Preparing for a laser hair removal session
The laser targets the hair, so the hair must stay in place and the skin out of the sun. What to prepare weeks before the session, and what to watch for afterwards.
Preparing your appointment
Laser hair removal
Full arms
The full arm combines the forearm and the upper arm, two areas that do not always respond in the same way. Above the elbow, hair is often finer and lighter, and its response more variable; below it, hair is denser and more exposed to the sun. The settings are adjusted from one to the other during the session. The underarms, which follow the same six-to-eight-week rhythm, are often added to the same session without complicating the calendar.
- Duration
- 25 to 30 min
- Protocol
- Usually 6 to 8 sessions, 6 to 8 weeks apart
Indications
- Visible hair along the whole arm
- Repeated shaving or waxing of the arms
- A wish to combine with the underarms
How it goes
The consultation and test patch
Examination of the skin and hair, assessment of your phototype, screening for contraindications and choice of wavelength. A test on a small area shows how the skin reacts before the whole zone is treated. Unless the doctor decides otherwise, no full session is carried out on the day of the first consultation: the time to think it over is yours.
Before the session
Shave the area the evening before or on the day: the razor is allowed, and in fact requested. No waxing, threading, tweezing, epilator or hair removal cream for the four to six weeks beforehand — they remove the hair, which is the laser’s target. No sun, sunbeds or self-tan for four weeks. Tell us about any photosensitising treatment: some antibiotics, St John’s wort, and isotretinoin, which requires a wait of several months after stopping. On the day, the area should be clean, with no cream, deodorant or make-up.
The session
Everyone in the room wears protective goggles. The handpiece is passed over the area pulse by pulse, while a cold spray or a chilled contact, depending on the device, protects the surface of the skin. The sensation is often compared to the snap of a rubber band with brief heat, stronger on thin or dense areas. The length depends on the surface: a few minutes for an upper lip, far longer for a back.
Aftercare and precautions
Redness and small bumps around the hairs are expected for a few hours, sometimes up to 48 hours. For 48 hours: no hammam, sauna, swimming pool, intense exercise or friction on the area. For four weeks: SPF 50 on exposed areas, and no direct sun. Treated hairs shed within one to three weeks: do not pull them out — only the razor is allowed between sessions. A blister, a crust, a burn or a patch of discoloured skin is not part of the expected aftercare: call the practice.
Frequently asked questions
How many sessions will I need?
The number cannot be announced before the examination: it depends on your phototype, the colour and density of the hair, the area and your hormonal balance. The ranges given for each area are orders of magnitude, not a commitment. As a guide, sessions are four to six weeks apart on the face, six to eight on most body areas and eight to ten on the back and legs — and the rhythm is adjusted at each visit, according to regrowth.
Does it work on darker skin?
Darker skin can be treated, provided the wavelength and settings are adapted. On phototypes IV to VI, Nd:YAG 1064 nm is the reference: the skin’s pigment absorbs less of it, which limits the risk of burns and marks. Settings remain cautious, which may mean a few more sessions. What decides the response most is contrast: brown or black hair usually responds, fair hair far less, whatever the skin.
Is it painful?
The sensation is most often described as the snap of a rubber band, with brief heat. It is stronger on thin or very dense areas — upper lip, underarms, bikini line — and often eases over the sessions as the hair thins out. Cooling the skin during each pulse makes it more bearable, and the settings are adjusted to your tolerance.
Is laser hair removal permanent?
It cannot be guaranteed as such. The laser aims at a lasting reduction in the number and thickness of hairs; a few finer, lighter hairs often remain, and others may appear over time, particularly under hormonal influence. Maintenance sessions several months apart are therefore sometimes useful — more often on the face and neck than on the legs.
Are there contraindications?
Yes, and they are checked in consultation, not ticked on a form. Pregnancy, tanned skin, a photosensitising treatment, active herpes or an infection on the area, or a tattoo or permanent make-up where the laser would pass lead to the session being postponed or ruled out. A mole that has changed, a tendency to keloid scars, or a recent peel or laser on the area should also be mentioned — and can lead to a refusal.
Getting ready
Read before this treatment
What is asked before the session, what to tell us, and what the aftermath looks like.
Laser hair removal and darker skin: what your phototype changes
On darker skin, both the skin and the hair contain melanin. Why the wavelength, the settings and the sun decide how safe a session is.
Understanding treatments
This page is informative. It does not replace a medical consultation and is not a promise of results: outcomes and suitability depend on each person.
Keep going
Related treatments
Underarms
Dense, often dark hair that usually responds to laser. Shaving, a source of irritation and ingrown hairs, can then become less frequent.
10 to 15 min
Full legs + arms + bikini + underarms
The widest combination: four zones treated in one session of 75 to 90 minutes, on a shared schedule set in consultation.
75 to 90 min
Hands and fingers
The backs of the hands and the fingers: thin skin, often sparse hair, and rings to take off before the session.
10 min
Book an appointment
The initial consultation examines, explains and proposes a written plan. It commits you to nothing.