Can I use sunbeds before, during or after my laser session?
No, you cannot use sunbeds before, during or after your laser hair removal session.
Why can I not use sunbeds before, during or after my laser session?
The reason for this is that we need your skin tone to remain stable throughout your course of treatments, any fluctuations in skin tone during your course may lead to complications depending on the laser settings we use.
We rely on keeping your skin tone the same throughout your course to prevent this occurring, any changes in skin tone will impact on the settings we can use during your laser treatment
When you come in for your initial consultation we assess your skin tone and perform a patch test with a setting that is safe and effective. This setting is based on the density of your hair and the colour of your skin at the time of your consultation. On subsequent sessions the settings we use will increase as this will allow us to reduce your hair further.
If however you have 3 sessions with us and then start to use sunbeds, you will start to develop a tan and your skin colour will change. The result is that the setting that we were using previously, will no longer be safe on your next session. The setting will now be too high and it will cause pigmentation on your skin. Your skin will say slightly sensitive in the days following a session so avoid sunbeds during this time.
How developing a tan can affect your skin during your course of treatment
Laser energy absorbs into anything with dark pigment. That’s why laser hair removal works on black and brown hairs and doesn’t work on blond or red hair.
If you have recently developed a tan your skin will be full of melanin. The risk of developing pigmentation if we perform a treatment is extremely high at this point. Your skin will be full of new active melanin and has the potential to absorb too much heat and energy from the laser in a negative way.
If pigmentation occurs it can be extremely sore and irritating and it can leave marks behind that can take months to fade. Laser is an extremely safe treatment if done when skin is stable with no active melanocytes. It’s the fluctuations in varying colours of skin tone that can cause issues.
It’s important not to confuse naturally darker skin with tanned skin. Clients with darker skin can absolutely have laser hair removal without these complications. A different wavelength is used that does not absorb into melanin in the same way.
We would strongly recommend you do not use sunbeds if you are considering laser hair removal. Developing a tan during your course can have a major impact on your results. You may end up needing more treatments because of this. If you plan a holiday to the sun, always use a high quality sunblock (minimum SPF 50). Also try to avoid exposing your treatment areas to long periods of sun exposure and cover them as much possible.
We do not take any risks with our lasers. If we feel your skin is too tanned to have treatment we will recommend you allow your tan to fade until we treat you again. This is really for your own safety. We operate our lasers in a very responsible way and will always advise you on when it’s safe to laser and when it’s not.
If you would like any more information on our guidelines for sunbeds while having laser hair removal, contact us today.
