The questions we are asked most are not about the session itself, but about the days that follow. Here, without dramatising or downplaying, is what to expect and what justifies calling us back.
The hours that follow: what is normal
- Diffuse redness over the treated area, comparable to mild sunburn. It fades within a few hours, sometimes a day on dense areas.
- Small raised bumps around the hairs, like localised goose bumps. This is the follicle reacting to heat. It disappears within 24 to 48 hours.
- A feeling of warmth or tingling for a few hours.
- Skin that is a little tender to the touch the next day.
These reactions are a sign that the energy was delivered. Their absence does not mean the session failed, and their presence does not mean the settings were too strong.
The “regrowth” of the following days is not regrowth
This is the most common misunderstanding. Over the one to three weeks that follow you will see hairs appear at the surface and think: “it did nothing”.
In fact these are treated hairs that the skin is expelling. The follicle has been neutralised, but the shaft takes time to be pushed out. Run your hand over the area and they often fall on their own. You can also shave them — just do not pull them out.
The real indicator is regrowth at six weeks: slower, finer, sparser than before. That is where a session is judged.
The first 48 hours: what counts
Do
- Cool the area if it feels hot: a cool compress, a few minutes, several times.
- Moisturise with a neutral cream, fragrance-free and alcohol-free. Supple skin recovers better.
- Wear loose clothing over the treated area, especially after a bikini or a back.
- Apply a high-factor sunscreen on exposed areas, from the next day and throughout the protocol.
Avoid
- Sauna, steam room, very hot baths, chlorinated pools for 48 hours.
- Intense exercise on the day: sweating on heated skin encourages irritation.
- Deodorant straight after an underarm session — wait until the next day.
- Scrubs, acids, retinol for a few days.
- Sun exposure and self-tanner, of course.
- Wax, tweezers, epilators for the whole protocol. The razor remains allowed.
What should make you call us
Rare, but worth knowing:
- Redness that lasts beyond 48 hours or gets worse.
- Blisters, a scab, or an area that stays painful.
- A mark — lighter or darker than the surrounding skin — appearing in the following days.
- Signs of infection: localised heat, swelling, discharge.
In those cases, do not look for a fix online and do not put anything on the area: call us on 0491 76 96 39. We have you come back in, we look, and we adjust the settings for the next session. That is exactly what follow-up is for.
Between sessions
You can shave as much as you want: it changes nothing about how well the treatment works. What is off limits is anything that removes the root, since that is precisely the laser’s target.
Keep to the interval you were given — generally 6 to 8 weeks on the body, 4 to 6 on the face. This is not administrative red tape: it is what lets us catch hairs at the right point in their cycle, as we explain in our article on the number of sessions.
A question, a doubt?
Call us or drop in: we welcome you in Uccle, Etterbeek and Watermael-Boitsfort. Follow-up is part of the protocol and is never charged as an extra. Contact us · Book an appointment
