The cool winter months can be a prime time to zap away unwanted hair with laser hair removal. Scheduling your LHR treatments now can ensure that your skin is smooth and ready for beach season. And because you’ll need a series of LHR sessions to achieve your goals, you should know how to care for your skin after each laser hair removal treatment. We’ll tell you how you can soothe your skin between treatments for optimal results.
Caring for Skin after Laser Hair Removal
After a laser hair removal session, it’s common to have areas of slightly irritated or itchy skin. This irritation should only last for 24 hours, but in the meantime, you don’t have to be uncomfortable. Applying an aloe lotion or hydrocortisone cream can help ease any itching or irritation and leave your skin feeling calm and soothed.
Proper skincare after laser hair removal is an important part of the overall process and can help ensure excellent results.
Gentle Exfoliation Can Help
Laser hair removal works by targeting hair that is in the active growth phase. In the following weeks after your laser hair removal, these dislodged hairs will begin cropping up through the skin that was treated, which is why exfoliation is recommended.
You can take a proactive approach to exfoliation by beginning this skincare routine approximately 24 hours after your LHR treatment. Because the skin in your treatment area will still be sensitive, it’s important to only use gentle methods of exfoliation two or three times a week. An exfoliating shower wash with a washcloth or loofah will work well. Avoid harsh salt scrubs, which will be too gritty for your skin.
A Cool Treat for Skin
Another way to soothe the skin after laser hair removal is to use a cold milk compress. This home remedy can relieve some of the irritation or redness that may occur after LHR treatments. Prepare a bowl that’s equal parts milk, water and ice cubes. Soak a washcloth in the bowl, and then apply to the treated area for about five minutes. The cold temps of the compress can help reduce any swelling while the milk’s ingredients offer a soothing, anti-inflammatory effect to irritated skin.
Slather on the Sunscreen
It’s important that you avoid exposing your treated skin to the sun after laser hair removal. If you plan to be outdoors, be sure to apply sunscreen with an SPF of 50 or higher, and cover up the skin if you can. And just say no to saunas, hot tubs or very hot showers for the first 72 hours following your LHR treatment. The excessive heat from any of these sources can have adverse effects on your skin and could even interfere with your LHR treatment. Tanning beds should be avoided throughout your entire treatment.
Prepping for Your Next LHR Session
Now that you know how to soothe your skin between laser hair removal treatments, let’s make sure you’re optimally prepared for your upcoming LHR session. It typically takes between 6 to 9 sessions, scheduled approximately 4 to 6 weeks apart for the face and 8 to 10 weeks for the body, for ideal laser hair removal results. In between treatments, you should avoid tanning your skin and steer clear of sunless tanners and bronzing lotions.
Just before your next laser hair removal treatment, it’s a good idea to shave the area to be treated. Shaving can increase the efficacy of your laser hair removal treatment, and it’s only natural that you’d want to do anything you can to help those pesky hairs go away for good.
Caroll Delo is a board certified laser technician at Simply Smooth Laser Center in Tampa, a niche practice that focuses specifically on laser treatments. Simply Smooth Laser Center offers the most advanced options in laser hair removal, laser skin rejuvenation and laser tattoo removal.
