Here is some common mistakes make by most people during laser services. Sometimes even neglected by some untrained technician.
1. Deodorant is the number one enemy for Diode Laser with cooling gel. It will create a white substance, and it deflects laser light. Even with some residue, it will significantly reduce the effective of laser hair removal.
Most common side effects including excessive irritation, redness, and even hyper-pigmentation.
2. Makeups can cause some serious complication during laser treatment. As many makeups may change the skin tone, they will either absorb or deflect laser energy.
Serious burnt can result from makeup residuals
3. Switching between different lasers service provider. If you are getting treatments on the same area from your new service provider, you will need to make sure the laser utilizes the same or similar wavelength. In some extreme cases, hair regrowth will happen when switching between different laser equipment.
Here is some easy step to prepare yourself for laser hair removal
1. Stay away from the sun for at least 1 week (Only experienced technician, can provide services within such period, remember to notify and ask your technician if he/she is comfortable with recently tanned skin)
2. Avoid plucking, waxing and electrolysis. These hair removal methods can disturb the hair follicle and interfere with laser hair removal.
Shaving is OK, however, since it preserves the hair shaft and follicle. In fact, shaving is recommended so that the laser doesn’t target hair above the skin, potentially causing burns.
3. Avoid antibiotics, most antibiotics cause skin photosensitive reaction to laser treatments which results in adverse reactions, such as wild redness, scarring, hypo-pigmentation, hyper-pigmentation, and etc.
4. No Accutane for at least 4 months(recommended for 6 months) before your appointment.
5. For facial hair removal, you should have makeup removed before your session starts.
6. For underarms hair removal, you should remove deodorant prior to your laser sessions.