor about their inclusion in your routine.
The lowdown
These are the best tips that are prescribed by most skin doctors and laser experts, who carry out the procedure on their patients. These are also some of the problem areas which they encounter with their patients. Since these tips revolve around measures that can impact the effectiveness of the treatment, make sure to talk about these with your laser specialist and schedule your appointment accordingly.
Failure to follow these tips can have an adverse impact on the effectiveness of your treatment. This may not deliver the desired results out of the treatment as you expect.