Doctor-led · CQC-registered · Prepare and recover well

Laser Hair Removal: Preparation and Aftercare

Good preparation and aftercare protect your skin and help you get the most from laser hair removal. This guide covers how to get ready before your sessions at KONCEPT® in Kingston, and how to look after your skin afterwards.

Book a consultation About laser hair removal

CQC-registered clinic
GMC-registered doctors
Patch test 48 hours before
All skin types I to VI

Before your sessions: how to prepare

Your journey starts with a consultation and a patch test. After you book, we email your pre-care instructions and a short pre-treatment questionnaire to complete. At the consultation a doctor reviews this with you, and once approved a test patch is carried out with your consent, with a 48-hour wait before your first full session.

In the two to four weeks before

Stop waxing, plucking, threading, bleaching and epilating for about 4 weeks before. The laser targets the hair root, so it needs to be in place. Shaving is the only hair removal method to use before and during your course.
Avoid sun, sunbeds and fake tan for at least 4 weeks before, and let any self-tan fade completely. Use SPF 30 or higher on exposed treated areas. Tanned or sunburnt skin cannot be treated safely.
Stop strong topicals (retinoids such as retinol or tretinoin, and glycolic or other acids) on the area about 1 week before, and leave 2 weeks before and after for chemical peels or strong skin treatments. Tell us about any medication that can affect the skin.

On the day

Shave the area about 24 hours before, unless we ask otherwise.
Come with clean skin with no makeup, deodorant, lotion, oil or perfume on the area.
Bring your questionnaire and any questions. Tell us about changes since your last visit.

Medicines to tell us about

Some medicines and skin treatments make the skin more sensitive to light, which can affect whether laser is safe for you and what settings we use. Please tell us about all of them at your consultation. Do not stop any prescribed medicine on your own. Tell the doctor, who will advise you on what, if anything, needs to change before treatment.

Photosensitising medicines, including some antibiotics (for example doxycycline) and certain other prescribed medicines, may need to be paused for a short period before treatment, only on your doctor's advice.
Oral acne medication (isotretinoin): we ask that you finished your course at least 6 months before laser hair removal.
Topical retinoids and acids on the treatment area: stop about 1 week before.
Chemical peels or strong skin treatments: leave 2 weeks before and after each session.

Who laser hair removal may not suit

Laser hair removal is suitable for most people and all skin types I to VI. At your consultation a doctor checks your skin, hair and medical history to confirm it is right for you. It may not be suitable, or may need to wait, if any of the following apply:

Please tell us if any apply

You are pregnant or breastfeeding, where we wait until afterwards as a precaution.
You have a tan or sunburn, or have used a sunbed or fake tan recently on the area.
You have an active skin infection, a cold sore, or broken skin in the treatment area.
You take a photosensitising medicine, or finished isotretinoin less than 6 months ago.
You have a history of keloid or raised scarring.
You have active eczema, psoriasis or another active skin condition in the area.
There is a tattoo or permanent make-up in the area to be treated, as the laser cannot pass over it safely.
You have a condition that makes your skin very sensitive to light.

This is not a full list, and many of these mean waiting rather than ruling laser out. The consultation and patch test are there to assess your individual suitability.

After your session: aftercare

For the first 24 to 48 hours

Some redness, warmth or small bumps around the follicles are normal and usually settle within hours to a day. To help your skin recover:

Cool the area with a cool compress or aloe vera gel if it feels warm.
Avoid heat: hot showers, baths, sauna, steam rooms, heavy exercise and swimming for 24 to 48 hours.
Protect from the sun: avoid direct sun on the treated area for about 2 weeks, and use SPF 30 or higher on exposed treated areas. Avoid sunbeds and fake tan throughout your course.
Keep it simple: no perfumed products, scrubs, exfoliation or active skincare on the area for about 48 hours.
Make-up is fine after a facial treatment unless the skin is blistered or broken. Choose clean, non-perfumed products.

Over the next one to three weeks, treated hairs shed and can look like regrowth. This is normal, do not pluck or wax it. Between sessions, shave only. Space your sessions as advised, usually 4 to 6 weeks for the body and 6 to 8 weeks for the face.

When to contact us

Get in touch if you have blistering, broken skin, a lasting change in skin colour, or signs of infection such as spreading redness, swelling or discharge. Call 020 8129 1011 and we will advise.

Preparation and aftercare by area

The same principles apply across the areas we treat, with a little more sun protection on the face and gentler aftercare on sensitive areas. See the area you are treating:

Frequently asked questions

How do I prepare for laser hair removal?

Shave the area about 24 hours before, and do not wax, pluck or epilate for around 4 weeks beforehand, because the laser needs the hair root in place. Avoid sun, sunbeds and fake tan for at least 4 weeks before. Come with clean skin, with no makeup, deodorant, lotion or perfume on the area, and complete the pre-treatment questionnaire we email you. Tell us about any medications, including recent acne treatment, that can affect the skin.

What should I do after a laser session?

Some redness or small bumps around the follicles are normal and usually settle within hours to a day. Cool the area, avoid heat for 24 to 48 hours (hot showers, sauna, steam, swimming and exercise), avoid sun and use SPF on treated areas, and skip perfumed products, scrubs and active skincare on the area for about 48 hours. Shedding over the next 1 to 2 weeks is normal.

Can I shave between laser sessions?

Yes. Shaving is fine and is the only hair removal method to use between sessions. Do not wax, pluck, thread or epilate between sessions, because the laser targets the hair root, which those methods remove.

How long before treatment is the patch test?

A patch test is carried out at least 48 hours before your first session, so any reaction has time to show. The £50 patch-test fee is redeemable against your first treatment, and a fresh patch test is needed if it has been more than about 12 months since your last laser.

Which medicines affect laser hair removal?

Some medicines and skin treatments make the skin more sensitive to light. Tell us about all of them at your consultation, including photosensitising medicines such as some antibiotics (for example doxycycline), topical retinoids and acids, and oral acne medication (isotretinoin). We ask that an isotretinoin course finished at least 6 months before treatment, and that topical retinoids and acids on the area stop about 1 week before. Do not stop any prescribed medicine on your own; tell the doctor, who will advise what needs to change.

Who should not have laser hair removal?

Laser hair removal suits most people and all skin types I to VI. It may not be suitable, or may need to wait, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a tan or sunburn, have an active skin infection, cold sore or broken skin in the area, take a photosensitising medicine or finished isotretinoin less than 6 months ago, have a history of keloid scarring, have active eczema or psoriasis in the area, have a tattoo or permanent make-up in the area, or have a condition that makes your skin very sensitive to light. The consultation and patch test assess your individual suitability.

Further reading:

Ready to start, or have a question

Book a consultation and patch test, or call us with any questions about preparing for laser hair removal.

Book a treatment Call 020 8129 1011

46 to 48 Wood Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1UW · info@konceptmedicalclinic.com

KONCEPT® Medical Clinic is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the regulated activities provided at our Kingston upon Thames premises. Our clinicians are on the GMC register. This guide is general information and does not replace the advice given at your consultation.