If you’re like most people, you devote more time to the removal of unwanted hair in the summer. And if a long season of shaving, waxing, and plucking in the pursuit of silky-smooth skin has left you contemplating laser hair removal, now is the perfect time to schedule your first treatment.
Why? It’s best to go through the laser hair removal process over the winter months.
As a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in cosmetic laser treatments, Dr. Patrick Keehan and our team at Keehan Dermatology are your go-to laser hair removal experts in Fort Worth, Texas. If you’ve been thinking about ditching your razor, here’s why you should book your first session ASAP.
We perform laser hair removal treatments using the GentleMax Pro®, an FDA-approved, dual-length laser that’s safe and effective on all skin and hair types.
When we pass the handheld laser device across the treatment area, its advanced sensor detects active-growth hair follicles and sends pulses of energy into their shafts.
As your hair’s melanin cells (color pigments) absorb the energy, it “flips the switch” on their ability to grow — deactivating them.
Once it’s been deactivated, a treated follicle can no longer grow hair. Laser hair removal can help you attain smooth, hair-free skin on your:
The only area you can’t treat with laser hair removal is on the skin near your eyes — so maintaining groomed brows will require continued waxing and/or plucking.
Here are a few reasons why the laser hair removal process is easier in the winter:
It’s important to minimize sun exposure throughout the laser hair removal process. This makes wintertime — with its shorter days, higher-coverage clothing, and lower ultraviolet index — an ideal time to get the treatment.
First, laser hair removal can’t be done on sun-kissed, fully tanned, or sunburned skin. Performing laser treatments on an area of skin that’s darker than its normal shade increases the likelihood of inaccurate laser sensors, which can wind up damaging your skin.
Likewise, prolonged sun exposure should also be avoided following laser hair removal, as the laser makes the treated area of skin more susceptible to UV damage. The winter months make this task easier, with higher-coverage clothing and more time indoors.
Because laser hair removal only targets active-growth hair follicles in the anagen phase — not follicles that are in their transitional (catagen), resting (telogen), or shedding (exogen) phases — your treatment requires multiple sessions to ensure the deactivation of as many follicles as possible.
Most people attain complete hair removal after three to six laser treatments, with each session spaced four to six weeks apart. When you start your laser hair removal process in late fall or early winter, you can expect to have smooth skin by summer.
Laser hair removal targets active-growth follicles, but it can only sense them if there’s still some amount of hair in the follicle. To prepare, you shave the treatment area a day or two before your appointment. The laser can detect and target this remaining growth, sending its energy down the short stubble and into the follicle.
The treatment doesn’t work on areas that have been waxed, plucked, or cleared with depilatory cream, as these hair removal methods pull hair shafts out at the root, leaving nothing behind for the laser to detect and target.
Going through the hair removal process in the winter means easier living when you have stubbly areas you want to cover up — versus wishing you could wax or shave daily to keep an area of skin hair-free.
Preparing for laser hair removal involves protecting your skin from sun exposure in the weeks leading up to every treatment, and shaving a day or two in advance of each session. Aftercare guidelines include:
You’ll want to be vigilant about sun protection for one month before — and one month after — every laser hair removal session. Because this basically amounts to the entire treatment cycle, winter is an excellent time to go through the laser hair removal process.
Ready to take the first step toward zero-maintenance, hair-free skin? We’re here to help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at Keehan Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas, today.
