Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

At the salon they shaved my upper lip before the session and now (day after treatment) im starting to feel "stubble" (but im super detailist and observe myself every second :D). I dont want to shave between sessions. it seems weird for me and i just dont want to do it. Is it okay? Will the hair fall out? Or will it feel like stuble for a long time? If the hair wasnt in anagen phase will it fall out too?

Answer: Laser hair removal and shaving

Answer: Laser hair removal and shaving

January 23, 2016

Answer: IPL is one of the effective ways to remove hair on the lip.

January 23, 2016

Answer: IPL is one of the effective ways to remove hair on the lip.

Most at-home brands recommend shaving before your sessions. And shaving gives the best results. But what if it leaves you with angry-red red shaving rash, lumps and bumps, or itchy irritation? And, being a lady, it feels uncomfortably masculine to shave your face.

So, are there other options? Let’s find out.

What you’ll learn in shaving before IPL:

  • Why is shaving best?
  • What happens if you do it without shaving?
  • But do I have to shave my face?
  • Can I pluck, wax, or epilate instead?
  • Clinically proven Iluminage devices
  • Shave, wax, epilate or pluck with these best devices
  • View deals

Why is shaving best?

Most people turn to home laser or IPL because they want to stop shaving. So, it’s a tad frustrating you can’t avoid it during your first sessions. But it really is worth the short-term pain for the long-term results.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Shaving & dermaplaning your face before your IPL and laser sessions works best.

This is why is works best:

Shaving cuts your hairs super-close to your skin. Therefore, there’s no hair on the surface to absorb the pulses or flashes of light energy. It’s all directed down the hair shaft, deep inside your follicle where it needs to be. There, it converts to heat and damages key areas of the follicle, which stunts your hair growth and keeps it in a dormant state. So, you enjoy smooth skin everyday!

So don’t be tempted to leave your hair there. Oh no.

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TIP: You can also shave as much as you need in between IPL/laser sessions if you need to!

What happens if you laser or IPL without shaving?

Nothing good is the short answer. And in more detail:

#1 The first thing you’ll notice is a hot pain where you flash, as the light energy burns the surface hairs. And this causes a stinging sensation, or can simply burn your skin. It’s very, very unpleasant. Owie.

#2 The next thing you’ll notice is the foul, lingering stench of burning hair. No one in your home will thank you for this.

#3 Then you’ll notice bits of burnt-on hair welded to the flash window. They look like large black spots and are tricky to impossible to clean off without damaging the window.

#4 is the most important reason. It won’t work. If there’s hair on the surface, a lot less light energy makes it deep into the follicle. Those key areas of the hair follicle remain cool and untouched, so they go about their business building and growing your hairs.

So, that’s why you really must remove those surface hairs before laser and IPL zappings. It means the IPL flashes and laser pulses can do their thang.

But do I have to shave my face?

So, shaving your body hair gives your very best results. But shaving your face is so masculine!

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
I don’t think so.

I know. In the past, I’ve shaved my face several times before zapping my unwelcome chinny hairs. And it’s not something I like to remember or repeat. But thankfully, there is another painless and effective option.

Instead of shaving your face I recommend dermaplaning.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
I recommend dermaplaning tools to remove facial hairs & whiskers

A dermaplaning tool is a teeny hand-held foldable plastic knife with a sharp stainless-steel blade behind safety guards.  It’s a very quick and irritation-free way to remove unwanted hair on your face. It also exfoliates your skin removing the outer dry layer. So, it feels touchably smooth and is extra absorbent for your skincare products. Whoop!

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Sharp stainless-steel blade behind safety bars – no nicks or cuts!

How to use a dermaplaning tool

  1. Wash & dry your skin
  2. Hold the blade at 45 degrees against your skin.
  3. Gently stroke your skin in short downward motions to remove hair, peach-fuzz, and dead skin cells.

It’s easy to stroke away peach-fuzz. You’ll even see the tiny hairs piling-up on your skin and the blade after each stroke. Simply wipe them away. On thicker hairs it drags a little but doesn’t scrape or hurt.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Bye-bye lady tache!

It works on your upper lip, chin, jawline, sideburns, and cheeks. No water or foam needed. And it’s excellent to tame your eyebrows for a quick shape and tidy-up. Hairs grow back at your usual rate, but they feel softer than with shaving. For me, my thick whiskers feel much less sharp and stubbly, and I’ve no irritation in using the tool the next day on the same hairs.

