When should you start laser hair removal?

(Image: CTO)

Why the end of summer is the ideal time to begin your treatments

The start of winter might seem like an unusual time to start thinking about your bare skin.

After all, it’s all about cozy socks, mohair cushions, coffee and Netflix marathons now. Who wants to think about suntanning or cutoff shorts when you’re buried in a couple feet of snow? In fact, we all know that one person who retires the razor entirely until the temperature has officially warmed up to leg-bearing level, and some days, it seems like she might be on to something.

Having said that, the truth about laser hair removal in New York City – or anywhere else that experiences frigid winter months – is that starting it just before winter can actually give your treatment an edge. Your exposure to harmful UV rays will likely be less of a risk during the bundle-up months, waxing isn’t a necessity anymore, and to top it off, scheduling the majority of your sessions in the winter lets your smooth skin take center stage by the time warm weather makes another appearance.

Here’s why you should think about scheduling your treatments at the end of summer:

Less risk of sun damage

Skin’s exposure to sun, as lovely as it may feel, can actually be detrimental to your laser treatments. Skin that has been exposed to UV rays – either from the sun or from tanning beds – will be much more sensitive. This can actually result in scarring or burning during your treatments, so practitioners really do mean it when they say you should avoid recent exposure for at least two weeks before your next laser hair removal treatment.

Similarly, skin that has recently been treated with laser will be sensitive too, so limiting UV exposure afterwards is also crucial. Yes, you read that right: you’ll need to limit UV exposure both before and after a treatment.

If you’re careful, there’s no reason why you can’t undergo treatment in the summer, but naturally, in the winter it takes a little less planning, as it’s unlikely your bare skin would be exposed to much sun anyway.

After all, in November or December in New York, it’s unlikely you would be hitting the rooftop pool deck and soaking up the sun, right?

Waxing is off limits anyway

While you’re undergoing your entire laser hair removal process – which can take up to several months - you won’t be able to wax or pluck any rogue hairs. This is because both waxing and plucking take the hair out right at the root. To do its job effectively, the laser needs to target the hair follicle right at that root, which is what prevents it from growing back.

Naturally, it can be a good idea to start your laser hair removal during a season when waxing isn’t such a big priority anyway. Ideally, by the time bare leg weather is back, the bulk of your laser hair removal treatments will be over and done with, and you’ll notice a definite reduction in your skin’s smoothness and the amount of hair that grows back.

If you really aren’t into the idea of having your hair grow free and wild, even during the winter, don’t sweat. You’ll still be able to shave, as shaving doesn’t take the hair out at the root. Keep in mind, however, that for sensitivity reasons, most practitioners recommend not shaving the day of your treatment.

Unveil your newly smooth skin at the start of the summer

Most New York laser hair removal cycles require sessions at least 6 to 8 weeks apart, over the course of several months. As you progress, you’ll notice that less and less hair grows back, and that the hair itself is finer and easier to get rid of.

You need multiple sessions because each follicle has to be at a certain stage in the growth cycle to be treated, and not every hair grows at the same rate. If you begin your cycle at the end of summer or the start of fall, you’ll have more time to undergo the bulk of your sessions and get each of those pesky little hairs treated. You’ll have more time to schedule follow-up sessions too.

This means that by the time summer finally rolls around and it’s time to break out the tanning oil and sundresses, most of your treatments will likely be finished. Your gorgeous, glowing and significantly smoother skin will be ready to show off … just at the right time! How’s that for an unveiling?