How To Prepare for Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal can free you from razors, waxing, and plucking. Getting rid of that hair takes several treatment sessions. To get the most benefit from your sessions and possibly even reduce the number of sessions you need, you should prepare for each session using the tips below along with any recommendations from Rejuve Med-Spa. 

How Does Laser Hair Removal Work? 

Laser hair removal targets hair follicles, the structures in the skin that grow hair. Because the hair has pigment, our Soprano ICE™ All-In-One laser targets the hair root. The laser energy becomes heat, deactivating the hair follicle and stopping it from growing new hair. 

Laser hair removal requires multiple sessions, even for a small area, because not all hair follicles have hair growing from them at the same time. Some will be in the resting phase, and these follicles will have no pigment for the laser to target. Over a series of treatments, new hair follicles will have woken up and started growing hair again, making them targets for the laser. 

How Should I Prepare For Laser Hair Removal? 

You should begin preparing for your laser hair removal sessions a month before. Follow these tips to make sure that your session gets rid of the most hair possible and gets you closer to your goal. 

Stop Waxing, Plucking, or Epilating

These processes pull out the hair root, and with no hair root, the laser cannot target hair follicles for removal. Stop all of these activities four to six weeks before treatment to make sure you have healthy roots to treat. Shaving leaves the root intact, so you may keep shaving. 

No Bleaching

If you bleach your hair in the area to be treated, you will need to stop four to six weeks before treatment. Bleach removes the pigment that the laser uses to deactivate hair follicles, so bleach will have the effect of making your hair invisible to the laser. 

Avoid Sun Exposure

The greater the contrast between the color of your hair and the color of your skin, the more easily the laser can target your hair follicles. Avoid tanning or even using a sunless tanner for at least four weeks before your treatment. 

Review Your Medications

Make sure your provider at Rejuve has a complete list of all the medications you take, and if you add a new medication between treatments, contact them to let them know. Some medications can affect how the skin responds to treatment. 

Shave Well

24-48 hours before your treatment, shave the treatment area thoroughly. Shaving will leave the root of the hair inside the follicle under the skin. Leaving longer hair above the skin can cause the hair to heat up too much. 

Remove All Products

If you have lotion or any other type of skin product on the area to be treated, remove it before your session. Lotions or any other substances can prevent the laser from doing its job and getting to the hair follicles effectively. 

What is Laser Hair Removal Like?

The Soprano ICE™ All-In-One laser’s special sapphire tip provides cooling to keep the skin comfortable while still providing enough heat to deactivate hair follicles. This makes the Soprano ICE™ unusually comfortable for laser hair removal. 

Treatment can take anywhere from 15-60 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated. At Rejuve Med-Spa we recommend seven to eight sessions to make sure that all hair has been treated. After these sessions, we recommend returning once a year for maintenance treatment. We will remove any fine, sparse hair that has grown during this time. 

Does Laser Hair Removal Have Any Downtime?

You may feel some tingling and irritation in the treated area for up to an hour after treatment. You can go back to your normal activities, but wait 24 hours before starting back to your exercise routine. 

Am I a Good Candidate for Laser Hair Removal?

If you have hair on almost any part of your body and want to get rid of it, you are a good candidate for laser hair removal. The Soprano ICE™ laser works on all skin tones, so even people with darker skin can have laser hair removal with no problems. 

How Much Does Laser Hair Removal Cost?

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, laser hair removal costs an average of $389 per session. Over the course of several sessions, costs can start to add up, so make sure you prepare for your treatment by following all the tips above. Anything that makes the laser less effective makes your course of treatment last longer. 

Take the Next Step

Want to know more about Laser Hair Removal? Kindly fill out the form on this page to request an in-person consultation, and one of our knowledgeable medical staff members at Rejuve Med-Spa will contact you to schedule an appointment. You can also call (972) 265-1590 to schedule your appointment.

Rejuve Med-Spa serves the Addison / North Dallas & Borderline Plano areas.