Each tool stays sharp for around 2 to 3 months, which is long enough to see you through your start-up treatment schedule. And there are eco-friendly biodegradeable options available too ♻️ 🍃.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Small & fits in your bag for on-the-go emergencies to remove random stray hairs!

I like dermaplaning because:

✔️ No need to lather up your face with foam.
✔️ The tool is small and easy to manoeuvre.
✔️ It’s discrete (fits in a bag)
✔️ Doesn’t feel or look like a man shaving.
✔️ It’s quick, painless and effective, without any nicks or cuts.
✔️ You can use mid-session on stray body hairs.
✔️ Hair grows back at your natural rate, but feels softer than with shaving.

You can also use the tool daily in between your zapping sessions until you don’t need to anymore.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
I love dermaplaning, me.

I think dermaplaning is THE perfect companion to laser and IPL hair removal on your face. Here are links to my favourite tools…

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

Dermaplaning tool deals

Links with 🍃 have a handle made from biodegradable materials.

However, if your facial hairs simply grow too quick, dermaplaning may not be athe answer. You may wish to continue your daily plucking routine alongside a home device until your hairs slow and stop growing.

And what if you can’t shave because of irritation?

Let’s see what your options are, next.

Can you pluck, wax, or epilate before IPL?

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
It hurts just looking at it.

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IMPORTANT: DON’T USE HAIR REMOVAL CREAMS because most brands suggest they may cause skin reactions with the light energy.

Most brands recommend you shave (or dermaplane) your hairs before your sessions. However, a few do say you can wax, epilate or pluck your hairs beforehand. Here’s a quick table comparison of shaving vs pluck/wax/epilate for all devices I’ve reviewed:

DeviceShave or dermaplanePluck, wax or epilate
Iluminage Precise Touch IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results
✔️
You MUST pluck/wax/epilate fair hairs
Zap immediately after you wax/pluck/epilate
Iluminage Touch IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results
✔️
You MUST pluck/wax/epilate fair hairs
Zap immediately after you wax/pluck/epilate
Philips Lumea Prestige IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results
✔️
Zap 24 hours after you wax/pluck/epilate
Braun Pro 5 IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results
✔️
No specific guidance, but you should zap 24 hours after you wax/pluck/epilate
Braun Pro 3 IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results
✔️
No specific guidance, but you should zap 24 hours after you wax/pluck/epilate
Smoothskin Pure IPL ✔️
👍 Gives fastest results

Not recommended by Smoothskin, but should work just as well as Braun Pro 5
Smoothskin Bare+ IPL ✔️
Panasonic ES-WH90 IPL ✔️
Silk'n Infinity IPL ✔️
Tria 4X laser ✔️

Let’s now look at the devices from Philips and Braun, who say you can wax, epilate or pluck your hairs before your sessions.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
✅ Pluck ✅ wax ✅ Epilate or ✅ shave on skin tone types I to V, but expect much slower results

Philips say you can pluck, wax or epilate before your sessions. However, you must then wait 24 hours before zapping your hairs. This allows any skin redness and irritation to fade, and for a tiny bit of hair to regrow in your hair follicles.

This tiny bit of hair absorbs the IPL flashes and damages a small area called the dermal papilla, at the bottom of the hair follicle where your hairs grow from. If the damage is big enough, the hair enters into a dormant resting stage. And during subsequent sessions you’ll zap any newly growing hairs inside your follicles too. Try the Philips Lumea Prestige IPL.

Braun say you can “use your preferred hair removal method.” But they don’t offer any further guidance as Philips do. It’s likely it’ll work in the same way (as Philips suggest), so it’s probably wise to wait 24 hours before zapping freshly waxed or plucked skin. Try the powerful Braun Pro 5 IPL, or if you have darker skin try the Braun Pro 3 IPL.

Smoothskin only recommend you shave your hairs. However, the Pure’s specification is almost identical to the Braun Pro 5. You can compare them here. Therefore, you could try the Pure if waxing, epilating or plucking 24 hours before zapping. They give a reassuring worldwide 90-day money back guarantee too.

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IMPORTANT:  But it’s also important to understand that you’ll have much slower results with these devices if you wax, pluck or epilate than if you shave. And especially if you’re using the lower intensity levels on dark skin up to type V.

