Laser hair removal is the latest craze among us beauty fanatics who aren’t afraid of a little pain in exchange for beauty. Am I right? Be honest, how many of us reading this actually waxed before the gift of laser hair removal became available to us mere mortals? Laser hair removal, like everything else, has its tiers of consumers: the novice, amateur, the regular, professional, and the expert.
I would like to think of myself as at least a “regular.” I would almost venture to say a “professional.” I’ve been getting ‘lasered’ for the past couple of years. On time, sessions perfectly spaced out over the course of my treatment periods, shaving the day before, the whole sha-bang. After discovering that winter was the best time to undergo hair removal, my world had officially been shook! How did I not know this?
I am going to assume that it is an unspoken rule that someone forgot to tell me. Sure, I know that you should stay out of the sun right after your treatment due to skin sensitivity. And of course, going to tanning booths, sprays and lotions are a big no, no. But I never really thought of it as a rule! So, I wanted to pay it forward, in hopes that maybe I too can help any of my fellow beauty enthusiasts. Here are some reasons why you should begin your laser hair treatments in the winter:
1. Laser hair removal works best on pale, untanned skin and dark hair. This cosmetic procedure uses a highly concentrated light that is beamed into the hair follicle. The pigment in the hair follicle then absorbs the highly beamed light. If the skin pigment is darker and tanned, it would be much more difficult for the pigment to absorb the light.
2. The sun should be avoided before and after treatments. The skin should be without sun exposure for at least two weeks before and after laser treatments. This is NOT an option, as I was so pleasantly reminded by my esthetician at Denude Med Spa. This is because the sun makes the skin susceptible to heat sensitivity. If the laser is used on skin that has developed this heat sensitivity, the skin can be exposed to burns, scarring, and hyperpigmentation. This is also the case for post-laser treatments.
3. Areas regularly exposed to the sun should avoid being lasered. Yes, that means you with the peach fuzz on your upper lip. Or you that wants to get rid of all that hair on your arms, or your toes. Ahem! Even if these areas do not appear to be tanned, they have still been exposed to the UV rays of the sun.
If you are a laser treatment removal enthusiast like me, do yourself a favor and undergo your treatments in the winter. It will save you that headache. And if you are in a need for an educated esthetician like mine, do yourself another favor, and head down to Denude Med Spa. www.denudemed.net
