Laser hair removal is less effective if in the six weeks prior to treatment you have your hair removed by the roots through such means as waxing, tweezing, or epilating. But don’t fret about your hair getting too long. It’s totally fine to shave or use depilatories to manage growth prior to (and in-between) laser hair removal sessions.
In fact, physicians generally recommend that you shave the area to be treated before a laser hair removal session. Doing so helps the laser better target hair follicles. The only time a physician might request that you not shave before a treatment is when she needs to identify hair texture.
There’s one thing to keep in mind, though: Make sure to shave with a clean, new razor before your laser hair removal session to ensure that there are no traces of nasty bacteria, which can cause contact dermatitis after the treatment.