So, if you choose to wax, epilate or pluck instead of shaving and dermaplaning, this means you’ll need a longer start-up phase and more frequent top-ups. That’s because there’s just a tiny hair root and so much less melanin in the hair follicle versus the entact shaft of a shaved hair. Therefore, they’ll be much less of the crucial damage needed to the key growing areas of the follicle which inturn ensure longer-lasting hair removal.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Both Philips & Braun clinical tests were on shaved hairs.

And it’s also important to note that for both Philips and Braun devices, plucking, waxing and epilating were not part of their clinical tests. But there is one brand which does have clinical proof of effective hair reduction on plucked hairs.

Let’s look at these next.

Iluminage & Me devices proven to work on plucked hairs

The Iluminage Touch and Me Sleek, and Precise Touch and Me Chic are clinically proven effective on fair hair (blonde and red) if you pluck, wax, or epilate immediately before your sessions. This helps the IPL work on hair colours without the melanin pigment found in dark hair. Instead, the IPL energy targets the small blood droplets left behind in the follicle after it’s pulled out. They then also send Radio Frequency current into your skin which is attracted to this warmed area. The resistance to this current flow creates even more heat to further work on the hair follicles. This combined RF and IPL technology is called Elōs.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
I recommend the Iluminage Precise Touch if you want to zap plucked facial hairs

So, this clinically proven fair hair regimen also means you can wax, epilate or pluck dark hairs too. Yay! This makes the compact Iluminage Precise Touch and Me Chic versatile options if you want to continue daily plucking of facial hairs. And for larger and small areas, the design of the Iluminage Touch and Me Sleek is better.

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL
Wax or epilate larger body areas and then zap with the Iluminage Touch

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IMPORTANT: However, be prepared you’ll likely need more than the advertised 7 weekly sessions to see results. That’s because to start, there’s just a teeny droplet of blood in your follicle for the IPL to work on. Then, as your dark hairs grow inside your follicle there’s more melanin to target during subsequent sessions. It’s likely to take somewhere between 7 to 14 sessions to get smooth results.

Here’s a comparison table of the treatment schedules for each device where you can pluck before sessions.

Device# of start-up sessionsFrequencyTop-ups
Iluminage Precise Touch 7 for shaved, dark hair
7 to 14 for fair hair & plucked hairs
Weekly As needed, usually every 4 weeks
Iluminage Touch 7 for shaved, dark hair
7 to 14 for fair hair & plucked hairs
Weekly As needed, usually every 4 weeks
Philips Lumea Prestige 4 or 5 for shaved, dark hair
5+ for plucked hairs
1 every 2 weeks Start monthly, then as needed
Braun Pro 5 IPL 6 to 12 for shaved, dark hair
Up to 12 or 12+ for plucked hairs
Weekly Start monthly, then as needed
Braun Pro 3 IPL 6 to 12 for shaved, dark hair
Up to 12 or 12+ for plucked hairs
Weekly As needed, usually every 2 to 4 weeks
Smoothskin Pure IPL 6 to 12 for shaved, dark hair
Up to 12 or 12+ for plucked hairs
Weekly Start monthly, then as needed

Summary & devices for IPL without shaving

Here’s a quick roundup.

✔️ If you can, shave your dark hairs immediately before your session.

✔️ I recommend dermaplaning facial hairs before your sessions.

✔️ Dermaplane away any speedy, rogue growth inbetween sessions too.

And if shaving is intolerably bad for your skin so you must wax, epilate or pluck before your sessions:

  • Check out the Iluminage Precise Touch and Me Chic for face and small areas.
  • Or the Iluminage Touch and Me Sleek for larger body areas.
  • All Iluminage and Me devices are clinically proven to work on hairs removed at the root.
  • But it may take slightly longer for you to notice results
  • Or take more frequent sessions to maintain your smooth.

Below is a quick summary and deal inks of the best devices you can choose for shaving, waxing, epilating or plucking your hairs before your IPL session.

View deals

When you shop via my links I earn a small commission (but your price stays the same). And I really appreciate your support 🙏!

