5 Things You Need To Do Before Your Laser Hair Removal Treatment

If you’re heading away for a holiday or have a special occasion coming up, you may be thinking about getting rid of some of that pesky hair that stops you from having a smooth and silky body you can show off. If so, you’ve probably noticed that laser hair removal is the best option for permanent hair removal, being far more effective than waxing or shaving, not to mention less costly over time. Before you pick up the phone or that laptop to book yourself into the nearest clinic, here are a few things you need to do first.

1. Find the right clinic

Finding the right clinic is incredibly important. A reputable clinic with qualified therapists and the latest technology will reduce your chances of having a bad laser hair removal experience so it is certainly worth doing your research. This will ensure that the quality of care you receive is in keeping with high standards.

A good clinic will insist on having a consultation with you pre-treatment. If your clinic doesn’t do this, don’t go through with the appointment. It is vital that you have a consultation beforehand to discuss your medical history (including medications you are on that may impact on the results of the treatment or increase the risk of side effects), your objectives and your suitability (such as skin type and skin tone) as well as any questions you may have.

2. Undergo a patch test

Again, as with the consultation, undergoing a patch test before laser hair removal is imperative and every clinic should do this for you before booking you in for treatment. It will indicate whether or not you are likely to have a reaction to the treatment and will reveal if your skin is sensitive. This will enable your specialist to determine your suitability for the treatment as well as the most relevant course of action for your skin.

3. Organise the appointment to fit your schedule

This might seem like an obvious point, but there are some things you should consider when arranging a time for your laser hair removal sessions. Some areas of the body will take longer than others to de-fuzz – for example, the underarms won’t take as long as your legs. While it is possible to arrange a quick session on your lunch break at Thérapie Clinic, you may have to plan accordingly for those bigger jobs.

Furthermore, while the best laser hair removal clinic should make sure you have minimum discomfort during and after your session, and uses the highest quality, FDA-approved technology, you should still think about your sensitivity at different times of the day and month. For women, ‘that time of the month’ will make you more sensitive, so it might not be the best point at which to have laser hair removal.

Items like caffeine can also increase sensitivity which means it might be wise skipping your morning latte on the day. If you wear tight clothing for work, or certain irritable materials, you’d probably be better going for a weekend appointment as you need to have attire that will allow your skin to breathe afterwards to prevent irritation. (We’ll take any excuse to put on our cosy tracksuit bottoms!)

4. Avoid skincare products

Your skin needs to be free of products such as cosmetics, lotions and creams for laser hair removal to work. One item which you should definitely avoid is tan – both the natural kind and the one that comes out of a bottle. For at least four weeks before the appointment, you will need to avoid self-tanning products and the sun (of course, that shouldn’t be too hard in Ireland). Having a natural or fake tan can increase the risk of side effects of laser hair removal including skin lightening, blistering and burning. It can also impact on the overall result of the procedure.

5. Shave the treatment area

It might sound strange but you will be advised to shave the treatment area one or two days before laser hair removal. Please note, it should not be done on the day of the treatment as this will only make your skin more sensitive. Shaving a day or so beforehand is an important part of the process as it encourages the hair to enter the active growing stage, which is what the laser targets.

Furthermore, you must avoid waxing, plucking or bleaching in the weeks leading up to your appointment. Waxing works by tearing the hairs out by the root (ouch!) while laser hair removal works by the laser targeting the hair follicles. In other words, the laser needs hair to target and waxing gets rid of this, therefore reducing the effectiveness of the treatment.

Of course, after your laser hair removal sessions are over and you have beautifully smooth skin, you can kiss that wax goodbye anyway!

If you do decide to organise a consultation, your therapist will go through all of the preparation and the procedure with you. For more information on how to go about getting laser hair removal, contact Thérapie Clinic on 1890 650 750 or book a consultation below.