Many men and women are self-conscious or ashamed of facial and body hair and turn to all sorts of methods to remove unwanted hair.
From waxing and shaving to threading and hair removal creams, there are many options out there for those looking to remove unwanted hair.
However, most methods of hair removal are temporary, making upkeep necessary.
Most people look to shaving when they first start removing unwanted facial and body hair.
Shaving is quick, convenient, and affordable, making it an easy first pick when initially delving into the world of hair removal.
However, when faced with the hassle of shaving every few days or even every other day, this quickly becomes a less viable option.
Waxing is another hair removal method many turn to, but this is expensive, requires regrowth in between sessions, and is both messy and painful.
If you’ve been through this and are tired of temporary hair removal, you may be considering methods like laser hair removal, which damages hair follicles and effectively reduces hair growth.
Laser hair removal has soared in popularity recently and boasts hassle-free hair removal and reduced hair growth over time.
This can be especially tempting if you’re someone who wants to be silky-smooth and hair-free all the time but doesn’t have the time for the upkeep involved in shaving and waxing.
However, before taking this monumental step, it’s important to do your research and be aware of the ins and outs of the process.
From knowing what is involved in the process and how to prepare beforehand to knowing what to avoid afterwards, there are some things to keep in mind before laser hair removal.
It’s also important to get answers to questions like, “What happens if you wax after laser hair removal?” so that you know exactly what is expected of you before you commit to the procedure.
If you’re looking to familiarize yourself with the laser hair removal procedure and the protocols surrounding it, you’re in the right place.
Our guide delves into advantages, disadvantages, what is involved in laser treatment, and answers questions like, “What happens if you wax after laser hair removal?” so that you’re completely prepared when going for your first laser hair removal treatment.
What Is Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal involves using powerful beams of light to target the hair follicles and damage them.
The laser targets the pigment of the hair, and the light converts to heat and damages the hair bulb and hair follicle.
It usually takes several treatments over the course of 2-3 months to destroy the hair follicle so that hair no longer grows from it.
While it’s generally known as “permanent” hair removal, this isn’t always the case. However, laser does reduce hair growth significantly and is a long-term solution for unwanted hair growth. Maintenance treatments can help delay hair growth for long periods of time.
Why Do People Opt for Laser Hair Removal?
There’s a reason laser hair removal is becoming increasingly popular, and individuals are abandoning methods like waxing and shaving in favour of laser hair removal.
The method offers a number of advantages, including permanent hair removal, eradication of ingrown hair, and minimal side effects.
Long-Lasting, “Permanent” Results
The main problem with most hair removal methods is upkeep and maintenance. Even the most long-lasting hair removal methods like waxing require monthly visits to the salon or hours spent at home removing hair.
Depending on the level of hair growth you experience, this may even be more frequent. With laser hair removal, the results are close to permanent.
The laser destroys the hair follicle, making it less likely to produce hair in the first place.
As you treat your hair with laser hair removal, your hair will grow back lighter and thinner. With enough treatments, the hair follicles will simply stop producing hair in some areas.
While this isn’t a guarantee, laser hair removal reduces hair growth drastically and is the most long-lasting hair removal method currently available.
Cost Saving
There’s no denying that laser hair removal is an expensive treatment. The upfront cost for it is much more expensive than waxing, shaving, epilation, and more.
However, while you have to invest in laser hair removal at first, this investment pays off in the long run.
Since laser hair removal is close to permanent, there’s no need to buy razors, shaving cream, wax, waxing strips, or soothing lotions ever again.
This results in cost savings over time and makes laser hair removal worth the hefty upfront cost!
Quick
Even if you’ve been shaving or waxing for years, it still takes quite a while to complete the procedures on yourself, especially if you’re careful not to leave any patches of skin unwaxed or unshaved.
If you get waxed at a salon, this still takes up a lot of time. In order to be hair-free, you have to take out large chunks of time out of a busy schedule daily, weekly, or monthly.
Laser hair removal reduces this time significantly and can work extremely quickly. Depending on the size of the area being treated, this can often take less than half an hour since each zap takes less than a second.
If you’re getting a small area like your upper lip treated, this can be done in 10-15 minutes and saves you a lot of time as compared to other methods like waxing.
Minimal Side Effects
Shaving can result in nicks and cuts while waxing results in redness and irritation. In fact, when you’ve just gotten waxed, the redness often doesn’t dissipate for hours, and many people cover their arms and legs up because of this. With laser hair removal, there are minimal side effects.
A very small percentage of people may see some redness, but for the majority of people, there are no visible side effects, and the world can’t tell that you’ve been going through a hair removal procedure.
Precision
There’s nothing worse than getting out of the shower, feeling your smooth arms and legs, and coming across a strip of skin you’ve missed when shaving.
Whether you’re used to waxing or shaving, this has probably happened to you some time or the other.
