Bumps, Stumps And Lumps: Common Skin Problems After Laser Hair Removal And How To Treat Them

While laser hair removal is the cleanest and quite possibly the most efficient means of removing body hair, it is not without its problems. Some of the same problems experienced with shaving or waxing can occur with laser hair removal, albeit to a much lesser extent. Recovery from some of these skin conditions is rather quick, so do not be too rushed to run to your doctor if you see any of these conditions occur -- they will more than likely diminish before you even get an appointment with your doctor. Here are some of the more common skin problems encountered after laser hair removal treatments, and how to can take care of them at home.

Folliculitis

The hair follicles that were treated by the laser often swell after treatment. This usually means that you have successfully killed the root of the follicle and your body is responding by swelling up and cutting off the pores in the skin, which the follicles grew out of. This same reaction happens when you dry-shave with a razor and no water or shaving gel, soap or shaving cream. It is more commonly referred to as "razor rash" or "bikini bumps." A little cold water, ice packs and some alcohol-free lotion will help soothe the folliculitis. The areas where the laser was applied should look normal again within a couple of days.

Infections

Infections in treated hair follicles can happen, although the laser generally kills some of the bacteria that could cause an infection right along with killing the hair follicles. If you do experience an infection, it is much more likely to be a new hair trying to grow close to a dead follicle and getting trapped under the skin. Your doctor could use a needle to lance the bubble of infection and then unearth the trapped follicle so that the infection can heal. Tweezing the trapped hair out completely allows your skin to seal off that little tiny follicle and heal better. Since you have several weeks between treatments, addressing an infected and trapped follicle as soon as you spot/experience it means that it will not be a problem to treat that area during your next laser treatment session.

Burns

More sensitive skin may experience a slight sort of sunburn effect from the laser. It is not permanent damage, and some after-sun lotion or aloe can make your skin feel a lot better. Lots of cold water or cold compresses can help too. Just be sure to tell your aesthetician the next time that the laser was turned up a little too high and the laser-treated areas were a little warmer and pinker than you would have liked.

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