How to Prepare for Laser Hair Removal

Avoid deliberate tanning, sunbeds and fake tan on the area. A large review of 900 laser treatments found that many unwanted effects occurred on tanned skin or in higher Fitzpatrick phototypes, and that sun exposure materially affected risk with melanin-absorbing wavelengths. That does not mean darker skin cannot be treated; it means wavelength, settings and current tan must be assessed properly.

Tell the clinic if you have started or stopped any medicine, used photosensitising products, developed a rash, cold sore, infection or open skin, or had another light- or energy-based treatment. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without speaking to the prescriber. The safe decision may be to adjust the plan or postpone.

Most clinics ask patients not to pluck, thread or wax during a course because those methods remove the visible hair from the follicle and make treatment planning and response assessment harder. The research is more nuanced than many marketing checklists suggest: one small pilot trial found no significant difference between waxing and shaving after three sessions, while another randomized trial comparing shaving with snipping found similar short-term results but different longer follow-up findings.

The practical rule is therefore simple: follow the protocol for the device treating you rather than a generic internet rule. At Rejuvena, the team will tell you when to shave or trim after the patch test. Do not bleach the hair immediately before assessment because colour and thickness help determine likely response.

If instructed to shave, use a clean razor and gentle technique, usually about 24 hours before the appointment. The goal is short surface hair with calm, intact skin — not a close shave that leaves razor burn. Do not treat cuts, grazes or inflamed follicles as if nothing happened; send the clinic a photograph or rearrange if advised.

Skip strong exfoliating acids, retinoids and fragranced products on the treatment area for the interval your clinician gives you. Different products and body sites need different pauses, so a rigid “stop everything for a month” rule is not clinically useful.

Wash the area gently and leave it free from deodorant, perfume, body oil, fake tan and makeup. Wear loose clothing if fabric will rub the treated area. Bring an up-to-date medication list and be ready to say when you last tanned, waxed, plucked or used an active skincare product.

A patch test is not a formality. It helps the practitioner check skin response and choose conservative settings. If the skin condition has changed since the test, say so before treatment begins.

• No active tan or fake tan on the area.
• Hair prepared exactly as your clinic instructed.
• No cuts, rash, infection or fresh irritation.
• Clean skin with no deodorant, oil, perfume or makeup.
• Medication and recent-treatment changes disclosed.
• Loose clothing available for the journey home.

1. Laser-assisted hair removal: side effects of Q-switched Nd:YAG, long-pulsed ruby and Alexandrite lasers — retrospective review of 900 treatments, including the effect of tanning and skin phototype
2. The effect of waxing versus shaving on the efficacy of laser hair removal — pilot clinical trial comparing pre-waxed and pre-shaved axillae
3. Shaving versus snipping before laser hair removal — randomized clinical trial in women with hirsutism

Study protocols, devices and patient groups differ. Percentages from one trial should not be read as a personal result guarantee.