When it does happen, you can either deal with the patch of hairy skin or take out the time to do the procedure all over again. This takes up valuable time and may even irritate your skin further.
Laser hair removal is extremely precise and ensures that this doesn’t happen. Because it’s done by a trained professional at a salon, every inch of skin is assessed meticulously.
Additionally, because laser hair removal requires shaving beforehand, your hair is removed prior to the laser treatment and then checked for full removal during the treatment.
Laser hair removal doesn’t leave patches of hair on your skin but instead, targets the follicles so that they stop producing hair altogether.
No Ingrown Hair
Most hair removal methods can cause ingrown hair. Shaving is notorious for this and waxing and epilating incorrectly can also worsen ingrown hair problems.
Ingrown hair is often painful and unsightly and many completely abandon hair removal methods that make ingrown hair worse.
If you’re prone to ingrown hair and want to eradicate this pesky problem, laser hair removal is an excellent option.
Since laser hair removal targets the follicle and removes the hair strands at the root, there’s no chance for ingrown hair to occur and bother you.
Ingrown hair isn’t just unsightly – it can often result in irritation and itchy skin and acting on the impulse to itch and pick at the hair can make the problem worse.
Laser hair removal effectively solves this problem and eliminates the need to deal with ingrown hair.
Minimal Pain
While shaving doesn’t always hurt, hair removal methods like waxing and epilation always come with pain and discomfort.
Even when you’re used to waxing and epilation, you can still feel some degree of pain, and no one likes having to undergo this every month.
If you’re someone who has a low pain tolerance and doesn’t like waxing, epilation, or threading because of the pain involved, laser hair removal may be perfect for you.
While the zapping includes some mild discomfort in your first couple of sessions, laser hair removal as a whole doesn’t involve pain.
Additionally, technicians usually apply a cooling gel to your skin before proceeding with the treatment, which is soothing and minimizes discomfort.
What Happens if You Wax After Laser Hair Removal?
Laser hair removal works by targeting the hair follicle. In order for this to happen, the hair follicle must be present, something that isn’t possible with epilation methods like waxing which completely remove it.
Therefore, in order for the laser hair removal treatment to successfully work, you must switch to methods like shaving that leave the hair follicle intact.
So, what happens if you wax after laser hair removal? The answer is simple – the hair follicle is removed, and the laser isn’t able to target it effectively.
This makes the treatment less effective and wastes the valuable time and money you’re putting into it.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to deal with unwanted hair during the course of your treatment.
When your hair starts to grow back, you can remove it through methods that don’t affect the hair bulbs and hair follicles.
The most common hair removal method available for this is shaving. Therefore, instead of resorting to waxing after your laser hair removal treatment, switch over to shaving. This leaves the follicle intact, and the laser can target it during your next session.
Remember that this applies to all epilation methods, and not just waxing. You should also avoid using an epilator or tweezers, which also pull the hair out from the root.
This should not be confused with waxing after your treatment. If all your laser hair removal treatments have been completed and you want to wax hair that hasn’t been removed by the laser treatment, i.e., fine blond, red, or grey hair, you’re welcome to do so. Most lasers don’t respond to light hair and target brown and black pigment.
The light regrowth of fine, blond hair is completely fine as long as your treatment has been completed and your technician gives you the go-ahead to do so.
If you’re seeing regrowth of brown or black hair, you may need to book a maintenance laser session instead.
Is Laser Hair Removal Right for You?
After reading about all the advantages that laser hair removal can provide, most people rush into the decision without doing their due diligence.
Laser hair removal is an excellent option for long-lasting hair removal, but it isn’t suitable for everyone.
Skin Conditions and Medication
If you have skin conditions, laser hair removal may not be right for you. Lasers can worsen already existing pigmentation issues and can make you extremely photosensitive if you’re on medication is tretinoin for skin conditions like acne.
Medication like anti-coagulants can also make you unsuitable for laser hair removal treatment so it’s always best to discuss whether the treatment is suitable for you with your doctor.
Pregnancy
Those who are pregnant or trying to conceive aren’t good candidates for laser hair removal.
There isn’t enough information available about the effects of the laser treatment on the fetus, making this treatment one that should be avoided by those who are expecting a child.
Additionally, pregnancy can increase hair growth because of the increase in hormones. This hair growth often slows down, and the excess hair usually disappears after pregnancy, making laser hair removal something that isn’t always needed.
Laser hair removal should be considered after pregnancy if you are still suffering from unwanted hair.
Conclusion
Laser hair removal is a safe and effective procedure with a number of advantages. For those looking for long-term hair removal, it’s one of the best treatments out there.
However, it’s important to thoroughly research the treatment before opting for it and having questions like “What happens if you wax after laser hair removal?” answered before making your final decision.
We hope that this guide has been helpful in doing exactly that and makes your decision-making process easier.