Preparing for Laser Hair Removal

It is a good idea to follow any pre-treatment advice your practitioner gives you to prepare your skin for laser hair removal treatment. There is a general preparation time scale of around 4 weeks before your first appointment. Your practitioner will tell you what to do and what not do to best prepare you for treatment.

Laser Hair Removal Pre-Treatment Guidelines

• It is recommended that you avoid sunbathing or sun beds for at least 4 weeks before the start of treatment. Sunscreen should also be worn daily. Sunscreens should be used on dark or tanned skin to help get the best results from the treatment. The lighter your skin is during treatment, the more likely you are to get better, longer term hair free results.
• Any waxing, plucking and electrolysis before laser hair removal is to be avoided. These processes can remove hair follicles and interfere with the hair root, and this will not help laser hair removal work effectively.
• You may want to think about whether you would like to keep a photographic record of the results from your treatments. This could mean taking before and after photos of your skin for each treatment you have. Some practices might do to this for you so it’s worth asking in advance.
• You should talk to your practitioner about the pain of treatment and you could come up with a pain prevention plan together in advance of treatment. This could include local and topical anaesthetics. However, most people do not find laser hair removal painful and only experience very slight discomfort.

One Week before Laser Hair Removal

Normally you can continue with your daily life and routine straight after having laser hair removal treatment. If you want to be on the safe side or are concerned about being self-conscious of any visible redness/swelling, you may want to take some time off work or re-schedule events.  

The Day before Laser Hair Removal

You are allowed to shave or trim hair up until the day you start treatment. In fact, you will be told by your practitioner to remove the body hair on treatment areas by shaving the day before starting treatment. These processes remove hair while keeping the hair follicle intact, which will be beneficial in laser hair removal.

On the Day of Laser Hair Removal

On the day you begin your treatment, you should not wear any deodorants, perfumes or creams. There are specific preparatory procedures which will happen on the day your treatment begins. These include:

• Any creams and products (like makeup, medical creams or body lotions) are removed to prepare the skin for treatment
• You may be given a local anaesthetic on the area which will be treated.
• If you are still worried about pain and discomfort during the procedure, you can take oral pain killers shortly before your appointment to help put your mind at ease.

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