We would recommend that you do not take Ibuprofen before your laser hair removal session. There is a possibility that this medication may cause bruising after your treatment. We would ask that you stop taking any products containing Ibuprofen 48 hours before your session. This time will allow the body to flush out this medication so that it won’t affect the outcome of your treatment. If you experience bruising after laser please know that this is a very temporary reaction. Your skin will return to normal after a few days. We would recommend lightly massaging the area using Arnica cream a few days after to treatment to help with this. Show
Please remember to  Medication and laser hair removalSome medications may cause your skin to become photosensitive. This basically means if you are taking them your skin will be sensitive to light. As we are using light and heat when we are performing laser it is important that we are careful. If you are taking medications that may cause photo sensitivity laser may result in pigmentation on your skin. Most medications that are taken to treat Acne cause photo sensitivity so it is not possible to have laser while taking these. There are recommended time frames that you would have to wait until before treatment. To find out more about laser if you are taking medication please contact us. Let us know the name of the medication you are taking so that we can advise you on how long you would need to wait. It is super important that all medications are disclosed to us so that we can safely and effectively perform your treatments. Just to recap we do not recommend you take Ibuprofen before laser hair removal as it may lead to bruising. If you have any questions or are concerned about any medications you may be taking contact our friendly team. All medications must be checked beforehand to ensure they are safe. Your safety is our number one priority and we will never take risks with your skin. So I've heard it suggested on reddit before that taking ibuprofen before laser treatment is a good idea. I just discovered it's a terrible idea. Ibuprofen, or something in it, is photoreactive, so it can cause the laser to burn. Not only that, the treatment is going to be less effective since any energy absorbed by the ibuprofen is taken out of play and isn't going to help toast out those follicles. You can't use ibuprofen within 8 hours of treatment. While we're at it, I was also told that you can't use antibiotics 2 weeks before treatment. [Edit] For context in case it's specific to a particular laser's wavelength, my treatment was with an alexandrite laser, also known by the brand/product name Syneron Candela . Please get advice from your clinic before using ibuprofen. [Edit-edit] If you don't believe me, google 'ibuprofen phototoxicity' and make your own mind up about what the results mean. [Late edit-edit-edit] I found this list of photosensitising medicine. Answers (4)From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals VOTED MOST HELPFUL December 20, 2021 Answer: Ibuprofen Before IPL1 person found this helpful Rebecca Gelber, MD VOTED MOST HELPFUL December 20, 2021 Answer: Ibuprofen Before IPL1 person found this helpful Rebecca Gelber, MD MOST RECENT November 29, 2018 Answer: Ibuprofen before IPLSelena Lantry, MD MOST RECENT November 29, 2018 Answer: Ibuprofen before IPLSelena Lantry, MD August 7, 2017 Answer: Ibuprofen use and IPLKatherine Dee, MD August 7, 2017 Answer: Ibuprofen use and IPLKatherine Dee, MD Laser hair removal has become very popular in the last few years. Lasering your hair away is a thing that lots of women dream of because then you don’t have to take care of that part anymore! It is not only popular, but it is one of the most popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedures in the United States in 2016! And when I talk to people around me, it hasn’t lost anything in popularity! As I said, many women dream of it but having a laser burning hair of your body still can be a bit daunting. Not to mention painful to some. Most women are not a stranger to waxing and know that that hurts! Does laser hair removal hurt that much? No, it luckily does not but I can imagine that people want to use something that numbs the pain for them. Is Ibuprofen the right way to go? Today you’ll find out that it is not. Read on to find out why it isn’t and how you can take care of the pain with other solutions!
