There isn't much aftercare after men's hair removal: 1-2 days without the gym, sauna or pool, 24 hours without deodorant or aftershave, and two weeks out of the sun. The rest depends on the area: for the back it's backpacks and straps, for the face and neck the sun.
What you can do and when
| When | What matters |
|---|---|
| First few hours | Skin may be warm and red, with small bumps around the hairs. A cool compress through a cloth |
| First 24 hours | No deodorant on the underarms, no aftershave or fragrance on the area |
| First 1-2 days | No gym, sauna, steam room, pool or hot bath. Loose clothing, no backpack on the back |
| After 2-3 days | You can shave once the skin has settled |
| After 5-10 days | The hairs start coming out, the whole process takes 1-3 weeks |
| Two weeks | No sun or tanning beds, SPF on exposed areas |
| Until the end of the course | No wax, sugaring, tweezers or epilators |
The first hours
The skin may be warm and red, and small bumps can rise around the hairs. That's the follicles reacting to the heat, and redness and swelling around the hairs are an expected reaction. In our experience it usually settles within a few hours, though sometimes it lasts up to a day.
A cool compress helps take the heat out. Hold it against the skin through a cloth, there's no need for ice directly on the skin. For 24 hours keep aftershave and fragrance off the area: on heated skin they sting and irritate.
Sources: StatPearls (NCBI), Laser Hair Removal, American Academy of Dermatology
When to go back to the gym, sauna and pool
For the first 1-2 days skip the gym, sauna, steam room, pool and hot baths. Sweat and rubbing against gym equipment land right on freshly treated skin, and sauna heat makes the redness worse. A shower is fine, just keep it lukewarm.
After that, go by your skin: once the redness has gone, you can get back to training.
Back and shoulders after a session
If your back or shoulders were treated, go without a backpack and compression wear for a couple of days: straps and tight fabric rub exactly where the skin is more sensitive right now. Don't scrub your back with a loofah in the shower, the hairs will come out on their own. If your back and shoulders do get some sun in those two weeks, say on a shirtless run, put on SPF, and leave the beach and tanning until the two weeks are up.
Underarms and deodorant
After an underarm session, go without deodorant and antiperspirant for 24 hours.
Sun and tanning beds for the first two weeks
Two weeks without tanning beds or serious sunbathing, and SPF on exposed areas. Keep treated skin out of direct sun and away from tanning beds. A tan adds pigment to the skin, and the next session would have to run at lower power.
Your face and neck see the sun every day, so after a session they need SPF even in the city. If your skin is red from the sun by your next visit, we'll reschedule. With a light tan and no redness, the specialist takes it into account and sets the power to match.
Shaving and skincare
You can shave the area after 2-3 days, once the skin has settled. Wax, sugaring, tweezers and epilators are off limits until the end of the course: they pull the hair out by the root.
For skincare, a plain moisturiser without alcohol or fragrance is all you need. Keep scrubs and acids off the area for 1-2 weeks.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic
The hairs fall out on their own
In our experience the treated hairs start coming out after 5-10 days, and the whole process takes 1-3 weeks. On the chest and back it can look as if the hair has grown back, although the root no longer holds it. No need to pull them out: tweezers will also pull out the hairs the laser hasn't reached yet. They come out faster in the shower.
Spots and when to message us
A couple of days after a session, small spots sometimes appear around the hairs, more often if you went to the gym or sauna in those days. This can be folliculitis, inflamed hair follicles. Its causes include heavy sweating after workouts and poorly cleaned saunas and hot tubs. It usually clears up within a few days.
Message us if blisters appear, if the redness lasts more than a day, if there are a lot of spots or if the area hurts. If you're having men's laser hair removal with us, send a photo on WhatsApp and we'll reply and tell you what to do.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic
How we handle it
Our salon has been open since 2019. With laser hair removal for men in Prague, we explain aftercare at every visit: the specialist tells you what your area needs and gives you an approximate date for the next session. As it gets closer, we message you, ask how the hair has grown back and book you in. If anything bothers you after a session, we're on hand throughout the course. Prices by area are in the men's price list.
Reviewed by: MEDULLA team