How fake tan can impact on laser hair removal!
Banishing unslightly , unwanted hair is a big factor in our grooming routine, now we have the added issue on how do we fit hair removal into our tanning schedule??
In the past, knowledge of sun damage was sparse, we loved the sun and the benefits we felt it had on our limbs, the heat allowing our tired, aching bodies to unwind and relax. We searched for sun creams that promised deeper, browner richer tans not paying much attention if any, to the SPF contained in the product, never mind the ranking of UVA and UVB protection. We all love to feel the sun on our bodies and actually, if I am honest, I loved to feel the sun roasting my body only turning occasionally trying to achieve that “all over even tan” , although with my fair complexion I never did quite succeed, didn’t stop me from trying. Having a tan was a sign of wealth, health and well being and little did we know of the long term damage we had created.
Living in Northern Ireland one thing is for sure, we certainly cannot guarantee a “summer” as such, no, even in August we are not remotely surprised to see rain and lots of it, howling winds , low temperatures with gloomy grey skies, but turning a negative into a positive our greenery is second to none, its beautiful. When people from other countries comment on our green pastures we take a lot of pride and ownership of our country’s beautiful surroundings. Due to the lack of sunshine the increase of sunbeds just soared from lie-downs with facial panels, stand up booths with self control assisted fans, they were high in demand. Suddenly we could achieve that healthy look without the need of an air craft. Here we are in 2015,armed with the knowledge that sunbeds are on par with the natural sun for damaging our skin. The UV rays that they give out is the same type of radiation as sunlight,the UVA rays make up about 95% of sunlight which causes your skin to age prematurely (no) making it look course, leathery and wrinkled. Certainly not the end result I was reaching for whilst trying to get a tan. On that note getting a tan is our bodies attempt to protect itself from the damaging effects of the UV rays and more concerning prolonged exposure to UV rays increase our risks of developing malignant melanoma. OK pass me that bottle of fake tan!!
False tanning has been my saving Grace, I have tried the pale and interesting look to my great dismay the blue tinge in my complexion is too strong to carry it off. So back to the murky bedclothes, sticky skin, horrid smells to awake with a patch work effect with lovely brown palms and orange eyebrows ( granted blonde hair doesn’t always mix well with tanning agents).Every product, I have sampled and the market now is awash with fantastic self tanning products. They range from gels, liquids, creams, tinted, scented, gradual it’s out there and great results are had.
Within the beauty industry products and treatments are always advancing opening us up to more options that were not available previously as with hair removal plucking , shaving, threading are all effective ways for removing unwanted hair but now we can go permanent with laser. Laser hair removal has come a long way since it was first introduced to the world of beauty in the mid 90’s, at Beauty Haven we use the Ellipse Intense Pulse Light (IPL) With this system it filters the light from the flash lamp to ensure that only the correct wavelength reaches your skin safety. The pigment in your hair absorbs the light and then converts it to heat that destroys the hair follicle. Laser can effectively treat all skin types as long as the hair is darker than the skin, due to laser having contact in general with the skin. Self tan darkens the skin and when the skin is tanned, whether it is natural or not, will create a target for the light energy of the laser. Laser energy is attracted to color hence it works best on dark hair with paler skin. If the surface of the skin is darker the energy from the laser will be absorbed into the skin; 1. The treatment will not be able to destroy the bulb of the hair as efficiently 2- More energy is absorbed on the surface of the skin which can create permanent damage which includes burns, skin damage and blistering leading to scarring and changes in the skin pigmentation.
I know some women like to add a glow to their skin no matter what time of the year (me) and if like m,e fake tan is a big part of your daily regime, don’t panic fake tan doesn’t have to be completely excluded from your life altogether if you opt for laser hair removal so to clarify,you cant wear fake tan whilst having a laser treatment , however you can use fake tan in between sessions provided the tan has worn off before your next visit. Also fake tanning is fine to use after treatments, assuring all residual heat from your skin has subsided, clients shouldn’t use spray tans or tanning moisturizers for 2 weeks prior to your next laser treatment and please ensure any remnants be completely exfoliated.
ANY CONCERNS PLEASE DON’T HESTIATE TO CONTACT THE TEAM AT BEAUTY HAVEN