Laser hair removal aftercare, the complete dos and don’ts.

The first 48 hours: keep it cool

Straight after a session your skin has taken controlled heat, so it behaves like a very mild sunburn for a day or two. Everything in this window is about not adding more heat or friction.

Do: cool the area with a clean cool compress if it feels warm; keep it clean and dry; wear loose, soft clothing; apply any soothing aftercare we give you; and take lukewarm showers.

Don’t: no hot showers or baths, no gym or hard exercise, no sauna, steam or swimming, no sunbeds, and nothing perfumed — so skip scented lotions, deodorant on treated underarms, and make-up over a treated face — for 24 to 48 hours. Don’t scratch or scrub, and don’t pick at anything.

For an hour-by-hour version of this window after your very first session, see our detailed note on the 48 hours after your first laser session.

The next two weeks: protect from the sun

Once the initial reaction settles, the main job is sun protection. Treated skin is more sensitive to UV, and a tan (real or fake) changes how the laser reads your skin at the next session.

• Avoid direct sun on the area, and use a high SPF on anywhere that will be exposed.
• No fake tan for the fortnight before and after each session — it interferes with safe treatment.
• Moisturise daily with something simple and unperfumed to keep the skin barrier happy.
• Gentle exfoliation after a few days helps the treated hairs shed and reduces ingrowns — but only once any pinkness has gone.

What’s normal — and what isn’t

Completely normal: pinkness or slight puffiness around the follicles for a few hours; a feeling like mild sunburn for a day; and, over the next one to two weeks, the treated hairs appearing to “grow” before they fall out. That shedding is the dead hairs working their way out, not new growth — don’t pluck them, just let them go or gently exfoliate.

Tell us if you notice blistering, broken skin, lasting pain, or unusual dark or light marks. These are rare with correctly-set treatment, but we’d always rather you called 020 8109 7007 and let us check.

The golden rule between sessions

This is the one that trips people up. Between laser sessions you may shave as often as you like — shaving only removes the surface hair and leaves the root the laser needs. But you must never wax, pluck, thread or epilate, because those pull the hair out by the root, and with no root in place the next laser session has nothing to target. Shave; don’t pull.

Make your results last

Good aftercare doesn’t just keep you comfortable — it protects the result you’re paying for and keeps each session working at its best. Follow these and your course will be smoother, safer and more effective. Got a question about your own skin? Message us on WhatsApp or ask at your next visit — or book a free consultation if you’re just starting out.