Have you ever wondered, “is it necessary to shave before laser hair removal?” It may look redundant at a glance, but it’s something a lot of beauty seekers are aware of.
Before undergoing a laser hair removal treatment, you should be aware of the mandatory shaving. It’s a procedure to make the laser treatment work more effectively.
So, is it necessary to shave before laser hair removal? Let’s find out the answer here!
Is It Necessary to Shave Before Laser Hair Removal?
You may think shaving and laser hair removal are overkill tactics, but such an activity is common among beauty enthusiasts.
In order for the laser treatment to achieve better results, you need to keep your body hair at a certain length.
As you shave, you will not only remove the hair on the surface but also a layer of the skin. Hence, freshly-shaved skin will be fragile for a short period of time.
Hours prior to the treatment, a new layer will appear. It can make your skin less sensitive to the laser technology used in the treatment.
However, it should be noted that the mandatory shaving is done 24 hours before the appointment for laser hair removal treatment.
If you shave less than 24 hours before the treatment, you can risk irritation due to the minimum amount of hair present in the targeted area.
What Happens If You Don’t Shave Before Laser Hair Removal?
While you already know the answer to the question “is it necessary to shave before laser hair removal?”, you may not yet realize the possibility of performing laser treatment on unshaved skin.
If you forget to shave, there’s a chance that the laser hair removal treatment won’t work as effectively as you expect.
Instead of going straight to the follicle, the laser may only target the surface hair, resulting in a stinging and burning sensation with the potential risk of skin burns.
Dead skin cells, dirt, and oil can also present obstacles and reduce the effectiveness of the laser treatment.
It’s safe to say that shaving before laser hair removal is for your own good. So, make sure to keep it in mind before going with your laser hair removal appointment.
Read also: Diode Laser Hair Removal: Learn Its Benefits & Side Effects
Preparation Before Laser Hair Removal
Getting the answer to the question “is it necessary to shave before laser hair removal?” may satisfy your curiosity, but it’s not enough to help you with the thorough preparation.
You need to maintain your skin prior to the appointment. Here are the following steps included in the preparation before laser hair removal:
1. Don’t Pluck or Wax
Leave the job of uprooting the hair to the laser. All you need to do is keep the hair short enough to make the treatment work effectively.
If you practice plucking or waxing on a regular basis, it’s better to stop for about six weeks before the first laser hair removal treatment.
2. Make Sure to Shave
While plucking and waxing should be left off the list, shaving is a mandatory part of the preparation before laser hair removal.
As mentioned before, shaving can help maintain hair at a certain length to prevent problems that may occur during the treatment.
3. Avoid Bleaching
Colored hair may not help the laser hair removal treatment work well. Commonly, laser technology targets hair pigment.
So, chemically altered hair can be quite difficult to target. That’s why you should stop bleaching if you intend to undergo an effective laser treatment.
4. No Direct Sun Exposure
Don’t expose your skin to the sun before the appointment with your laser hair removal specialist. Make sure to stay out of direct sunlight for at least two weeks before the procedure.
Additionally, you should avoid tanning, including using tanning beds or self-tanners. Failure to do so can cause excessive pain, skin discoloration, and blistering.
5. Get Rid of Makeup and Creams
On the day of the treatment, it’s necessary to keep out makeup and creams. Ingredients in such products may directly affect the result of the treatment.
Make sure to remove makeup and every skin care product from the targeted area. Simply use soap and clean water to perform a thorough cleansing.
So, have you gotten enough information regarding the question “is it necessary to shave before laser hair removal?”
To get optimal results, you must prepare well prior to your appointment. If you want to try an effective laser hair removal treatment, you can visit us at Clean & Tidy.
At Clean & Tidy, we use Super Hair Removal (SHR) technology to target each hair follicle using rapid pulses of low-energy light.
Our professional therapists will assure you a pain-free and comfortable hair removal experience with long-lasting results.
You can also ask several questions about the aftercare if you’re worried about potential skin problems.
If you’re interested, you can contact us and book an appointment at one of our outlets in Bugis or Jurong. Let’s solve your hair problems at Clean & Tidy!
Read also: SHR vs Waxing: Which Is the Better Hair Removal Method?
