Are you frustrated by how frequently you have to shave to keep your skin smooth and beautiful? Do you wish hair removal wasn’t such a painful, time-consuming process? If so, you may be a good fit for laser hair removal at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA. To help you decide whether this hair removal technique is right for you, today, we’re going to go over what you can expect throughout the entire process.
What Happens During Laser Hair Removal?
Before your laser hair removal treatment begins, your areas of concern will be thoroughly inspected to verify that the skin in the targeted areas is not irritated. This vital step occurs because your treatment must be rescheduled if your skin is irritated at the time of your appointment. Also, you will be given a specially designed eye protector to wear to ensure that your eyes aren’t hurt by the laser during the treatment process.
Moreover, a topical numbing cream will be applied to your skin to ensure your comfort throughout the treatment process. Once your skin is prepared for your hair removal laser therapy session, we will calibrate the laser to your unique pigmentation. Then, the laser will seek, find, lock onto, and fire at the hair follicles in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. The heat emitted by the light energy burns the hair follicles, killing them.
How Long Will My Treatment Session Take?
There are a significant number of factors that affect how long your treatment session will take. The highly advanced laser we use can destroy all of the actively growing hair follicles in a small area of concern in under five minutes. However, the laser portion of the treatment session will take closer to 30 minutes if you are targeting a large area of the body.
You should also understand that it can take approximately a quarter of an hour for the topical numbing cream to take effect. Therefore, your treatment session may be done in under half an hour if you are removing unwanted hair from your underarms. On the other hand, it can take closer to an hour to complete if you are removing unwanted hair from your back, chest, or stomach.
Where Can Laser Therapy for Unwanted Hair Removal Be Done?
You can use laser therapy to remove unwanted hair from just about anywhere. For instance, women often seek this treatment to remove unwanted hair from their arms, underarms, bikini region, and upper lip. As another example, men often seek this treatment to thin out their chin hair and remove unwanted chest and back hair.
During your initial consultation, we will advise you on whether an area of concern can be treated with laser therapy. As a general rule, as long as you are not trying to remove unwanted hair from your eyebrows, you can probably use laser therapy for long-lasting hair removal results.
How Should I Prepare for My Treatment Session?
There are several preparation steps you must take before your laser therapy session. One of the most vital preparation steps to follow is to keep your skin as light as possible. You need to avoid tanning beds and sun tanning to mitigate the risk of UVC damage in advance of your treatment. However, it is also vital that you do not use any tanning cream or spray-on tan. The greater the color contrast between your skin and hair, the more effective the treatment.
Another vital preparation step you must take is to discontinue the use of any drugs that will make your skin particularly sensitive to light. However, you need to talk to your doctor before you stop taking any medications you have been prescribed. If your doctor advises you to continue taking drugs you need to stop for this treatment, this treatment may not be appropriate for you.
Can I Get a Chemical Peel Before My Treatment Session?
No, you cannot get a chemical peel before your laser therapy session. It is of the utmost importance that your skin is not irritated at the time of your appointment. While some chemical peels are extremely gentle, you still need to avoid your skin peeling at the time of your scheduled session.
Also, be aware that there are a number of topical medications that you should not use for several days in advance of your treatment session. During your initial consultation, we will give you a complete list of pharmaceuticals that must be avoided and advise you on how long you should avoid the use of these pharmaceuticals. Note, you should also avoid other cosmetic treatments that may result in skin irritation, like mechanical exfoliation, before your treatment.
What Should I Expect After My Treatment Session?
Once your laser therapy session is complete, we will review your post-treatment care guidelines with you. After that, you will be free to drive yourself back to work. There is no need to take any time off from work to recover from this treatment. However, you will have to keep in mind a number of restrictions that may affect your usual routine.
What Post-Treatment Restrictions Should I Know About?
We will explain all of the post-treatment restrictions you must adhere to during your initial consultation. These will be reviewed again once your session is over, so you can ask us any last-minute questions you may have. One of the most important restrictions you must adhere to is protecting your skin from UV damage. If possible, minimize your time outdoors between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM. Also, make sure that you wear sunscreen diligently.
Another important restriction you must adhere to is keeping the treatment areas from getting too hot. If you have a physically demanding job, you may want to take the rest of the day off from work. Sweating or doing anything that could elevate your blood pressure after your treatment is not ideal. Therefore, you should not sit in a hot tub or sauna. Also, you should take a tepid shower because a steaming hot shower may irritate your skin.
How Should I Care for My Skin After My Treatment?
It is very important that you keep your skin moisturized after your hair removal session is over. It is also important to stay hydrated to ensure the deepest layers of your skin are hydrated. Moreover, you should make sure that you are using gentle skincare products. For example, you do not want to apply any cosmetics to the treatment areas that contain retinol. Also, you may want to avoid products with fragrances that may irritate your skin.
How Soon Can I Expect to See My Results?
Immediately after treatment things may look much the same in the area you have had treated. It can take anywhere from one to three weeks for the destroyed hair follicles to release the visible hairs they were growing. However, you should understand you may need up to a dozen treatment sessions to get long-lasting results depending on the areas being targeted for treatment.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved laser therapy for unwanted hair removal for most relatively healthy adults. If you don’t suffer from skin irritation, there is a good chance that you will qualify for this treatment. However, some medical conditions will disqualify you. For example, your treatment session will need to be rescheduled if you are ill at the time of your scheduled appointment.
Also, you will be considered a poor fit for this treatment if you suffer from photosensitivity or take medication that makes your skin extremely sensitive to light. To verify that you are a good fit for this treatment, you need to come in for an initial consultation so we can go over your concerns, goals, and health. Also, we will be able to give you a better idea of what to expect during your treatment session, including the expected length of the session.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
Laser hair removal is not right for everyone, but many find that it is the perfect fit for their aesthetic needs and goals. With this treatment you can remove hair forever; you can be free from the worry of remembering to shave, wax, or use other hair-removal methods. Don’t wait to find out whether this treatment is right for you; contact us today at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA to schedule your initial consultation and learn more.
