When Can I Shave After Laser Hair Removal?

If there is one treatment that comes into your mind while thinking about professional hair removal that lasts for a long time, it is laser hair removal, right? Laser hair removal has the heart of our pretty ladies and some men with its precise results, effective treatments, and low maintenance.

Even if the maintenance is low, you have to take good care of the skin and shave unwanted hair during your follow-up sessions. So, it is important to know when can you shave after laser hair removal.

The general instructions about laser hair removal are provided in the Laser hair removal guide. Here, we will specifically talk about shaving in between laser hair removal sessions and when can I shave after laser hair removal.

Table of Contents:

• Part 1: Can I Shave the Same Day After Laser Hair Removal?
• Part 2: When Can I Shave After Laser Hair Removal?
• Part 3: Does Shaving Effect Laser Hair Removal Results?
• Part 4: Shaving Tips and Precautions Before Laser Hair Removal
• Part 5: Post-Treatment Care for Laser Hair Removal

Part 1: Can I Shave After Laser Hair Removal on the Same Day?

No, you cannot shave on the same day after laser hair removal. This is because skin after a laser hair removal session becomes sensitive and is easily irritable by pressure or rubbing.

During the shave, blades touch the skin, irritate it, and might injure it. A safe play is to give your skin the time to heal completely after laser hair removal and shave only when your skin is in good condition. Therefore, shaving after 5 to 7 days after laser hair removal is generally recommended.

Part 2: When Can I Shave After Laser Hair Removal?

If you are wondering “Can I shave after laser hair removal?”, the answer is yes. So, let us talk about the shaving and waiting duration after laser hair removal in detail below.

Hair Regrowth Cycle

The hair growth cycle mainly has 4 phases. These include anagen, the phase in which hair is actively growing and receiving direct supply from their follicles; catagen, the phase where the growth of hair stops, they get detached from the papilla, and enter into a resting state; telogen, the phase where hair growth is stopped and hair roots are weak; and lastly exogen where hair is removed from the roots and fall out.

Laser hair removal is most effective for the hair present in the actively growing phase. It is because the hair is directly connected to the follicles here and contains the most amount of pigments required for absorption of the laser.

The Period of Shedding and Hair Reduction

About 15 to 20% of the hair is in the anagen phase at the time of a particular session. So, this is the hair commonly affected by laser and shed within a week after treatment.

Moreover, their follicles are burnt by laser and the hair growth of such hair is greatly reduced.

When Can You Shave After Laser Hair Removal

As you need multiple sessions in between laser hair removal treatments, the hair grows back at some patch. This requires you to shave the skin until your next hair removal session.

However, you should never shave immediately after laser hair removal. Rather wait for 3 to 5 days before resuming your shaving routine and customize it according to the need and hair regrowth is reduced after laser.

Consultation With the Doctor

If you are too afraid of trying shaving but want to get rid of the grown hair, simply talk to your doctor and ask him for recommendations for shaving after laser hair removal. Also, consult queries like laser hair removal, and when to shave.

Part 3: Does Shaving Effect Laser Hair Removal Results?

Yes and no. Shaving is a prerequisite for laser hair removal. So, if you are shaving before your session, you will see good results. However, if you do not shave, your skin will be burnt and the laser won’t be able to reach the hair follicles resulting in more side effects with poor results.

In contrast, shaving after a laser hair removal session has no effect on its results as long as you wait for a few days after your laser hair removal session. However, it is recommended to avoid other methods of hair removal when you are getting laser.

Part 4: Shaving Tips and Precautions Before Laser Hair Removal

Follow the general tips and precautions for shaving before laser hair removal.

1. Do not Pluck, Wax, Epilate, or Bleach Hair to be Treated

First of all, you must be aware that without hair, the laser will be ineffective. Similarly, the laser will burn the skin if you have long body hair.

So, your best bet is to shave about 12 to 24 hours before going for your session and avoid epilating, plucking, waxing, and bleaching the area you want to get treated. Moreover, check out why you cannot use this method of hair removal at Can I Wax after Laser Hair Removal.

2. Do not Let the Skin Get Adversely Affected by the Sun

Sun is your worst enemy when you are planning laser hair removal. This is because it darkens the skin and damages it by UV radiation.

As an aftereffect, your skin hurts during laser hair removal and gets oversensitive when you shave it. So, it is better to avoid sun exposure by staying indoors and wearing sunscreen.

3. Ensure Proper Cleanliness of the Skin Before Shaving

The skin must not contain any product buildups, pollutants, impurities, and oils before shaving as it increases the risk of infection. Thus, you should thoroughly rinse the area to be treated with a body/face wash.

4. Exfoliate Regularly

The dead skin cells, excess oils, and dirt tend to find their way deep into the layers of the skin blocking pores and hair follicles. This makes the process of shaving and laser hair removal difficult.

So, exfoliating the skin once a week helps provide a better shave and better hair removal results.

5. Shave Meticulously

Before your laser hair removal session, it is important to shave unwanted hair correctly. For this, always use a sharp and new razor, shave on wet and lubricated skin, and shave in the direction of hair growth.

You can find more tips for shaving before laser hair removal at shaving before laser hair removal.

Part 5: Post-Treatment Care for Laser Hair Removal

To ensure optimal results after laser hair removal, you can follow the following post-treatment guidelines.

1. No Sun Exposure

Just like you should not let the skin be affected by the sun before laser hair removal sessions, you must protect it afterward as well. Use UV-resistant clothes, sun hats, and sunblocks to prevent sunrays from harming you.

2. No Harsh Products

Pause the usage of skincare with chemicals, active ingredients, and harsh products for about 2 days to 1 week after laser hair removal.

Rather, you should opt for gentle cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens to help in healing your skin.

3. Management of Temporary Side Effects

You can experience redness, swelling, crusts, and or skin irritation after laser hair removal. Use aloe vera gel to reduce redness. Apply cold compresses to soothe swelling. A gentle moisturizer can help in healing and falling the crust.

And skin irritation can be avoided by nourishing the skin and preventing its contact with other things.

4. General Measures to Prevent Side Effects

In addition to the measures mentioned above, you should eat healthily, keep yourself hydrated, avoid hot showers, avoid shaving immediately after a laser hair removal session, and wear loose clothes to achieve ideal results without side effects.

Moreover, give what to do and not to do after laser hair removal a read.

Conclusion

Everyone talks about how shaving is the recommended method of hair removal before going for your laser hair removal treatment. However, the question of when can I shave again after laser hair removal remains unattended.

So, in this article, we discussed that you must not shave immediately after laser hair removal sessions because of the risk of skin irritation and infection. Waiting for up to a week after the sessions heals the skin and strengthens its barrier allowing you to shave as you like before your next session.