Laser hair removal for folliculitis can be a powerful and effective solution. Many clients cite having skin that is prone to folliculitis as a reason why they pursue laser hair removal.

Traditional methods of hair removal can be very irritating to those with sensitive skin, often leading to rashes or pimples. Razors can lead to cuts or put aggravating pressure on the hair shaft, while waxing can leave pores empty and vulnerable to inflammation or infection.

If you’re prone to folliculitis, laser hair removal could prevent recurring episodes and get rid of the painful bumps for good. In this guide, you’ll learn more about this condition and how laser hair removal can help.

A Quick Guide to Folliculitis

Folliculitis is a condition where one or more hair follicles become inflamed, often as a result of infection. We have hair follicles throughout the body, situated at varying depths below the surface of the skin. The hair shaft grows through their tube-like shape to emerge through your pores. When the surface becomes irritated or compromised, folliculitis can occur.

What Folliculitis Looks Like

You can identify folliculitis by its trademark appearance: A small red bump or a cluster of red bumps, covering a pore, often mistaken for a pimple. If the area becomes inflamed or infected, you’ll also see white pus inside the bump as it becomes a true pimple, and some redness and swelling around the area.

Where Folliculitis Appears

Anywhere you have body or facial hair, you can have folliculitis. Folliculitis commonly appears in areas where hair is commonly removed, such as the face, neck, arms, legs, and even the pubic area. It can be localized to a specific patch, or more widespread.

What Causes Folliculitis

There are many different possible causes of folliculitis. This condition often occurs when there is a small break in the skin, allowing pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses to enter the follicle. Folliculitis can also happen when a pore is blocked, and the hair shaft starts to curl back in on itself, also known as ingrown hair.

Irritating hair removal methods like shaving and waxing also play a big role, since they make the hair follicles more sensitive and vulnerable to infection and inflammation. Once folliculitis pops up, it can be very hard to heal completely. The skin at the surface becomes bumpy or uneven, which makes shaving even more likely to irritate the skin and causes the problem to recur again and again.

Risk Factors for Folliculitis

There are a few factors that can increase your risk for folliculitis, beyond irritating hair removal. These include having very coarse and/or curly hair. Your chances of folliculitis also go up if you are prone to excessive sweating, you wear very tight clothing, or you spend time in poorly maintained hot tubs.

So, what do folliculitis and laser hair removal have to do with one another? First, let’s look at the laser hair removal process.

How Laser Hair Removal Works

Laser hair removal is an FDA-approved hair removal method that uses light at precisely calibrated wavelengths to target hair follicles. During a treatment, the laser is aimed at the target area. The light pulses quickly as the device is slowly moved over the surface of your skin, to cover every inch.

The light energy hones in on the melanin (pigment) in your hair shaft. It travels down the shaft into the follicle, turning into heat energy on the way. This controlled burst of heat damages the hair follicle, disabling its ability to grow new hairs.

Lasers only work on actively growing hair follicles. Depending on the treatment, only a percentage of the hair follicles are in the active growth phase at any given time. It takes multiple sessions to catch most of the follicles in the growth stage, but through repeat sessions you can eventually eliminate most hair, with long-lasting results.

But does laser hair removal help with folliculitis? In many cases, yes. Here’s the way it works.

Does Laser Hair Removal Stop Folliculitis?

So you’re probably dying to know: How does laser hair removal prevent folliculitis?

So as you already know, laser targets and disables the hair follicle, which is often the root (no pun intended) of the problem.

With time, as there is no new hair growth, it means no more hair follicles made vulnerable by ingrown hairs or irritation from other hair removal methods.

The absence of a hair shaft can also reduce the chance of the pore becoming clogged with dry skin cells or sebum, which are contributing factors to inflammation. Incidentally, this is why people with acne-prone skin can also benefit from laser hair removal (just don’t make an appointment if you’re having an active acne outbreak.)

Can I Get Laser Hair Removal During a Folliculitis Outbreak?

If your skin has an active folliculitis outbreak, wait until it has healed before getting laser hair removal. Laser hair removal treatments cannot be carried out safely over irritated skin. If your folliculitis doesn’t fade on its own, speak to your doctor about treatment.

