Is Laser Hair Removal Safe?

That depends on the laser technology being used. But yes, with the right laser, treatment can be safe and effective on all skin types. The Soprano ICE, used at our laser hair removal St. Albans clinic, is a diode laser which has been developed with all skin tones in mind.

Shaving before each treatment session is essential. It impacts both your safety and treatment outcome. If you skip this step the laser will still target the pigment within the hair but, as the hair may be sitting on the surface of your skin, it could cause heating and irritation of your skin. It may also make the treatment less effective. Shaving before your treatment allows the laser to effectively and safely target your hair follicles.

At our laser hair removal St. Albans clinic, we usually recommend shaving the day before your treatment to allow your skin to recover from potential irritation and discomfort caused by the razor.

This treatment cannot be performed over tattoos as the laser energy may be absorbed by the pigment in the ink causing unwanted side effects. This does not mean that you can’t have treatment if you have tattoos; our specialists at our St. Albans clinic will skillfully work around them to treat tattoo-free areas of skin.

Laser hair removal tends to work best on dark hair simply because there is more pigment within the hair strands for the laser to target. Lighter hair colours may still achieve a result as long as there’s pigment in the hair. We would suggest that white or very blond hair is unlikely to achieve a good result. Your hair colour will be discussed during a consultation, during which you can talk about your expected outcome. Do remember that laser hair removal is NOT an exact science, no matter what your hair colour.

Whilst laser hair removal can significantly reduce hair growth, often with results lasting years or more, no laser hair removal treatment offers permanent results. Even if the salon or clinic suggests theirs does. Red flag if they do!

Results will vary depending on a number of factors such as skin type, hair colour, and patient compliance. By patient compliance sometimes clients will pluck or pull the hairs in the treatment area between their laser sessions if they notice regrowth; this can be really detrimental to their result as the laser will need those hairs for the next treatment. We suggest that if you notice any regrowth during your laser course to trim or shave the hair.

This is a really versatile treatment and can be performed on most areas of your body, including underarms, bikini and G-string area, back, and face on both men and women. We say to our clients if it’s safe to treat and you’re comfortable with us treating the area then our professional laser practitioners are more than happy and comfortable treating you.

The Soprano Ice diode laser used in our St. Albans clinic is designed to provide effective results with minimal discomfort; it has a cooling treatment tip that is strategically used to make our clients as comfortable as possible.

“Nicky was great, she could see that I was initially nervous and reassured me throughout. I really enjoyed my appointment and am looking forward to the next one! Thanks for a great experience, I will definitely recommend.” Rachael

Yes, but for best results we do recommend avoiding tanning during your course if possible. This is primarily because we may have to lower your treatment settings to keep your skin safe. Our experienced practitioners match your skin colour with the safest but most effective treatment level for you. If, by getting a tan in the treatment area, your skin type changes to a skin type III to IV, for example, we can still safely treat you but possibly at a lower setting.

The same is true for fake tan. Please don’t come to your laser hair removal session with fake tan on -although for your health we much prefer that you use this than getting a real tan! The laser will pick up the pigment of your skin and doesn’t care if it’s real or fake. Make sure fake tan is completely removed before your treatment if you do use it and please make your practitioner aware so they can reassess your skin type.

A real tan or a fake tan in your treatment area may result in needing a new test patch for your amended treatment level and therefore delay your session.

The good news with Soprano ICE, is that if you know you’re going somewhere where you may get a tan, you can still continue with your course once you return as we’ll plan for it with a scheduled test patch and your treatment as soon as the next day. At our St. Albans clinic, our experienced practitioners will work with you to safety get you back up to your optimal treatment level ASAP.

For those of us with PCOS, managing the symptom of unwanted hair growth can be a common challenge. Not only can this symptom be challenging to keep on top of if our hair regrowth is fast- we’ve had clients who’ve had to shave a few times a day prior to laser hair removal-but it can be emotionally challenging too.

Laser hair removal offers an excellent option for slowing down hair growth and longer-term hair reduction… Even with hormonally driven hair growth. At our laser hair removal St. Albans clinic, we often treat clients with PCOS and tailor their treatments to their unique needs.