More men and women are interested in laser hair removal today than ever before, which is why Florida surgeon Dr. George Solomon, an anti-aging expert at AgeLess MediSpa, stops by to tell us a few of the precautions that all patients should take in the days and weeks after undergoing a laser hair removal procedure. Dr. Solomon is a well-respected physician in Port Orange, Florida, who belongs to the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, along with other associations.
Undergoing laser hair removal should be a fairly simple, straightforward procedure. However, there are a few special precautions that patients need to take in the days and weeks afterward to make sure they get the best outcome possible.
The most important thing for a patient to remember after undergoing laser hair removal is that he needs to stay out of the sun completely. Any tanning in the days after laser hair removal can cause darkening of the skin and blisters. It can cause other side effects, too, which is why people need to heed this warning especially.
In addition to that, we recommend to patients at AgeLess MediSpa that they do not pluck any hairs or use any depilatory creams to remove hair for a few days after their hair removal. Even if you see a few hairs remaining, hold back on doing anything like plucking or adding a cream, because those types of things can be real irritants that will potentially hurt your skin.
Laser hair removal isn’t just a one-day process, and we recommend that people follow the above advice about staying out of the sun and avoiding depilatory creams for at least two weeks, if not longer. And when I say two weeks, I mean two weeks before the hair removal as well as two weeks after the laser procedure.
If a patient follows this advice, then he should not necessarily be sore or tender after the procedure. If the correct settings have been used during the laser procedure, then I would say most patients can expect to see some sort of redness for a brief period — usually just about an hour to an hour and a half — after the laser hair removal procedure. Something like that is normal, and if you see a little redness in the day after the procedure, I would not worry at all.
After a day has passed, if a patient still feels sore or tender in the area where the hair was removed, then I usually recommend he try icing the area. Putting some ice on it, or something like that, should usually make the pain go away fairly quickly.
As always, though, if any problems crop up or if the symptoms don’t go away, then I definitely recommend checking back in with the spa or medical facility where your procedure was done and talking with a professional to make sure everything is alright.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
