Does not shaving help laser treatment work better?

[Ruth Ruthless]

So the place where I'm doing laser treatment for my face and body tell me not to shave for 14 days after a treatment and recommend not shaving a lot or at all if possible even after that until the day of the treatment itself, when one has to shave for the treatment itself. They claim I will get better results like that. They also claim I will get better results if I shave with a razor rather than a machine and frown at me that I shave my face with a machine because I can't manage to shave with a blade without cutting my face (always shaved with a machine).

So is it true to get best results I need to just live with a beard?

And is it true I need to use a blade on my face to get best hair removal results?

And finally, is it possible to combine electrolysis and laser treatment in parallel or do I need to finish my laser treatments first?

[barbie]

For the laser to work, slight hair or remnants of hair should exist. Without hair, the laser does not work at all.

barbie~~

[Ruth Ruthless]

They tell me to shave on the day of the treatment itself and make the shave as close as possible, allowing the laser to target only the root of the hair (I don't wax or pluck).

But that's irrelevant to my questions. I was asking about the other days, not the day of the treatment.

[Cindy]

They want you to blade shave as to have as little external hair as possible so as not to 'waste' energy on none root follicle. Shaving after was normal for me, as long as your face isn't sore and inflamed. The dead follicles slowly drop out, you may see dead hairs falling out as well. So in my experience shaving post laser was totally normal. My last laser was 2 years ago and I only had laser, no electro so can't comment on that.

[Jenna Marie]

My laser tech said to shave as close as possible the day of, and that what I did other days didn't matter to them at all. I've never heard this recommendation before, and I can't imagine how what you do on days you're NOT there could influence the treatment... but who knows, I'm not an expert.

OK, and they did also say not to shave afterward until the skin wasn't sore/tender, but that was more for my comfort than a risk to the treatment results.

[Ruth Ruthless]

So basically them telling me not to shave outside treatment days is bull>-bleeped-< and I can shave every day?

I don't suppose there is any clinical research on this topic, is there?

One of the things they claimed is that shaving can interfere with the hairs falling out. That they can get stuck in the skin.

[Cindy]

One of my first research papers, (so many years ago!) was on hair growth cycles and they are very fixed.

Shaving will not IMO prevent dead hair from being dead hair and falling out.

[Ruth Ruthless]

Then how come the longer I don't shave the smoother the shave turns out and with less visible stubble?

[Cindy]

Because the razor has more 'length' to catch, if you have stubble the razor can slide across it without cutting it. That is why people who want a close shave use oil rather than foam/soap as it allows the razor to get closer to the skin.

Or so I'm told, I don't shave

[Ruth Ruthless]

They claim that these are "hormonal areas", especially the face and that stimulating these areas in any way more than is necessary can stimulate the hormones there to stimulate growth so that if I want ideal results I should shave the least possible, ideally not at all except on treatment days (which means being with a beard the whole month bar one day).

I don't know, can't find evidence for what they're saying, and they say they have no clinical evidence... Just that this is their observation from working with people.

Seriously, I can't be bothered to put myself through more suffering than I have to without evidence for it. Did you hear any such "hormonal area" bollox before?

[Cindy]

Find another laser place, they are incompetent people who do not know what they are doing.

[Ruth Ruthless]

I went to another laser place and they said the same thing about "hormonal areas". Apparantly it's an epidemic. I signed already with them for a package and they are the only company that gives lifetime treatments for the body. I doubt there are other laser places that are more competent here in Israel. I have heard bad stuff about all the companies. Once I'm done with the limited face treatments I'll do electrolysis. (they call it in Israel "epilation" *facepalm*)

The one thing I want to know, whether it's bollox what they said or not. Whether I can shave regularly without affecting my treatment or not...?

[Cindy]

You see my face?

I don't shave, I shaved before each laser session.

I had about 9 sessions over two years.

I shaved before each one, then again I went to a professional place staffed by professionals who were trained on high power lasers and use to treating women with POCS.

In your case I would be more worried about what damage they may do to you as the seem utterly incompetent.

[Jenna Marie]

I have never heard such a thing. Or rather, testosterone stimulates male facial hair to grow from the follicles - if that's what they mean about "hormonal areas" - but I've NEVER heard that shaving would cause that to happen, or affect it at all.

I shaved twice a day before and during laser, and shaved afterwards as soon as my skin would tolerate it. I've gotten great results; 6 treatments and about a dozen hairs left, and it's been 5 years. Personally, I think they're full of it.