Laser hair removal is a great way to look younger, feel smoother, and reduce your grooming time and costs. However, it’s important to know that there are some important aftercare steps to take to ensure you enjoy the best outcomes.
Here at Lake Jackson Medical Spa in Lake Jackson, Texas, we offer the state-of-the-art ICON laser hair removal system to help you enjoy a smooth, hair-free life. We’ve put together this helpful guide so that you’ll know how to best take care of your skin after an ICON laser hair removal session at our office.
What to expect during your session
During your ICON laser hair removal session with Dr. Stephanie Herrera, you might feel some mild discomfort, similar to a minor sunburn, and experience some redness, warmth, or swelling. Though everyone can experience mild levels of discomfort during a laser hair removal session, your risk for moderate-to-severe irritation increases if you have sensitive skin, another skin condition, or have light hair and/or dark skin.
However, there are a number of steps you can take to ensure optimal results after your treatment. That’s why it’s so important to manage your discomfort, protect your skin, and avoid irritation for the few days after treatment.
Manage discomfort
Shortly after your treatment, you can reduce any swelling, redness, or irritation by icing the affected area with ice packs or cold compresses. Remember to wrap them in clean, gentle towels to protect the surface of your skin from being exposed to severe cold.
You can ice your treatment area up to 10 minutes at a time because icing the area any longer can interfere with healing. If you still feel uncomfortable, you can wait an hour and reapply the ice pack or cold compress, repeating this process no more than two to three times a day.
Additionally, you can take over-the-counter painkillers to reduce your pain, but we recommend avoiding medications that include aspirin as it can have blood thinning effects.
Protect your skin
More than anything, it’s important to protect your sensitive skin from sunlight after your laser session as the sun can make your irritation worse. Avoid any artificial UV sources such as tanning booths, and stay out of the direct sun for at least two weeks after your session.
If you must go out in the sun, wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. If you were treated on your face, remember to wear a hat or scarf in addition to sunscreen.
When it comes to cleaning your skin, avoid any harsh cleansers or exfoliants. Stick to soothing, mild cleansers and follow with a mild moisturizer for sensitive skin. If your skin is particularly red and irritated, we recommend 100% pure aloe vera gel for its soothing properties.
Avoid irritation
Stay away from any irritants for at least two days or until your redness and discomfort has subsided. A number of things may irritate your skin, including:
- Makeup
- Topical medications, including acne treatments
- Deodorant
- Spray tan
- UV tanning booths or excess sun
- Chlorine, such as in swimming pools
- Excess heat, such as during a hot shower or in a hot sauna
- Strenuous exercise that raises the body’s temperature or causes excess perspiration
If you follow these three simple rules, you can help your body heal and ensure optimum treatment results.
After your redness and swelling goes away, you may experience what looks like continued hair growth after your sessions. This is because your treated hair won’t automatically disappear, but will slowly shed from its follicles, over the course of a few weeks.
Additionally, you may need to come in for repeat treatments after a few months in order to target hairs that were previously in a dormant stage of their growth cycle. This is because not all of your hair follicles are active at the same time, meaning they require multiple treatments to treat all your follicles.
Here at Lake Jackson Medical Spa, we’re committed to offering effective treatments to help women regain their natural beauty. To learn more about laser hair removal and our other services, call our office at 979-256-4427, or book an appointment online.
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