It’s time to say goodbye to your razor and tweezers and hello to laser hair removal — your unwanted body hair will thank you.

No more trying to tweeze pesky hairs that just won’t budge. Laser hair removal is one of the many services a laser skin clinic can offer, alongside tattoo removal and facial rejuvenation.

At Baywood Clinic, we are your source for laser hair removal in Toronto — we offer professional and quick treatment that you can trust. Our medical-grade, state-of-the-art lasers are powerful, and personally used by our board-certified physicians.

As a laser clinic, laser hair removal is one of the many services we excel at — after all, we perform thousands of treatments every year. That said, we tend to do some serious hair removal myth busting to remind people of just how effective and efficient laser hair removal can be.

The way laser hair removal works is that the laser — we use the GentleLase — targets the pigment of your hair follicles to remove them. There are usually multiple sessions involved for maximum results.

When it comes to getting rid of your unwanted hair, there are some key laser hair removal do’s and don’ts to keep in mind to ensure that the process is as seamless as possible.

It’s important to come to your procedure prepared, and aware — the last thing you want is to have to reschedule last minute, or even worse, have a nasty reaction to the laser. Here are the things you are going to want to stay away from before your procedure:

Sun Tanning

It’s vital that you stay out of the sun for at least four weeks before your procedure. We get it — there is nothing quite like the glow of a fresh tan. That said, tanning your skin can derail your laser hair removal process.

According to Beauty Crew, tanning will change the pigment of your skin — this will make it hard for the laser to identify your hair follicle and separate it from your skin tone. Refrain from any tanning agent whether that be the sun, a tanning bed or self-tanner.

Waxing

It’s requested that you refrain from waxing your hair for at least 6 weeks before your treatment. This is because, for laser hair removal to work, the laser needs to target the pigment of your hair follicle. For it to do this, however, the hair follicle has to actually be there.

Waxing removes your hair follicle, while shaving trims your hair but leaves the follicle intact.

That said, it is important to shave before getting laser hair removal — if you don’t, the laser can actually burn your hair, which is as unpleasant as it sounds.

Tweeze

In the same vein as waxing, refrain from tweezing the area that you plan on removing hair from. This will help to keep your hair follicle easy for the laser to identify.

Bleaching or Dying

There’s nothing wrong with dying or bleaching your hair, but before your laser hair removal, this is a big faux pas. Don’t forget that laser hair removal requires the laser to identify the pigment of your hair follicle — which it won’t be able to do if the follicle has been coloured.

It’s essential to stop colouring your hair a good 6 weeks before your treatment so that your hair has time to grow back to its natural colour.

Antibiotics

We get it, you may be on antibiotics for a variety of reasons — but if that is the case, you need to be cautious of the effects that antibiotics have on the laser hair removal process.

According to Byrdie, antibiotics are a photosensitive medication. This means that they make your skin a lot more sensitive to light — like a laser. Due to this, being on antibiotics and undergoing laser hair removal can cause your skin to hyper-pigment or even burn. Either avoid antibiotics before your treatment if you can or schedule your appointment after your done your antibiotics.

It’s important to inform us of any medication you may be taking before your treatment, in case it is a photosensitive medication that can cause you to react to the laser. 

Coffee

If caffeine makes you jumpy, it’s a good idea to avoid it for 24 hours before your treatment. You will want to be calm before laser hair removal. For this reason, you may also want to stay clear of any energy drinks that can heighten your nervousness.

Skip the Makeup

There are a variety of reasons why you should avoid putting on makeup the day of your procedure. For one, foundation or any other pigment altering product will make it harder for the laser to identify the pigment of the hair follicle — sensing a pattern here?

Additionally, makeup and skin care products like creams have ingredients that can react to the laser and cause irritation and burning. Keep your skin fresh and product free for optimal results and a seamless process. The less product between your skin and the laser, the better.

Moisturizing

Hydrated, moisturized skin is something everyone works towards — but that said, skip the moisturizer the day of your treatment. Before getting laser hair removal, your skin should be clean — that means not just free of makeup, but moisturizer too. This is one situation where you actually want your skin to be dry.

A Rowdy Night Before

Everyone enjoys having a good time, but it’s a good idea to schedule your night out two nights before your procedure. You’re not going to want to be hungover the day of; hangovers heighten your nervous system, making you more sensitive to touch, sound and light.

This will make the laser hair removal process more painful and uncomfortable and is easy to avoid. Don’t make things harder than they have to be.

Tight Clothing

The day of your procedure is a good day for sweatpants and a baggy top, as the laser treatment can leave your skin feeling sensitive. You want to avoid wearing clothing that will rub against your skin or make you feel uncomfortable. Loose clothing will also make it easier to access the treatment area.

Prepare for your treatment and take the necessary precautions to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible!