Male face... advice for post-treatment care?

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

Hello. I’m a 26 year old Korean-American male getting laser hair removal on my face in Seoul, Korea. I think that my skin is Type III or IV. I attached a couple pictures of myself below, although I don’t know if you can really tell much about my skin color from them? (but props to anyone who knows where either of them were taken! hint: not Korea!)

My first treatment was on June 7 and my second treatment is scheduled for July 19, exactly 6 weeks after the first treatment. I’m being treated with a diode laser called “OLIVE” - I copied and pasted a link to a product page for it in my first post here: http://www.hairtell.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/76541.html

I’m having my full face treated (upper lip, cheeks, chin/beard area). About 80% of the hairs fell out after my last treatment, which I was happy with, but there were a few that didn’t fall out, mostly right above and right below my chin.

Anyway, after my first treatment, my skin was pretty messed up. I had lots of whiteheads, some bruising/discoloration (some of which still hasn’t gotten 100% back to normal), and significant itchiness. I think it got infected because it was really itchy and pretty uncomfortable for about two weeks. I went back to the doctor who performed the treatment a few times during this time, and he prescribed me an antibiotic cream for my face as well as oral antiobic meds. Eventually the itchiness and whiteheads went away completely, but the bruising/discoloration is probably only about 80% back to normal.

Do you have any advice for how to avoid these aftereffects? I had a few thoughts, so please feel free to comment on any/all of them:

-Last time, I took a few ibuprofen before the treatment, but I think I’ll skip out on that this time because I think ibuprofen can make you more susceptible to bruising?
-Maybe I should apply the antibiotic cream and start taking the meds right away after my treatment? Last time, a good 4-5 days passed before I start doing either
-Should I not put any lotions/creams/tonics on my face after the treatment? After my last treatment, I had been doing my normal routine (wash my face, put on toner, moisturize with lotion, put on sunblock, etc.). If I don’t do these things, then what sorts of things am I allowed to do? I think no matter what sunblock is required, right?
-Should I not go to the gym/do any exercise that makes me sweat? Also, can I not swim in my gym pool?
-How long do I really have to go before I can start shaving? I really think I could only manage about 3-4 days max…

Any other advice would be appreciated~!

#2

  • You DEFINITELY need to avoid using any products until the skin heals. I would avoid using them for at least a week after the treatment. Just wash your face with water or use a very gentle cleanser.

  • Buy some aloe vera (clear stuff) and cool it in the fridge. Apply that and witch hazel to help the skin heal. Icing is very important as well right after the treatment and for a few days afterwards as you’re healing. It helps with swelling. The less stuff you can use in general and the more natural things that you do use are, the better.

  • Taking a painkiller is fine. You can also use a numbing cream if the pain is unbearable.

  • Avoid sweating and especially pools (they have chlorine!)until the skin heals.

  • You can shave as often as you want. The only benefit to not shaving is potentially faster shedding.

  • Since you’re of an Asian decent, you’re probably at least a tyle IV. Definitely not a III. There is underlying pigment.

  • The chin and upper lip are hardest to treat. You may need a Yag laser for those parts, because it penetrates deeper. Chin hair can be deep.

Make sure you have correct expectations in terms of what kind of results you will get at the end of the treatments. You probably won’t get to a point where you won’t have to shave ever again. You’ll just get a decent reduction.

#3

Hello, thanks for your reply.

-Sunblock: So, should I not even put sunblock on? The doctor treating me said that I absolutely have to put sunblock on multiple times a day for the week or so following my treatment. He prescribed me a sunblock that he said is manufactured specifically for post-laser treatments (not just hair removal but for after like Fraxel and stuff, too).

-Painkiller: I read somewhere (and my doctor told me) that ibuprofen causes your blood to thin and can make you more susceptible to bruising. Since I experienced some bruising last time, I wanted to avoid ibuprofen, but do you really think it’s 100% okay?

-Expectations: I don’t know if I really had any concrete expectations going into this… everyone in Korea does it, so I just sort of signed up because I felt like I should. If I get any reduction in hair/appearance of my hair follicles on my face, I’ll be happy :slight_smile:

BTW: is there any way I can edit my original post to take my pictures out? The “Edit” link seems to have disappeared from it…

#4

Just to add, I wouldn’t take anti-biotics in anticipation of an infection. That’s frivolous and will make you more susceptible to infection in the future. It may not have been an infection at all, but a histamine reaction (swelling and itching for up to a week after the appointment). The bruising is totally normal as well. Combine all that with the whiteheads you got (normal for the first few treatments in certain areas) and the products you used (very irritating)…

All that sounds like you just really aggravated your face. That’s a LOT for your skin to deal with at once. Keep it simple! Laser, then aloe, wash with water or gentle cleanser. Avoid sun (and sunscreen) and never pop or touch the whiteheads you get (they aren’t actual pimples, they are your skin healing, don’t disrupt them).

Once your hair gets a little less coarse/dense, these reactions will get less and less.

You can shave, that’s fine. But be careful when shaving over the whiteheads or any swollen spots. Don’t want to cut yourself or something. :stuck_out_tongue:

EDIT: I see you asked about sunscreen. Just avoid the sun. You don’t need sunscreen if you don’t go outside, right? I would say at least avoid using it for the first day or two after your treatment. If you have to wear the special sunscreen (dunno what it is) then check the ingredients. I suspect a physical sunblock is best for you like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. It sits on top and blocks the sun. Chemical sunscreens absorb into your skin and DON’T block sun, they just react with it in a way that reduces it’s effects (Avobenzone, Parsol, Dioxybenzone, etc…)

#5

OK, thanks! So, by “avoid the sun” - I suppose you mean prolonged exposure? After treatment, I still have to go to work, so 5-10 minutes of walking outdoors (possibly in sunlight if the weather is nice!) is kind of unavoidable… unless I quit my job, but then how would I pay for laser hair removal?!

If you think that even 10 minutes of sunlight is bad, then do you think it’s worse than putting on sunblock? Or would you say that putting on sunblock is more important than whatever temporary ill effects I get from walking in sunlight for 10 minutes a day?

#6

It’s not really that hard, just wash your face with cold water to rinse anything off when you get home and don’t shave for a few days. You can go outside but if you’re going to the beach or something then you need lots of sunscreen but normal outside activities are fine. They put sunscreen on me when I leave but I don’t wear it beyond that unless I’m at the beach or something. Id be more concerned with wearing sunscreen before, since you want your skin as light as possible. After treatment I don’t really have any side effects. Advil is good, it’s asperin that thins your blood, Advil/ibuprofin is an anti-inflammatory.

#7

A few minutes of sun is fine. Maybe wear a hat. Just don’t let yourself get a tan at all, and definitely don’t let yourself get anywhere near a sunburn (you pretty much already have one, that’s kind of what the laser does).

Like I said, I wouldn’t personally put sunscreen on right after the treatment (I’d wait a day or two), but if you want to use it, then go ahead but it may make you break out and could be hard to wash off with water (since you shouldn’t use any tough surfactants/ cleansers). So just don’t complain about whiteheads or a itchy feeling. :stuck_out_tongue:

#8

I would avoid activities where you will be exposed to sun for long periods of time. 10-min walk should be fine. The goal is to keep your face as light in color as possible. And yes, I wouldn’t use sunblock right after the treatment because your skin is irritated. You should only use stuff with harsh chemicals on skin that’s not irritated.

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