No. It is not advisable to take Ibuprofen for your laser hair removal appointment. To take it a step further, most laser hair removal clinics ask you to stop taking any product that contains Ibuprofen 48 hours before your session. This way all the chemicals can leave your body before the treatment and this makes sure that your medicine intake won’t interfere with the treatment. Below you’ll find some further explanation about why you should not take Ibuprofen before your laser hair removal appointment. If you scroll further you’ll also find other solutions to manage the pain you may experience with the treatment. Why should you not take Ibuprofen before laser hair removal?Laser hair removal clinics advise you not to take Ibuprofen before your appointment because it can interfere with your treatment. Ibuprofen (Advil) can thin the blood and this leaves the patients at more risk for bruising after the treatment. Now, you should know that if you experience bruising after the laser treatment, it is nothing to worry about. It is a normal and temporary reaction to the treatment. Your skin will return to normal if you let it heal for a couple of days. PRO TIP: To help with your skin returning to normal, you should lightly massage the area with Arnica cream. Arnica cream is a cream that you can put on the skin as much and how often you want to. This creme is a herb product en is works wonders for your bruised areas. How to manage pain during laser hair removal?Even though laser hair removal is not as painful as waxing, for example, there is still a chance that it hurts and it is only logical that you want to do something about it. Now that you know that it is better to not take Ibuprofen, you might be wondering what you can do to ease the pain during (and before) your appointment, and rightly so. Below you’ll find 3 things you can do to ease the pain from a laser hair removal treatment. Prepare your body for the treatmentPreparing your body for the treatment is likely the most important thing you can do. Being relaxed and optimistic about the outcome can reduce the amount of stress (and pain) greatly. By preparing your body I mean that you should: Sleep Try to rest well the night before you need to go to your treatment. Sleeping can regulate your body’s pain sensors and thus this can help reduce the pain you feel with the treatment. Hydrating yourself Another great thing that you can do is keeping yourself hydrated as well as possible. This means that you should drink lots of water (more than your usual amount) and it is also great if you can avoid caffeine. Reducing your caffeine intake will also help with better sleep which in turn will help you feel less pain. Shaving When you want to feel as little pain as possible, it is also great to shave the area that gets the treatment as best as you can. Shaving the skin will help because it can make the treatment less irritating to your skin. Your period The last thing that I want to mention for the before part, is that you should not schedule an appointment before or during your period. Your pain receptors are more active and this would make the appointment unnecessary painful. Choose the best pain relievers (for during and after the treatment)That it is better to not use Ibuprofen before (or during) your laser hair removal treatment, doesn’t mean that you can’t use any pain relievers. Choosing the ideal pain reliever will help you in a great way in not having as much pain. You can ask the clinic (or your doctor) which pain relievers you can use. Often times they have a preferred list of what you can use safely. Numbing cream Another great way of relieving the pain is by using a numbing cream. You can either apply this at home before your appointment or once you get to the office. This is up to your doctor and therefore you should discuss this with the clinic. Ice packs Using an ice pack can do wonders for the skin irritation that occurs. It also has a numbing effect which can reduce the pain that you feel. Aftercare is importantAs you can imagine, caring for the area that had the treatment is important. Taking proper care of the area can help you tremendously in relieving the pain. You can do this a couple of ways. Clothes you wear Take it easy on your skin! Don’t try to force yourself in those skinny jeans, but wear loose-fitting clothes that won’t irritate the area and gives it enough room to breathe and heal. When working out, you should remember that the area should stay clear of and sweat (especially if the area includes the underarms of the bikini line). Do not scratch I know, I know, it might itch and you just want to scratch it real bad. Don’t do this! Never scratch the area that has been treated because scratching that area can cause irritation. What should and shouldn’t you do after laser hair removal?We’ve come a long way in determining which things you can and cannot do in regards to a laser hair removal appointment, but there are some other things that you need to take into account. Below I’ll give you some answers to the most common do’s and don’ts for laser hair removal. Before Before you undergo laser hair removal, it is essential that you do not expose the area to the sun or a sunbed. If you cannot avoid this, you should use a sunscreen of SPF 30 (or higher) Do not pluck, wax, or anything in that regard that can interfere with the treatment for six weeks. This will preserve the root and pigment of the hair. This goes a long way in having a successful treatment. The day before you the treatment you should shave the area as well as possible. This will prevent you from having a thermal injury to the surface. During During laser hair removal you should always wear glasses (protective eyewear) to prevent the risk of damaging the retina. After We’ve already been through some of the things that you can do after the laser hair removal, but there’s still something I want to mention and that is swelling. You can apply ice when swelling occurs. Wrap the ice in a clean soft cloth and place it against the area that is swollen. It is best if you avoid (very) hot baths, showers, saunas, and such things for two to three days. This is also the case for swimming. Do not swim in chlorinated water for those two to three days. Calling a doctor if you’re unsure Sometimes there can be complications. There can be signs of an infection (like pus, tenderness, fever). If that happens, it is always a good idea to contact the clinic. They can advise you on what to do to relieve you from these signs. If they advise you to see your doctor, you should. Better safe than sorry! Final thoughtsEven though it might seem like there’s much to take care of, it still is an enjoyable experience! Not because it doesn’t hurt or something like that, but it makes you feel like a million dollars! After the treatment, you need a couple of days/weeks for your body to restore to its natural and healthy state, but if you give it that time, I know for sure that you will be happy with the results! If you have any doubts, questions, or anything particular that you want an answer to, do not hesitate to call the laser hair removal clinic! They are there to help you and answer your questions! If you have a good clinic, they will take the time for you and will help you every step of the way! Does ibuprofen help with laser?Reducing pain caused by laser hair removal:
We recommend avoiding NSAID's like Ibuprofen (Advil) because they can thin the blood, which leaves patients at more risk for bruising.
Can you take pain reliever before laser hair removal?Is laser hair removal painful if you take medication beforehand? Actually, pre-medicating with over-the-counter pain relievers can significantly reduce discomfort during the procedure.
Can I take anti inflammatory before laser hair removal?Advil or ibuprofen taken a half hour to an hour before the hair removal process can minimize any discomfort. On the day of your laser hair removal treatment it is best to avoid caffeine.
How long after laser hair removal can I take ibuprofen?Yes, it is safe to take Ibuprofen 24 hours after an IPL. Swelling is very common following this type of procedure and you should expect the swelling to start to go down within a few days. You may want to use a cold compress several times a day to help with the swelling.
|
What happens if you take ibuprofen before laser?
Copyright © 2024 SignalDuo Inc.
