5 factors that can affect the success of
laser hair removal

Whether you are old or young, male or female, shaving can be quite inconvenient. In fact, if you spend about 15 minutes shaving three to four times a week, you will spend more than 50 hours a year shaving - that's more than a full work week for most people! Before you decide to have laser hair removal with us, there are a few things that can affect the success of the treatments.

1:  Skin color and hair color can influence laser hair removal

The ideal candidate for laser hair removal is someone with lighter skin tones and coarse, dark hair. Although new laser technology already works better on darker skin tones or lighter hair colors, the light skin/dark hair combination is still for the better. If your hair is particularly soft or fine, the lasers may have difficulty locating and targeting melanin (the dark pigment) in the hair follicles, which is the part that must be destroyed for the procedure to work.

2:  One-time or short-term treatments usually don't work

For the average person, hair grows in cycles, so all the hair on your body is in different stages of growth at any given time. For that reason, getting a single laser hair removal treatment will not help much, as it will only address at most one-sixth of your total hair growth in a given area.

3:  Sunbeds or sun exposure before hair removal is not recommended

If you plan to go out in the sun before your laser hair removal treatments, make sure you use plenty of sunblock with an SPF of 30 or higher. Re-apply sunscreen throughout the day to prevent sunburn or a tan that is too dark. it's also best to avoid tanning beds for at least a few weeks before and a few weeks after your treatment. If you have recently been exposed to sunlight or tanning beds, the risk of a burn or skin damage during laser hair removal increases. While sunscreen is always advised, and staying away from tanning beds is generally a good idea to keep your skin looking young and healthy, it is especially important not to have very tanned skin prior to laser hair removal treatments.

4:  Preparing your skin in advance

You will be advised how to prepare for the treatments. Be sure to follow this advice, such as shaving the area to be treated one to two days in advance, avoiding perfumes or lotions on the day of treatment. Do not wax the hair before treatment, as this removes the root of the hair follicle that the laser must target to eliminate new hair growth.

5:  With some medication, laser hair removal is not recommended

Medications can have a photosensitizing effect. This is mainly the case for certain antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, drugs for diabetes, hypertension, acne, fungal infections, allergies, etc., as well as drugs used for burns. You can always find that important information in the leaflet of those medicines (in the 'Side Effects' or 'When to be extra careful when using' section). Sometimes you have to look for that info, it is also phrased as "sensitivity to the light" instead of the "sun."

Always list any medications you are taking. This includes any changes in medications during your sessions.