Can Laser Hair Removal Cause Folliculitis?

With so many laser platforms, providers, and patients, some people are bound to have different experiences than others. You might find reports of folliculitis after laser hair removal, which may be temporarily triggered from pre-treatment shaving or from the heat of the laser.

In most cases, people who notice a sudden outbreak of small pimples after laser hair removal are experiencing what is known as “self-limiting” folliculitis or a histamine reaction. These cases of post-laser bumps are usually mild, and the bumps stay very tiny and red before going away on their own after a few days.

Minimize Your Risk for Post-Laser Folliculitis

There are a few things you should do or avoid before and after laser hair removal to reduce your risk of side effects like post-laser folliculitis, and ensure a more pleasant, effective treatment overall!

Before Laser Hair Removal

 

Do Exfoliate Well In Advance

Exfoliating lightly no less than 48 hours before your laser hair removal appointment can help remove dirt, debris, dead skin cells, and excess sebum from in and around your pores. However, don’t scrub harshly and avoid chemical exfoliants, to ensure your skin can be treated safely during your appointment.

Don’t Expose Your Skin to Irritants

Stay out of direct sunlight and away from tanning beds for at least two weeks before your laser hair removal session. You should also stop using retinoids or other products or medications that may increase your skin’s sensitivity to light.

Do Shave

It’s important that you shave 24-48 hours before your laser hair removal appointment. This means your hairs will be just the right length to allow light energy to travel down and reach the follicles. To prevent shaving irritation, make sure to use a creamy shaving aid, and shave your hair with the grain rather than against it.

Don’t Wax

Skip your waxing appointment if it falls less than 4 weeks before your laser hair removal session, and avoid waxing or other methods that pull hair from the root for the entire time you’re going through treatment.

Do Wash and Dry Carefully

The morning of your laser hair removal appointment, wash the area to be treated with a mild cleanser and rinse well, pat the area dry gently with a soft cotton towel; avoid rubbing your skin.

Don’t Moisturize

Lotions and creams can create a barrier on your skin, making your laser hair removal session less effective. Wait until after your treatment is over to moisturize, and stick to neutral lotions and creams.

After Laser Hair Removal

 

Do Cool Down

Cold gel packs fresh from the freezer can soothe skin that feels a little hot after a laser hair removal session. Don’t apply pressure; just hold them gently against the affected area.

Don’t Sunbathe or Tan

You’ll need to avoid direct sunlight, tanning beds, etc., for at least two weeks after your laser hair removal appointment, just as you did before. When you do go out in the sun, wear a SEV Laser-approved sunscreen.

Do Wear Loose Clothing

Tight-fitting clothes create the perfect environment for folliculitis. Wear loose, comfortable clothes to your laser hair removal session and stick with that as much as possible in the days after.

Don’t Get Super Sweaty

You’ll need to avoid intense exercise for at least a day or two after your laser hair removal appointment. Working up a sweat can make your pores even more vulnerable to folliculitis.

Do Practice Good Hygiene

Keeping your skin clean, dry, and properly hydrated is key to avoiding folliculitis after a laser hair removal session.

Wait to Exfoliate

You might be tempted to exfoliate again when you notice your skin is starting to recover. You can scrub your skin gently with a cloth a few days after your appointment, but we recommend you wait for at least 1-2 weeks before using chemical exfoliants.

Preventative Laser Hair Removal At SEV

When choosing a laser hair removal provider, it’s important to take factors like folliculitis and skin type into consideration. Your provider should use a laser platform that is suited to your needs, and your nurses or laser technicians should take the time to answer your questions, address your concerns, and give you all necessary advice, including tips related to folliculitis.

At SEV Laser, we use the Candela GentleMax Pro and Cynosure Elite iQ, two of the industry’s best machines for laser hair removal. Their dual-wavelength lasers can be calibrated to each patient, ensuring a safer and more effective treatment for clients of all skin tones. Our platforms are also equipped with the Zimmer Cryo 6, a cooling device designed for your comfort.

Frustrated with chronic folliculitis? Switching to laser sessions with SEV can stop the cycle of irritation, and help you clear up your skin for good. Book a consultation today to learn more about us, and give us the chance to show you how laser treatments at SEV can spark your confidence.