All our laser courses are valid for 8 months only
Patch Test – what to look for
Patch tests are carried out to determine the treatment parameters and to judge how your skin might react to a full treatment. A patch test is a small trial in an area with hair and skin similar to the treatment site and allows the clinician to assess how well the light energy is being absorbed and whether the skin is responding as expected.
Clients are asked to note any redness or swelling and how long it takes to reduce following the patch test. Also, whether or not the skin blisters or feels excessively hot and for how long.
Pre-Treatment Advice
1. The area to be treated should be free from makeup, perfume, deodorant, and body or face creams. Before treatment, be careful when using spray deodorant.
2. Stop using retinol or Vitamin A on the skin two weeks before treatment
3. Avoid waxing, plucking, hair removal cream and bleaching for one month before hair removal treatments. Hair should be shaved before treatment and be no longer than 1 mm in length.
4. Avoid alcohol, smoking and Ibuprofen 48 hours before treatment
5. The area to be treated should not have an active or fake tan. Sunbeds or prolonged exposure to sunlight are not allowed in the month before treatment, and our Lynton SPF 50 (created by the Professor of Biochemistry at the University College of London specifically for post-laser care) must be used in the area between treatments. Suntans must be left to fade completely before treatment commences, and fake tans must also be fully faded before treatment can commence.
6. We reserve the right to charge for any appointment booked but abandoned due to active sun tan or fake tan.
7. A medical history is taken at consultation, but we rely on you to inform us of any changes to this. We need to know of any medication you are taking including those bought from a chemist or herbalist.
8. Make sure that you arrive on time for your appointment, this will allow us to pre-cool the skin if this should be required.
9. We always recommend 10 minutes of Dermalux LED Near Infra-Red after all IPL laser treatments to speed the skin’s recovery.
Post-Treatment Advice
1. To minimise skin heating and to reduce the likelihood of skin reactions, the treatment area may be cooled before, during and after the procedure. If the area still feels hot at home, you can apply a cold flannel or cool pack. Do not allow ice packs or ice in direct contact with the skin.
2. Avoid alcohol, smoking and Ibuprofen 48 hours after treatment
3. Following treatment, the area may appear red and raised and you may experience a tingling sensation. This is completely normal and should settle over the next few days.
4. Occasionally, you may experience swelling or bruising and this can last anything from 1-2 days up to 1-2 weeks. If you experience swelling, it is usually worse one to two days following treatment. If it follows a treatment to the facial area, sleeping with your head raised on a couple of pillows will minimise its appearance. Ice packs will also help to reduce the swelling. If your skin is particularly sensitive and prone to histamine reactions, you may also wish to consider taking an anti-histamine medication.
5. Following vascular treatments, a bruise may appear in the treated area. This may last up to 15 days and as the bruise fades there may be brown discolouration of the skin. This usually fades in 1-3 months. When larger vessels are treated, they may take on a darker colour. Again, this may take up to four weeks to resolve as the body re-absorbs the damaged vessels.
6. Make-up can be applied after several hours if the skin is not sore or broken. However, we advise caution if the area is feeling sensitive. Remove make-up carefully as rubbing the skin causes irritation or infection. If the skin in the treatment area becomes broken then make-up should be avoided.
7. Retinol can be restarted 1-week post-treatment
8. Care should be taken to avoid trauma to the treated area for 4 or 5 days afterwards. Avoid strenuous activities, sauna and steam, excessively hot baths, massaging etc.
9. Wash and bathe as normal but take cool showers rather than hot baths. The skin should be patted dry and not rubbed. Apply Lynton Light Soothe (created by the Professor of Biochemistry at the University College of London specifically for post-laser care) serum to reduce irritation and keep the area moisturised, and the skin protected. If there is any discomfort, treat the area as you would sunburn.
10. Apply Light Protect SPF 50 and protect the area from sunlight as much as possible between treatments and for at least one month after treatment ends. Failure to do this can lead to hyper-pigmentation of the treated area. (Most cases of changes in pigmentation occur when the treated area has been exposed to sunlight, or in people with darker skin types).
11. If blistering occurs, contact the clinic immediately for further advice. Keep the area clean and dry and allow it to heal naturally. Do not use any lotions or creams on open skin as this may increase the risk of infection. DO NOT pick grazes or blisters – as this may increase the chance of scarring. Once the skin has healed, our Light Protect SPF 50 should be used daily for 12 months to prevent pigmentation changes to the skin.
Tattoo Post-treatment advice:
1. No scratching or picking any scabbing and no popping or deroofing blisters
2. Contact the clinic to report any reactions immediately.
3. Although the Tattoo removal procedure can be uncomfortable when being carried out the discomfort tends to stop when the treatment stops and expected reactions calm down usually within a few days.
4. Remember: reapply Light Soothe to calm and speed the skin’s recovery.
5. Over the next few days, small blisters may form followed by a scab or thin crust. These should be allowed to fall off on their own. The underlying skin may remain red for a few days -several weeks. To minimise complications do not remove crusts.
6. Showering/bathing is permitted after 24 hours. Gently pat the area dry, do not rub with a towel or washcloth
7. Do not apply make-up on the treated area until it is fully healed
8. Protect the skin from the sun for the first 2 weeks. Apply Light Protect SPF 50 or avoid any sun exposure on the treated area for at least 1 month.
9. 1 week after treatment, massage may help disperse the pigment once fully healed after treatment, work in the direction back to the heart to help drainage.
10. If the treatment shows signs of infection – profound redness, inflammation, pus, swelling or tenderness, inform your doctor immediately.
11. Skin can develop temporary lightening (hypo-pigmentation) or darkening (hyper-pigmentation) after the laser treatment. Both can be made worse by sun exposure. Pigment changes may be permanent, but will usually resolve within 3-6 months. Apply Light Protect SPF 50 regularly.
12. To maintain meticulous client care, please call the clinic regularly to update us on your treatment progress and the healing rate of your skin.
