How to Prepare for Your First Laser Hair Removal Treatment

Stop pulling your hair out

Dr. Polavarapu uses advanced diode laser technology to remove unwanted hair. It works by targeting the pigment in your hair follicles, gently heating the follicles, and destroying their ability to produce hair. The pigment comes from the hair root, so if the root is missing, there’s no pigment to target.

Since plucking, tweezing, and waxing pull out your hair roots, we ask that you refrain from using these hair removal methods for about six weeks before your laser hair removal session.

Shave the day before

Just because you can’t wax or tweeze doesn’t mean you have to go around with unsightly hair growth leading up to your laser hair removal appointment. In fact, we encourage shaving a day or two ahead of your session. Excess surface hair may interfere with the laser hair removal process.

Stay out of the sun

Now is not the time to soak in the rays. Laser hair removal is most effective when there’s a contrast between the pigment in your skin and the pigment in your hair follicles. Tanning — including natural sun, tanning beds, and self-tanners — darkens your skin and decreases contrast.

Another reason to avoid tanning before your laser hair removal appointment is that tanning actually damages your skin. What you think of as a “healthy glow” is really your skin’s defense mechanism gathering its resources to protect you from the sun's harmful rays. Tanned (damaged) skin is not a good candidate for laser hair removal, so minimize your time in the sun for about six weeks and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen diligently.

If you bleach your unwanted hair — stop

Many people use bleaching products to lighten the appearance of unwanted hair. However, this neutralizes the pigment all the way down to the root, which means there’s little-to-no contrast when we use the laser. Again, six weeks is a good time frame to refrain from bleaching and allow the natural pigment to return so that the laser can target it.

Check your medicine cabinet

Some medications may interfere with your laser hair removal treatment by causing photosensitivity, hyper- or hypopigmentation, or dermatitis or by making you more susceptible to burns and blisters. Talk to Dr. Polavarapu about all medications you take, especially medication for acne, depression, cancer, arthritis, allergies, or inflammation, as many of them may decrease the effectiveness of your laser hair removal treatment.

Ditch the products

On the days of your laser hair removal treatment, come with clean skin. If we’re working on facial hair, don’t wear any makeup. The skin we treat should be free from all products, including lotions, serums, deodorants, and any other topical solutions.

Prepare for several sessions

Laser hair removal is the most effective way to get rid of unwanted hair for good, but plan on coming back for a total of 3-7 sessions to ensure we cover each hair growth cycle. Hair grows in cyclical stages, and while one stage is present above the surface of your skin, other stages are dormant underneath. Multiple sessions allow us to zap your hairs in each phase and eliminate them all.

To schedule your first laser hair removal treatment, call us at 817-615-8576, or request an appointment using our online booking tool today.