The mention of body hair brings up distressing thoughts in the minds of people. The removal of the unsightly hair on your arms, legs and face becomes a never-ending task. Whether you rely on painful waxing or resort to regular shaving, which makes your hair coarser and thicker, you find yourself burdened with the frequent hair removal process.
However, with laser hair removal in Melbourne, you can now take care of this problem permanently. A highly concentrated beam of light is utilised to destroy the hair follicles during the procedure. It does not cause much pain and doesn’t harm the surrounding skin.
You only require annual touch-ups to maintain a hair-free body and face. Since it is a medical procedure, you must visit a certified and experienced technician and follow a pre and post-care regimen to enjoy the best results.
The Importance of Pre and Post Care For Laser Hair Removal
The laser hair removal procedure can get affected by external factors which can impact the effectiveness of the therapy. Thus you need to stringently follow the instructions given by a trained and efficient technician. If you do not abide by these golden rules, you can end up damaging your skin or not getting the desired results.
For instance, if you do not cover up the area while going out in the sun, it can lead to skin pigmentation, irritation, itching, etc. You can understand this better by taking a look at the pre and post care guidelines mentioned below.
How To Prepare For Laser Hair Removal?
When you have decided to undergo the treatment, book an appointment with a specialised technician practising at a renowned skin clinic and discuss your needs with him/her. The practitioner will understand your medical history and talk about the dos and don’ts, which include the following:
- You must not wax, tweeze, bleach or pluck the hair for at least a month before going for the session. You can shave the area until one day before the treatment. This is important because waxing and plucking remove the hair from the follicle and then the laser cannot work on it.
- You must avoid sun exposure for a minimum of four weeks and use so that the skin is not tanned or damaged by UV rays.
- Similarly, stay away from spray tanning treatments or solariums for a month before the treatment begins. The reason behind this is that tanned skin can alter the results of the procedure as the laser works best on light skin with dark hair. This does not mean that dark-skinned people cannot undergo laser hair removal. Your technician will inform you about a suitable laser for dark skin tones to get the best outcome.
- On the day of the treatment, do not apply any creams or lotions on your skin and clean it thoroughly before going for the session. This is because the ingredients in cosmetics and perfumes can affect the results.
- Inform you technician about any medications, even the vitamins or supplements you are consuming, and determine if they can be taken on the day of the treatment. Some antibiotics can amplify photosensitivity of the skin, so make sure you check with the practitioner about them.
Post Treatment Care
It is normal to experience redness and swelling of the treated area after the procedure. You can use an icepack or aloe lotion or calamine to reduce the discomfort after consulting your therapist. The inflammation is temporary and usually subsides within 1-2 days.
Here is how you can take care of your skin after the treatment.
- Take cold water baths and pat dry your skin and then wear loose clothes to keep the air passing through the clothes.
- You must not expose the treated area in the sun for up to two weeks after the treatment. Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every time you go out.
- If blisters appear on the treated skin, do not puncture them and consult your technician about healing them quickly.
- Aloe Vera is the best way to get rid of redness and inflammation. You can store it in the refrigerator and then apply on the treated area to soothe the skin.
- For up to two days after the treatment, you must avoid hot shower baths, swimming pools, saunas, steam rooms, etc.
- Do not hit the gym for a few days as excessive sweating can affect the laser-treated skin.
- You should stick to shaving to trim the hair between the consequent sessions and avoid waxing or plucking. You must also exfoliate to reduce ingrown hair due to shaving after a few days of the session. It also helps in shedding of the hair. However, do not use loofah or scrubs on the skin for at least 48 hours after the treatment.
- You should not apply cosmetic creams, perfumes and get a fake tan for up to 48 hours after the session.
Conclusion
The treated hair will start shedding in a few days, and you will witness a 30% reduction in its density after each session. To achieve full success rate with laser hair removal in Melbourne, you must follow the instructions mentioned above and the advice of your technician unfailingly.