Laser Hair Reduction Pre- and Post-Treatment Instructions

Pre-treatment instructions

• Avoid ANY form of hair removal other than shaving starting 4 weeks prior to your first session and during the entire treatment period (which generally involves 4-6 sessions total). This includes tweezing, depilating, waxing, threading, and even bleaching of hair. This will reduce the effectiveness of treatment.
• Avoid direct sun exposure, tanning beds, and sunless tanner for two weeks prior to your session. During multiple sessions, it is best to avoid tanning in any method throughout the series for best results.
• Stop using retinoids and other irritating skincare ingredients like AHAs and BHAs (I.e. glycolic or salicylic acids) a minimum of 3 days prior to your session in the area of treatment. If you use these on your face, but are having LHR on your legs, you do not need to modify your skincare routine.
• The area planned to be treated MUST be shaved at least 24 hours before your scheduled session, or you will be subject to a shaving fee at the time of treatment.
• Do not wear deodorant, lotion, or perfume in the area to be treated on the day of treatment.
• If you have a history of oral herpes infection ("cold sores") and you are having treatment in the area of the mouth, it is recommended to start an anti-viral medication (i.e. acyclovir or valacyclovir) one day prior to treatment and continue for 5 days after to reduce the risk of an outbreak. Notify the office if you need a prescription.

Post-treatment instructions

• Swelling of the hair follicles, mild redness, and some itching in the treatment area can be normal and should resolve within 24-48 hours.
• Avoid hot water or excessive heat exposure for 24 hours, and exercise, hot tubs, or swimming pools for 48 hours.
• Apply moisturizer throughout the day but avoid anything occlusive like an ointment. Ice can be used to decrease swelling, itching, and redness.
• Avoid shaving or exfoliating for three days. After this time, GENTLE exfoliation is encouraged to minimize ingrown hairs.
• Wear loose clothing around the treated area to avoid irritation from rubbing.
• Avoid using makeup and/or deodorant over the treated area for 24 hours.
• Hair may temporarily get darker after treatment. It then may fall out a few days to a few weeks later. It will grow back thinner, particularly with subsequent treatments.
• Remember to use sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF, ideally higher both before, after and in-between treatments. Laser treatments make the skin more sensitive to UV light and likely to burn. Also, tanning of the skin will increase risk for hyper- or hypopigmentation.
• Attending sessions regularly for the treatment package is important to maximize your results. For face, sessions are usually 4 weeks apart and for body, they are 6-8 weeks apart.

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