Laser hair removal aftercare: redness, scabs and sun
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 3 min read
Main guideLaser hair removal Singapore — what it treats, who it suits, sessions, downtime and what decides the cost, by Dr Sin Yong.
After laser hair removal, redness and small raised bumps around the follicles are expected and usually settle within hours to a day. Keep the area cool, avoid heat, friction and sun, and do not pick. Small scabs sometimes form where hair was dense or dark; they come away on their own. Treated hairs shed over one to three weeks.
What should you do and avoid after laser hair removal, phase by phase?
This table sets laser hair removal aftercare out by phase: straight after a session while the follicles are red and raised, the early phase when scabs and shedding can appear, and the settling phase between sessions. Each row gives what is expected, what to do, what to avoid and the signs that mean you should send a message rather than wait.
Phase
What is expected
What to do
What to avoid
Message or call if
Straight after
Redness and small raised bumps around the follicles, like goosebumps; warmth; mild stinging
Cool compresses; loose clothing; fragrance-free moisturiser; keep the area clean
Hot showers, saunas and strenuous exercise; perfumed products and deodorant on the area; rubbing or scratching
Blistering; a burn-like patch; redness that is spreading rather than fading
Early phase
Small scabs over dense, dark hair; treated hairs pushing out and shedding, which can look like regrowth
Let scabs fall away on their own; moisturise; shave if needed once the skin has settled; broad-spectrum sunscreen on exposed areas
Picking scabs; waxing, plucking or epilating; sun and tanning on the treated skin; swimming while any scab is present
Scabs that are thick, yellow or oozing; pain that is increasing; a cluster of small blisters
Settling
Skin looks ordinary; hair that remains is the hair the laser did not reach in that growth cycle
Keep sun protection on treated areas between sessions; note any new medicines before the next visit
Tanning before the next session; bleaching, waxing or plucking between visits; self-treating with home devices over the same area
Dark or light patches where the laser passed; a bump that does not settle; ingrown hairs that are becoming infected
Redness and small raised bumps around the follicles look a little like goosebumps and usually settle within hours to a day. Apply cool compresses, wear loose clothing, and avoid hot showers, saunas, strenuous exercise and perfumed products on the area for a day or two. Gentle, fragrance-free deodorant can usually be used after a day.
Scabs, crusts and shedding
Small scabs sometimes form over areas of dense, dark hair where more energy was absorbed. Leave them to fall away and keep the area moisturised; picking increases the risk of marks. Treated hairs push out and shed over one to three weeks, which can look like regrowth. Shaving between sessions is fine; waxing and plucking remove the hair the laser needs to target.
How to prepare for laser hair removal, and what aftercare involves
Shave the area beforehand rather than waxing, plucking or using an epilator. The laser needs the hair shaft and its pigment in the follicle; waxing and plucking remove both and leave nothing for the energy to find. Shaving removes only the hair above the surface, which reduces heating of the skin while leaving the target in place.
Avoid tanning and deliberate sun exposure before and between treatments, because recently tanned skin carries more melanin and shifts the balance toward epidermal injury. Remove any self-tanning product. Mention new medication, particularly anything photosensitising, and any recent isotretinoin, and say if you are prone to cold sores when the upper lip is being treated.
Afterwards, redness and small raised bumps around the follicles are common and settle on their own. Treated skin is protected from the sun, and hot baths, saunas and vigorous exercise are put off while it is still warm and red. Treated hairs can appear to keep growing for a short while before they shed; that is the hair leaving the follicle, not regrowth.
Sun and pigment
Avoid sun and tanning on treated areas before and after sessions. Tanned skin absorbs more energy, raising the risk of burns, blistering and pigment change. Blisters, spreading redness or dark or light patches should be reviewed.
Questions after treatment come back through WhatsApp at +65 8023 7170 during clinic hours (Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm, Singapore time). Anything that is getting worse rather than better, a blister or open area, or fever needs to be seen the same day, wherever you are.
Related on this site
Read about laser hair removal in Simplified Chinese: 激光脱毛：双波长医疗激光.
Whether and when to use home IPL devices around treatment is covered separately.
Gentle, fragrance-free deodorant can usually be used once any redness and follicular bumps have settled. Until then, avoid perfumed products, hot showers, saunas and strenuous exercise on the area, and wear loose clothing. If the skin stings, has small scabs or looks broken, wait until it has healed, and anything that blisters or worsens should be reviewed rather than covered with product.
Yes. Redness and small raised bumps around the follicles, a little like goosebumps, are a common reaction and usually settle without treatment. Cool compresses and loose clothing help. Blisters, spreading redness, crusting over large areas, or dark or light patches appearing as the skin settles are not expected and should be reviewed, especially on tanned or darker skin.
Small scabs can form over dense, dark hair. Let them fall away and keep the area moisturised.
Shaving between sessions is fine once the skin has settled, usually after a day or two.
Treated hairs are shed over one to three weeks and can look like regrowth as they push out.
Avoid sun and tanning on treated areas, because tanned skin raises the risk of burns and pigment change.
Lasers for reduction of unwanted hair in skin of colour: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Laser and Light Treatments for Hair Reduction in Fitzpatrick Skin Types IV-VI: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
