How to prepare for laser hair removal

4 to 6 weeks before

• Stop waxing, plucking, threading, sugaring and epilating. Laser needs the hair root in the follicle to find it. Shaving is fine.
• Book your consultation. It confirms laser suits your skin and hair, and it’s the time to mention medications. Some, such as isotretinoin (Accutane) and certain antibiotics, make skin more sensitive to light and can mean waiting.

2 weeks before

• Avoid tanning and sunburn. No sunbathing, tanning beds or spray tans on the area. Tanned skin absorbs more of the laser’s energy.
• Stop self-tanner. Let it fade completely.
• Plan around trips. A beach holiday or a spring ski week right before a session usually means rescheduling.

A few days before

• Pause retinoids and exfoliating acids on the area, such as retinol, glycolic or salicylic acid, unless we tell you otherwise.
• Skip other treatments on the same area, like peels or microneedling, unless they’re planned with your laser schedule.

The day before

• Shave the area. A close, fresh shave means the laser’s energy goes into the follicle rather than burning hair on the surface. If an area is hard to reach, ask us for help.

On the day

• Clean skin. No lotion, oil, deodorant, perfume or makeup on the area.
• Loose, comfortable clothing, especially for bikini, Brazilian or leg sessions.
• Tell us about changes since your last visit: new medications, a tan, a sunburn, or anything else.

After each session

• Expect some redness and small bumps around the follicles, like a mild sunburn. They usually settle within a day or two.
• Skip heat for 24 to 48 hours: hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, very hot showers and hard workouts. If you’re a Mood. client, save the infrared sauna for another visit.
• Protect from the sun. Use SPF 30 or higher on treated skin and cover up.
• Don’t pick at shedding hairs. Treated hairs fall out on their own over one to three weeks.
• Shave only between sessions, no waxing or plucking.

Is laser hair removal safe?

For most healthy adults, laser hair removal is a well-established treatment when it’s done with the right device and settings for your skin. The usual side effects are temporary redness and swelling. Blistering and changes in skin colour are uncommon and are more likely on tanned skin, which is why sun avoidance matters so much.

Does laser hair removal cause cancer?

There is no evidence that laser hair removal causes cancer. The light used is non-ionizing, meaning it doesn’t damage DNA the way X-rays or ultraviolet light can, and it’s aimed at hair follicles just under the surface of the skin.

Can you have laser hair removal while pregnant?

It hasn’t been studied in pregnancy, so the usual practice is to wait until after you’ve had your baby. Pregnancy hormones also change how hair grows, so results are less predictable. Tell us if you’re pregnant or planning to be, and we’ll plan your sessions around it.

Preparing for laser in Calgary

The hardest part of laser prep here is the sun. Calgary gets around 2,400 hours of sunshine a year, and even in January, snow reflects most of the UV back at your face and legs. Chinook days pull everyone outside, and a lot of us take a sun holiday in winter.

A few local habits make it easier:

• Keep SPF by the door all year, not just in July.
• Book sessions after, not just before, a sunny trip, with a couple of weeks of fading in between.
• Starting in the fall lets most of your series fall in the low-sun months.

For how many sessions to expect, read how many laser hair removal sessions you need.

Questions we hear

Should I shave or trim before laser?

Shave, ideally about 24 hours before, so the skin has settled but the hair is still below the surface.

Can I wear deodorant after underarm laser?

Wait about 24 hours, until any redness settles, then go back to your usual deodorant.

Can I exercise after laser hair removal?

Give it a day. Heat and sweat can irritate freshly treated skin.