Laser Hair Removal Aftercare
Your guide after laser hair removal. There’s no downtime, but sun and heat need extra care for a couple of days, and here’s what to expect over the next few weeks.
The first few hours
The area may look pink with small raised bumps around each follicle, like goosebumps. It can feel warm, like a mild sunburn.
Use a cool compress or aloe for comfort. Redness and bumps usually settle within a few hours to 2 days.
What to expect, day by day
- Day 0
Pink, warm, bumpy
Redness and small raised bumps around the hair follicles. This means the laser reached the hair.
- Cool compresses or aloe vera
- Wear loose, breathable clothing over the area
- Skip deodorant on treated underarms for 24 hours
- Days 1–2
Settling down
Redness and bumps fade. The area may be a little sensitive.
- Avoid heat, sweat, and friction
- Wear SPF 30+ on exposed areas
- Days 7–21
Shedding
Treated hairs push out and fall away. It can look like regrowth, but those hairs are shedding. Gently exfoliating after day 7 can help them release.
Hair “growing” this week is shedding, not regrowth. - Weeks 4–8
Smoother stretch, then next session
You’ll have a smooth stretch, then some new hairs in a new growth phase will appear. That’s why hair removal takes a series. Book your next session in the window your provider gave you.
Do & don’t
Do
- Shave between sessions
- Wear SPF 30+ on treated areas that see sun
- Keep the area cool and moisturized
- Shave the area the day before your next session
Don’t
- Wax, pluck, thread, or use hair removal cream between sessions. The laser needs the root.
- Sun, tanning beds, or self-tanner for 2 weeks before and after
- Hot tubs, saunas, hot showers, or intense workouts for 24–48 hours
- Scratch or scrub the treated area for a few days
- Use retinol or acids on the area for 3–5 days
When can I…
| Wear makeup or deodorant | After 24 hours |
| Work out or sweat | After 24–48 hours |
| Sauna, hot tub, swimming | After 48 hours |
| Shave | Anytime after 24 hours |
| Exfoliate gently | After 7 days |
| Next session | 4–8 weeks (face sooner, body longer) |
Call us if you notice
- Blisters, crusting, or scabs
- Redness or swelling that lasts more than 3 days
- Dark or light patches on the skin
- Pain that increases instead of fades
- Signs of infection like pus or skin that feels hot
Smooth skin, one session at a time.
Bocaba Medical Spa · 8371 South State Street, Suite 102, Sandy, UT · Follow any specific instructions your provider gave you.