Exact Answer: 7 to 14 days
Lasers are technically adept tools used to remove excessive and unwanted hair as well as rejuvenate an individual’s skin. Such treatments use a highly concentrated beam of light to eliminate the hair strands as well as dead cells from the body of an individual. Some laser treatments also offer a more permanent outcome.
Summary
The light beam used in a laser treatment affects the hair follicles and is consequently absorbed by the pigment in the follicles. This damages the hair completely, causing it to wither or fall off. Laser treatments are often favored over waxing or shaving because of the level of precision and speed associated with them. Moreover, the longevity of the treatment is also significantly higher than the other methods.
How Long After Laser To Avoid Sun?
Laser treatments usually have a pre and post-procedure protocol that the individual undergoing the treatment must follow diligently. This procedural code consists of the precautionary measures as well as post-care rules the concerned individual has to adhere to both before and after the treatment.
Under most circumstances, any individual opting for the laser procedure has to refrain from going out under direct sun exposure for at least a week before and after the treatment is completed. This helps prevent tanning both before as well as after the laser treatment has been completed. In most cases, the technician performing the laser treatment will ask the person not to step out into direct sunlight for at least 7 to 14 days.
If the skin of the individual is extremely sensitive, then the time period for avoiding sun exposure is effectively increased to 14 days. This period of rest helps the skin heal after the treatment. However, if the concerned individual’s skin is not that sensitive and thin, then the minimum period of avoiding exposure can be followed as the necessary dictum.
Moreover, people are also advised to stay away from tanning beds after a laser rejuvenation or hair removal treatment. This is because tanning beds have the same effect on the skin as direct sun exposure. Thus, they too must be avoided for a minimum period of at least 7 to 14 days. If the person already has sunburn prior to the laser treatment, it is always advisable to delay the treatment until the sunburnt areas have healed completely.
In Summary:
| Kind of Skin | Time Frame for Avoiding the Sun |
| Normal Skin | 7 days |
| Sensitive Skin | 14 days |
Why Do You Have To Avoid The Sun For So Long After Laser?
The treatment uses highly concentrated laser beams to rejuvenate the skin as well as remove hair. Such a high dosage of laser beams tends to make the skin extremely sensitive. Technicians performing laser treatments often recommend two weeks of negating sun exposure because the photosensitivity of the skin increases after the procedure. This implies that your skin will become more prone to damage from the sunlight right after the treatment.
Laser treatments are also known for inflicting ‘controlled injuries’ to the skin of the individual in question. This implies that much like other injuries, you have to give your skin time to heal and recuperate before you can step out into the sunlight again. Failing to do so will cause extensive skin damage, which in certain cases is irreversible.
The patient’s skin can become redden or swollen after the treatment. Technicians performing the treatment often suggest cold compresses to soothe the skin effectively. In such a scenario, if the individual happens to opt for natural or artificial tanning, then the injuries on the skin will be further aggravated.
Similarly, in some patients, the photosensitivity is so heightened that exposure to sunlight can darken their skin, make their skin scaly or flaky. It can even cause cancer in some cases. Thus, it is always advisable that the individual uses sunscreens with SPF protection so that sunburns after the treatment can be avoided at all costs.
However, after the initial 2 weeks are over, the individual can step outside, because by this time his or her skin is completely healed from the trauma of the laser treatment.
Conclusion
Laser treatments offer a definitively new arena of cosmetic rejuvenation and hair removal for people. However, they do come with their own sets of pros and cons. When undergoing a laser skin treatment of any kind, it is important to meticulously follow the pre and post-procedure care protocols. These rules help the patient avoid unnecessary pain and trauma.
Generally, when an individual undergoes laser treatment, he or she is advised to refrain from sun exposure for at least 7 to 14 days. The definitive time frame for each person will vary on the evaluation of their skin type by the technician in charge of the treatment.
References
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/lsm.22260
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14628830050516542
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