Treatment Advice
at Off the Hook Laser and Spa
HAIR REMOVAL
Pre-treatment Advice
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Please do not wax, tweeze for six weeks prior to your laser treatment. Shaving is the preferred method of hair removal before treatment.
-Electrolysis requires the hair to be long enough to easily pull with a tweezer
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Do not use retin-A or glycolics for at least three days prior to LHR as these are skin irritants. Let us know if you are using accutane.
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Hydrate prior to electrolysis. Hydrating the day before and day of will give a far more effective treatment.
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Shave off all the hair you do not want before your laser treatment (with a blade, in the shower), and leave some growth to any areas where you would like to keep hair. For electrolysis, the hair must be long enough to pull with a tweezer.
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Although our lasers are effective for all skin types, the lighter your skin at the time of treatment the better the laser can get through to the roots where it is needed. In a small number of cases, temporary hypopigmentation can occur following laser hair removal, especially in darkly tanned skin.
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Do not wear cosmetics if facial areas are to be treated.
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Patients with a history of Herpes Simplex 1 or 2 should be put on antiviral drugs beginning the day before laser treatment when treating the upper lip or chin. Antivirals should be taken for one week prior to lasering the bikini area and perineum.
LASER
*Your number one post-laser job is to avoid adding heat to the treated area. For 24 hours, avoid seat heaters, car heaters, bed heaters, going to the gym, bathing, sunbathing, and hot showers.
Side effects and what to expect:
Treated areas may be tender, slightly red, and swollen. Follicles may also swell. This usually disappears within 12 to 24 hours. If the swelling occurs, an ice pack will help to cool and sooth the skin. Hydrocortisone ointment or zinc cream may also be applied to decrease redness and swelling.
Swelling can also be more extreme and accompanied by itching. This is usually a histamine reaction and can be soothed by using a topical and/or internal antihistamine. Please let us know if you experience this.
Burns or blistering are extremely rare. Please alert us if you have either of these side effects.
If you experience pink or purple to black spots or discoloration of the skin, it is probably purpura. This can be caused by the laser impact and although unsightly. is nothing to worry about. It will last for approximately seven to ten days on the face and up to several weeks on the trunk and extremities. Purpura fades similarly to a bruise. Healing time can be improved by using an arnica cream morning and night on the affected area. Please do call us if you experience this so we can give you personalized advice and make appropriate adjustments to your settings.
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Hair normally sheds from the body in 2 to 3 weeks. It is normal for hair to look like it is growing as it is being shed.
The skin on the underarms will be sensitive to chemicals in antiperspirant and deodorant for the following 24 to 48 hours after lasering. Please do not apply deodorant if you have sensitivity or discomfort in this area.
Mineral makeup is best to use post-lasering and beyond.
If you have not had good hair loss within 4 weeks, please call us. Please be aware that a new hair cycle typically occurs within 6 to 8 weeks (depending on the body area). If you wait months to inform us of poor results, we will not be able to distinguish between new hair growth and previously lasered hair. At 4 weeks, you should have virtually no hair.
ELECTROLYSIS
The following post-treatment care suggestions should be followed for the first 24 to 48+ hours after treatment:
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Do not touch or scratch the treated area.
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Avoid any friction to the treated area.
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Apply a smoothing or antiseptic product over the area that is sensitive or subjected to infection during the first 48+ hours after the treatment.
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Apply cold water or ice compress if necessary.
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Apply Neosporin Cream over the areas subjected to infections once during the first 24 hours after treatment. Starting on day one, apply Aquaphor or Eucerin Original Healing Soothing Repair Cream 2 to 5 times the first day after the treatment. Avoid contact with oily, perfumed, or alcohol-based products.
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Avoid hot baths and saunas.
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Do not visit a tanning salon.
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Avoid exposure to UV radiation for 24 hours before the treatment and 48 hours after treatment.
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Apply an overall sunscreen (min. SPF 30+).
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After 5 to 7+ days or when redness disappears, exfoliate, and moisturize the area.
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FOR POST TREATMENT REACTIONS, please see our blog post HERE
Call any time if you have questions or concerns.
Why Choose Us?
We at Off the Hook Laser and Spa have highly trained staff and gold-standard medical-grade equipment. Our technicians are driven to get rid of your hair in the fastest and most economical way possible. We are not here to keep you coming back forever, though we do love it when you return for new areas! We want to leave you as hair-free as you can be. This is why we ensure our technicians are trained in BOTH Laser and Electrolysis.
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We do not have medical estheticians. We have permanent hair removal technicians. Our technicians are extremely passionate about hair removal. It is quite literally all they do, so you can be sure you are in very qualified and very experienced hands.