Laser Hair Removal Side Effects and Aftercare: What’s Normal

Mild redness, swelling and small bumps around the hairs are the normal side effects of laser hair removal, and they usually settle within 1 to 3 days. Treated hairs then shed over the next few weeks. Blisters, crusting, or dark or pale patches aren’t normal, so contact your clinic if you see them.^1,2

What’s normal after a session?

The first 3 days

Your skin may look and feel like it has a mild sunburn, with redness, swelling and some soreness.^1,3 Small bumps can rise around each hair, and you may feel some burning for a while.² A cool compress eases this,¹ and you can go back to your normal day straight away.³

The next 2 to 3 weeks

This stage catches many people out. Treated hairs loosen and shed, often two to three weeks after a session, and while they do, they can look like new stubble. This is normal and it isn’t new growth.⁴ Leave them to fall out, or shave. Please don’t pluck them.

Between sessions

Some hair then grows back, because a laser only reaches hairs in their growing phase and many were resting at your last visit. That is why you need at least 4 to 6 sessions, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart.² Some hair coming back after session one doesn’t mean the treatment has failed.

How common are side effects?

In a survey of 335 dermatology patients who had tried laser hair removal, 25.4% remembered some side effect. Redness was the most common at 14.0%, then a burning feeling at 5.7% and more underarm sweating at 4.5%.⁵

Recorded complications are much rarer. One dermatology centre treated 16,900 patients in a year and logged complications in 0.69% of them. Bruise-like spots made up about a third of those, and colour changes a fifth.⁶ The two figures count different things: what people recall, and what a clinic had to manage.

Skin tone and the type of laser matter. Colour changes were reported in up to 19% of people with shorter-wavelength lasers, particularly on darker skin, against 2% to 3% with the long-wavelength Nd:YAG.⁷ In a study of 150 people with brown to dark skin treated with that laser, 86% had no complications, and those that happened were temporary, mainly dark marks.⁸ This is why your doctor sets the CoolGlide laser for your skin and hair at each visit.

Which side effects are rare?

• Blisters, scars and lasting colour changes. These are rare, and darker skin needs extra care to avoid them.¹ Most side effects of laser are short-lived and minor, and lasting problems are very uncommon.⁷
• More hair instead of less. Across 22 studies with 9,733 people, about 3% had increased hair growth after treatment. It was linked to the face and neck, and it was only 0.08% elsewhere.⁹ Tell your doctor if you notice it, because continuing treatment may be the way to manage it.⁹
• Ingrown hairs. These can cause a red rash like acne, which can last several weeks.¹⁰
• Cold sores. These can flare around the mouth, so mention them before your first session.³

What is the aftercare for laser hair removal?

• Protect your skin from the sun. Avoid sun and tanning for 2 weeks, and wear sunscreen on exposed areas. Sun on freshly treated skin raises your risk of colour changes and burns.¹¹
• Keep it cool for 24 hours. Skip hot showers, the gym, saunas and steam. Use a cool, damp cloth if the skin feels warm.
• Be gentle. Wash with a mild, unscented cleanser and don’t rub or scratch.¹⁰
• Leave make-up off a treated face for 24 hours.
• Shave only between sessions. Waxing, plucking and threading pull out the root the laser needs.^2,3 Wait until any irritation has gone before you shave.¹²

When should I contact my clinic?

Don’t wait for your next session if you notice any of these:

• Blisters, scabs or crusting.^2,10
• Dark or pale patches.²
• Pain that gets worse, pus, or spreading heat and redness.
• More hair in the treated area than before.

Our guide to laser hair removal mistakes lists the common ones to avoid.

What should I do next?

Our laser hair removal page covers sessions and each step of treatment. Consultations for this are free at all 12 of our clinics, and you can ask for a female doctor. Planning your first session? See what to expect for laser hair removal in Islamabad or laser hair removal in Karachi, and ask our team anything about aftercare.

Medically reviewed by Dr Sadaf Saleem, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 62494-P; Dr Junaid Rabbani, Dermatologist, PM&DC 44510-S; and Dr Shegref Mushtaq, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 19827-N

1. American Academy of Dermatology. Laser hair removal: FAQs.
2. Vaidya T, et al. Laser hair removal. StatPearls.
3. Cleveland Clinic. Laser hair removal.
4. Goel A, Rai K. Methods to overcome poor response and challenges of facial laser hair reduction. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2022.
5. Agaoglu E, et al. Attitudinal trends and misconceptions of laser hair removal among the dermatology patients. J Cosmet Dermatol, 2025.
6. Ghorbani F, et al. Laser hair removal complications and the associated risk factors at a tertiary dermatology center. Lasers Med Sci, 2024.
7. Lim SP, Lanigan SW. A review of the adverse effects of laser hair removal. Lasers Med Sci, 2006.
8. Rao K, Sankar TK. Long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser-assisted hair removal in Fitzpatrick skin types IV-VI. Lasers Med Sci, 2011.
9. Snast I, et al. Paradoxical hypertrichosis associated with laser and light therapy for hair removal: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Dermatol, 2021.
10. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Laser hair reduction.
11. Nguyen L, et al. Complications of laser and energy-based procedures in dermatology. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges, 2026.
12. DermNet. Shaving.

Treatments in this article

Sessions, downtime and results for each, on its own page.

Full Body Laser Hair RemovalAppointment: About 90 minutes for full body · Downtime: None, mild redness 1–3 daysCoolGlide Laser vs IPL and Other LasersAppointment: 10–90 minutes, by area · Downtime: None, just brief redness

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