  • Iluminage Precise Touch deals
  • Iluminage Touch deals
  • Philips Lumea Prestige deals
  • Braun Pro 5 IPL deals
  • Braun Pro 3 IPL deals
  • Smoothskin Pure
Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

Iluminage Precise Touch & Me Chic deals

✔️ Shave, dermaplane, wax, epilate or pluck
✔️ ALL skin tones & hair colours
✔️ Face & small areas

Shave dark hairs, or dermaplane dark facial hairs for your fastest and longest lasting results. For fair hairs you MUST wax, pluck or epilate before each session. You can do this on dark hairs too, but note you’ll need double the recommended sessions for good results (so, up to 14 weekly sessions).

N.B. The Iluminage Precise Touch and Me Chic devices (listed below) are different brands of device with the same Elōs technology inside. So, they work in identical ways.

Change shipping country & currency at page top.

Iluminage Touch & Me Sleek deals

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

✔️ Shave, dermaplane, wax, epilate or pluck
✔️ ALL skin tones & hair colours
✔️ Face, small & large areas

Shave dark hairs, or dermaplane dark facial hairs for your fastest and longest lasting results. For fair hairs you MUST wax, pluck or epilate before each session. You can do this on dark hairs too, but note you’ll need double the recommended sessions for good results (so, up to 14 weekly sessions).

N.B. The Iluminage Touch and Me Sleek devices (listed below) are different brands of device with the same Elōs technology inside. So, they work in identical ways.

Change shipping country & currency at page top.

Philips Lumea Prestige deals

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

✔️ Shave, dermaplane, wax, epilate or pluck
✔️ Light to dark skin tones (but not the very darkest) & dark hair
✔️ Face, small & large areas

Shave hairs, or dermaplane facial hairs for your fastest and longest lasting results. If waxing, epilating or plucking, wait 24 hours before zapping. You’ll likely need more than the recommended start-up sessions to see results, and need more frequent top-ups to maintain your smooth.

Braun Pro 5 IPL deals

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

✔️ Shave, dermaplane, wax, epilate or pluck
✔️ Light to dark skin tones (but not the very darkest) & dark hair
✔️ Face, small & large areas

Shave hairs, or dermaplane facial hairs for your fastest and longest lasting results. If waxing, epilating or plucking, wait 24 hours before zapping. You’ll likely need more than the recommended start-up sessions to see results, and need more frequent top-ups to maintain your smooth.

Braun Pro 3 IPL deals

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

✔️ Shave, dermaplane, wax, epilate or pluck
✔️ Light to dark skin tones (but not the very darkest) & dark hair
✔️ Face, small & large areas

Shave hairs, or dermaplane facial hairs for your fastest and longest lasting results. If waxing, epilating or plucking, wait 24 hours before zapping. You’ll likely need more than the recommended start-up sessions to see results, and need more frequent top-ups to maintain your smooth.

Smoothskin Pure deals

Do I have to shave my upper lip before IPL

✔️ Shave & dermaplane recommended
✔️ Light to dark skin tones (but not the very darkest) & dark hair
✔️ Face, small & large areas

Smoothskin DON’T recommend waxing, epilating or plucking your hairs. However, the IPL power and spec of the Pure & Pure Fit is almost identical to the Braun Pro 5 IPL. Therefore, you could also try the Pure, but remember your results will be slower than if you shave. Although not explicitly for this purpose, Smoothskin give a worldwide 90-day money back guarantee too.

CurrentBody voucher code for SmoothSkin

What happens if I don't shave before IPL?

As we mentioned a little earlier, if you don't shave before your appointment, the laser will singe the hair resulting in a burn to your skin. In addition, if the hair hasn't been shaved properly, treatment will not be as effective, and it may result in small temporary grazes on the top layer of your skin.

Do you have to shave upper lip for laser hair removal?

That's to shave the upper lip area immediately before coming into our clinic. The skin must be shaved in order to for the laser to effectively disable the hair follicle beneath the surface of the skin.

Does IPL work if you haven't shaved?

Shaving before your IPL hair removal treatment helps the light beam to focus in on the hair root. When using IPL, you'll need to shave less and less as your treatments go on. As the hair follicles will be empty, you'll notice fewer ingrown hairs and less stubble 'shadow'.

Can you use IPL on upper lip?

Pros: IPL can be used even on very short hairs, so you can zap them as soon as they start to show again. It's also one of the most long-lasting methods for upper lip hair removal at home and can leave skin smooth for a couple of months.