Must I shave before IPL & laser hair removal?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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 ♻️ 🍃.

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.

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

Dermaplaning tool deals

Links with 🍃 have a handle made from biodegradable materials.

🇬🇧 UK

Little Eco Co. 6 pack 🍃
Biodegradeable 12 pack 🍃 

🌎 International

Little Eco Co. 6 pack 🍃

🇺🇸 United States

Biodegradeable 12 pack 🍃
Kitsch 12 pack

🇨🇦 Canada

Biodegradeable 9 pack 🍃 
Hydro Silk 3 pack

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?

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 brands I’ve reviewed:

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

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 this: Philips Lumea 9000 Series review

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 these: the  latest Braun Pro 7 IPL, or identical specification older Braun Pro 5 IPL, If you have darker skin try the Braun Pro 3 IPL.

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.

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.

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.

Check out my recommended top at home IPL and laser hair removal devices to find your perfect match.

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

• Try the devices from Braun and Philips
• But it may take much longer for you to notice results
• And take more frequent sessions to maintain your smooth