"Don't shave your legs until"...

[Apples Mk.II]

Last Thursday I had my first laser session on my legs (lasted like 10-15 minutes). I was asked to shave the night before, and we did it at around 19:30, almost one week ago. So, she tells me...



- Don't wear jeans until december, is an aggressive texture. Put cloth trousers or leggings

- Don't shave until your next session (05/December)



Seriously, what? I don't know how did they do it, but I felt nearly no pain, except for the knee's back and close to the pelvic area. Not a single hair has fallen or is pluckable, but it's already one week and I can't stand to see my legs anymore. And I have to survive like that? What If meet the match of my life in those 40 days? I will remove my pants and look like chewbacca's wife down there? I already had to buy long tights for the gym, and hair increases my dysphoria. Plus, I've been hairless with weekly trimmings for the last four years, and it is not something I wanted to see again...

[Robin Mack]

I'm curious about this, too... I had heard that one of the benefits of laser was that you didn't have to let the hair grow out.  I'm already having big problems with letting my facial hair grow for electrolysis...

*sigh*

[Nicolette]

Last Thursday I had my first laser session on my legs (lasted like 10-15 minutes). I was asked to shave the night before, and we did it at around 19:30, almost one week ago. So, she tells me...

- Don't wear jeans until december, is an aggressive texture. Put cloth trousers or leggings

Che?! OK, wear tights underneath your jeans then.

- Don't shave until your next session (05/December)

I cannot for the life of me see any scientific sense in not shaving. This sounds very dubious.

Did you ask why you have to follow these pseudo-scientific rituals?

Seriously, what? I don't know how did they do it, but I felt nearly no pain, except for the knee's back and close to the pelvic area. Not a single hair has fallen or is pluckable, but it's already one week and I can't stand to see my legs anymore. And I have to survive like that? What If meet the match of my life in those 40 days? I will remove my pants and look like chewbacca's wife down there? I already had to buy long tights for the gym, and hair increases my dysphoria. Plus, I've been hairless with weekly trimmings for the last four years, and it is not something I wanted to see again...

If you meet the match of your life in those 40 days, really, are you going to care about not shaving? All caution to the wind, my dear!

[Apples Mk.II]

You know what? Whatever. I've been like a year working  on my torso, and I always shave one week after (not to mention face the next day). So I'm doing the same.

[Jenna Marie]

That is really odd. My laser technician said I SHOULD shave right before a session (and presumably whenever I wanted in between, which I did). Granted, that was for working on the face, but is it really different elsewhere...?

[SunKat]

I have to say, her instructions sound a little conservative. 
When I had my face done my skin just felt like it had a minor sunburn for a few hours. By the next morning after a session everything would be fine and I'd go back to shaving until my next session.

My experience was that it took about 1.5-2 weeks for my facial hair to shed after a session.  It would seem like the hair was continuing to grow so I continued to shave, but by about the 2nd week I'd start having little hair stubs come out and "pepper spots" of remaining hairs that would scrub off.  The "no-shaving" thing may just be their recommendation for avoiding ingrown hairs. I only had one during 9 months of treatment but your experience may vary.

The jeans thing I just don't understand though.  You should treat laser like a mild case of sunburn and keep out of the sun and avoid anything that might irritate it while your skin is inflamed... but I'd expect your skin to be irritated for 3 days at most, not 3 weeks.

I'd say, when in doubt get a second opinion.

[Ms Grace]

When I had a few laser sessions on my beard I was told not to shave for about two weeks. I believe the reasoning is that the laser strips a few upper layers of skin in the process, it is a super exfoliator and shaving before it's healed at that delicate level could risk damaging the skin and/or infections. Her instructions are probably conservative but "better safe than sorry".

BTW, I'm no laser expert but if the process wasn't particularly painful and no hairs are dropping out it's possible the laser setting was too low??

[michelle666]

When I had a few laser sessions on my beard I was told not to shave for about two weeks. I believe the reasoning is that the laser strips a few upper layers of skin in the process, it is a super exfoliator and shaving before it's healed at that delicate level could risk damaging the skin and/or infections. Her instructions are probably conservative but "better safe than sorry".

BTW, I'm no laser expert but if the process wasn't particularly painful and no hairs are dropping out it's possible the laser setting was too low??

My laser lady said that I could shave when the redness went away. I never had an issue and usually shaved two days afterwards. Now I'm down to about once a week, sometimes less. For the rest of my body, she just said no tight clothes for 24-48 hours.

[Jenny07]

So I had laser and decided to do the legs, Takes about 30 minutes of zapping, none of which was too bad but it did have a kick.
As Grace_C mentioned it might have been set too low. Yes it did make my legs go all red for a bit, 2-3 days. I found the hairs fell out at about 2 weeks as I just had to rub my hand over to roll out most hairs.

It was so good I did not have to think about shaving until the next session which was 6 weeks later.
I have had 4 sessions on my legs and they are now wonderful and totally hairless. Wow I love them now.
No more stubble from years of shaving.

I was not advised to not shave them so don't worry about it.

Jen

[KelsieJ]

Does anyone here in the US have a rough guide on pricing for laser removal on the legs, number of sessions needed, etc?

Thanks,
Kelsie