Post-Care Instructions · Laser Hair Removal
Laser hair removal aftercare
How to care for your skin after a laser hair removal session — so it heals comfortably, stays free of irritation, and gives you the cleanest results before your next visit. Keep this page handy and follow each stage as the treated hair sheds over the coming days.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Nokuthula Msimanga, MD — Medical Director, Majspa Medspa & Aesthetics. Last reviewed .
Laser hair removal targets the pigment in each follicle with heat, so the hours right after a session are a short, active recovery window. Good aftercare keeps you comfortable, lowers the risk of irritation or pigment change, and lets the treated hairs shed cleanly over the next week or two. The instructions below are organized by stage, from the first few hours through the two weeks between sessions.
What's normal — and when to call us
Before anything else, here's how to tell an ordinary part of healing from a reason to reach out.
Normal & expected
- Redness, mild swelling, and a “goose-bump” look around the treated follicles
- Mild warmth, like a light sunburn, for up to 24 hours
- Light itching as the skin settles
- No hair loss at first — treated hairs shed on their own over 7–14 days
- The treated area looking slightly pink for a few hours
Call us right away
- Blistering or scabbing on the treated area
- Lasting darker or lighter patches of skin (pigment change)
- Bright redness or swelling that lasts past 48 hours
- Increasing warmth, pus, or fever — possible signs of infection
- Anything else that worries you about how the area is healing
Healing varies from person to person. A little redness and warmth right after treatment are expected and usually fade within a day. When in doubt, call us at (470) 748-9797 — we would always rather hear from you.
Your recovery, stage by stage
Immediately after treatment
The first 24 hours
- Cool the area for comfort. A cool compress or aloe vera gel eases warmth and redness. Wrap any cold pack in a clean cloth — never place ice directly on the skin.
- Avoid heat. No hot showers, saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, or hot yoga. Heat agitates freshly treated follicles.
- Skip strenuous exercise and sweating for the first 24 hours.
- Keep the skin clean and bare. A soothing, fragrance-free gel or aloe is fine; hold off on makeup, lotions, and deodorant over the treated area.
- For any discomfort, use acetaminophen (Tylenol) if needed — most people don't need anything.
The first couple of days
First 48 hours
- Cleanse gently. Wash with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser and lukewarm or cool water, then pat dry — don't scrub.
- No deodorant on treated underarms for 48 hours, and no swimming pools (chlorine can irritate the area).
- Moisturize if needed. A fragrance-free lotion or aloe helps with any dryness or itching.
- Don't exfoliate or scrub the area while it's still warm or pink.
Between now and your next session
First 1–2 weeks
- Never wax, pluck, thread, or use electrolysis between sessions — ever. These remove the follicle the laser needs to target. Shaving is fine and encouraged and won't affect your results.
- Let the hair shed. Over 7–14 days treated hairs fall out on their own. After about a week, gentle exfoliation or shaving can help the shedding along.
- Pause active skincare. Keep retinoids, AHAs, BHAs, and exfoliating acids off the treated area for about a week.
- Protect from the sun. Avoid direct sun and tanning (including beds and self-tanner) on the area for at least 2 weeks, and apply broad-spectrum SPF 30+ daily on exposed skin. Sun exposure raises the risk of pigment change.
What to avoid while you heal
- Heat and sweat — hot showers, saunas, hot tubs, and workouts for the first 24–48 hours.
- Waxing, plucking, threading, and electrolysis — between sessions, always. Shaving is the only hair removal to use.
- Sun and tanning — direct sun, tanning beds, and self-tanner on the area for at least 2 weeks.
- Exfoliants and active skincare — retinoids, AHAs/BHAs, and scrubs on the treated area for about a week.
When to contact Majspa Medspa & Aesthetics
Reach out right away if you notice blistering or scabbing, lasting darker or lighter patches, bright redness or swelling past 48 hours, or signs of infection (increasing warmth, pus, or fever). Healing varies by individual — and we would always rather answer a question than have you wait and worry.