You might have a lot of questions leading up to your first laser hair reduction treatment. Here are some tips you should know before your appointment. Our trained technicians will guide you through the process and make sure you are as comfortable as possible, educated about the treatment, and know exactly what to expect. Laser hair reduction can help prevent ingrown hairs, save money on buying razors and shaving cream, save time managing hair, and reduce razors, their packaging, and aerosol containers from the landfill.
What is Laser Hair Reduction?
Laser hair reduction is a common service sought by people who want to get rid of unwanted hair, for many reasons: time savings, prone to ingrowns and bumps, transition, aesthetic, and whatever reason YOU have for wanting to reduce hair. The general consensus is that a laser treatment with the technology we use at Mill City Laser is less painful than waxing, and most clients are satisfied with the results after six to eight sessions (sometimes more, sometimes less). Laser hair reduction works by emitting a beam of highly concentrated light waves just far enough into the skin to reach the bulb of each hair follicle. The pigment of the hair helps deliver the energy into the bulb to damage it in order for it to not produce another hair. It is one of the most effective and affordable ways to reduce hair from any part of the body (except for what is inside the eye area) and is a longer lasting alternative to other hair management methods.
Benefits of Laser Hair Reduction
There are more obvious benefits, like saving time and money spent on shaving or other hair removal techniques. Here are a few of the other benefits clients can realize with laser treatments:
Zero downtime after a procedure
Improved skin health
Open to all people with unwanted hair
Reduction of hair can aid in a person’s gender expression
Provides long lasting results (if schedule of treatment is followed)
Reduces ingrown hairs and red bumps
Reduction of waste from hair removal supplies from landfills
It can be done on all parts of the body (except for eye area, upper side of brow is okay)
Freedom from thinking about managing hair
Tips for Your First Treatment
Before you go in for your first laser hair reduction treatment, there are a few things you should know. Not all laser technology can treat all skin types. Making sure a clinic or studio has technology that provides safe and effective laser treatments for your skin type is important. At Mill City Laser, it was and is important to us when choosing technology that is able to treat all skin types. It is also important to disclose any medications you are on and anything you apply topically to an area you hope to have treated. There are also some tips for preparing your skin for laser hair reduction and tweaking your beauty regime after you have had the treatment. Laser hair reduction is a process and takes on average 6-8 sessions, 4-8 weeks apart.
1. Review Your Medical History
If you are on medications, have a spot that is being monitored on your skin for medical reasons, or have a condition that you are managing it is a good idea to consult with your doctor before you start laser hair reduction to ensure that you can continue managing your health while opting into an elective laser treatment. There are a few additional questions you should consider before you start treatment, including:
Can I afford multiple sessions to get complete results?
How much do I spend on other hair removal techniques every year?
What kind of hair and skin type do I have?
Is my skin sensitive, or am I prone to redness?
Am I OK with some temporary discomfort during the treatment?
Which areas of my body would benefit from laser hair reduction the most?
Am I taking any medications that will affect the process?
Can I avoid sun exposure before and after the treatment?
2. Decide on Area
Before your first treatment, you will want to decide which part of the body you would like to treat. Our model allows for clients to define their own treatment area, rather than us predetermine an area and then apply extra charges if a treatment goes outside that predefined area. We charge for time instead of body part. When it comes to the treatment area, we can and do treat everything except for what is inside the eye area. Here are a few of the most common areas of the body for laser hair reduction:
Underarms
Bikini line and Brazilian
Lower legs
Back
Upper lip
Chin
Most hair growth is a normal and human experience. Sometimes, we want hair in some areas and not others and all versions of what someone prefers is right and normal and good for them. A few areas we can laser that are very normal but that people are sometimes too nervous to ask about, are:
Areola
In between bum cheeks
Ears
Nostrils
3. Prepare Your Skin
Once you decide which area of the body you want to be treated, you need to prepare your skin. Stay out of the sun for two weeks before your appointment and avoid self-tanning. Tanned skin is not treated. Laser treatment of tanned skin can leave pigmentation changes. To maximize effectiveness discontinue plucking, waxing, threading 4-6 weeks prior to your first session. Shaving is recommended the day before or morning of a treatment. The skin should be clean and clear of topical applications. Please connect with your technician to ensure that you know the protocols regarding your medications and topical skin treatments.
4. Tweak Your Beauty Regimen
As mentioned above, you will want to avoid self-tanning for a few weeks before your appointment or plan for the self tanner to have fully faded prior to treatment. Avoid abrasive chemical peels for 2 weeks prior to and following your treatment, chat with your technician prior to a session to determine the length of time to wait if you have had a peel. You will want to avoid abrasive scrubs, glycolic acid, and retinol creams for at least two days before and after the treatment and alert your technician of all products used in the treatment area prior to a session. Avoid extra heat producing activities, such as: sauna, hot tub, hot stone massage, and exercise immediately following treatment for about 12 hours or until the treatment area is completely back to normal.
5. Be Patient
Laser hair reduction takes a series of sessions to achieve desired results and sometimes depending on what is happening inside a person’s body, it may require a more regular treatment plan more than an end result. Go into your first treatment knowing that it will not be a one-and-done process. 80-95% reduction often happens after 6-8 sessions, which means you would have minimal to no shaving in that area. The best way to find out more about your specific needs is to have a consultation with one of our technicians.
Starting Laser Hair Reduction
Our technicians will make sure you are comfortable, know what to expect before, during, and after treatment, and aware of the whole process before we start any treatment. Starting with a free information-based consultation is a great way to get all of your questions answered.