Can I workout 12 hours after laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is a popular procedure that uses pulses of laser light to destroy hair follicles. This is not a difficult nor invasive process, but you still may be wondering if you can work out afterward.

You should avoid the gym for about 48 hours after a laser hair removal procedure. Like getting a tattoo, you’ll want to leave the newly raw skin alone. The hair follicle area will be irritated so avoiding sweat, friction, and heat is important. This will help you avoid rashes and blistering on the lasered areas.

While avoiding the gym for 2 days is best, there are things that you can still do to stay moving. Stick with us to learn more about what you can do directly after laser hair removal.

Contents

  • When Can I Exercise After Laser Hair Removal?
    • Can I Work Out 12 Hours After Laser Hair Removal?
  • Can I Lift Weights After Laser Hair Removal?
  • Can I Go for a Walk After Laser Hair Removal?
  • Why Can’t I Work Out After Laser Hair Removal?
  • Why Should You Not Sweat After Hair Removal?
    • What Happens If I Sweat After Laser Hair Removal?
  • What Else Can You Not Do After Laser Hair Removal?
  • Can I Work Out Before Laser Hair Removal?
    • Related Guides

When Can I Exercise After Laser Hair Removal?

Ideally, you should wait 48 hours after laser hair removal to exercise. If you have to, you could get away with giving yourself a 24-hour healing window.

This will need to be timed at your discretion, based on how your body heals. If you are someone who gets lasered frequently and know that your skin reacts well, a little less time is okay.

If you are a novice in terms of this procedure, give your skin the full 48 hours and maybe an extra day for good measure.

Can I Work Out 12 Hours After Laser Hair Removal?

It is best to wait a full 2 days, or 48 hours, before working out if you have just gotten a laser hair removal procedure done.

If you really can’t wait and decide to workout 12 hours after laser hair removal, expect some irritation to occur. The 12–48-hour period after a lasering is when the follicles will be the most sensitive.

So, avoiding activities that will cause you to sweat or even warm up, really, is crucial for healing well.

Again, if you can use a portion of your body that was not lasered, there is less harm. Simply try to keep from working up a full body sweat.

Can I Lift Weights After Laser Hair Removal?

This one depends where on your body you’ve had your laser hair removal.

If it’s arm day but you’ve just had your underarm hair removed, this is a clear no-go for lifting weight. For at least 2 days after the removal, you would not want to lift weights.

If you’ve only had a bikini wax or gotten your legs waxed, for example, you could still lift weights. Just be conscious of avoiding anything that will make the recently-lasered areas sweat or chafe.

Can I workout 12 hours after laser hair removal

Can I Go for a Walk After Laser Hair Removal?

Walking is one of the best ways to stay active and avoid damage to your body. This rings true for those with bad joints, after an injury, and after laser hair removal.

You can avoid working up a sweat and overheating but still get some movement in by walking at a brisk pace.

The biggest thing to consider when it comes to walking after laser hair removal is your environment. If you’re outdoors, you will want to make sure not to expose any newly lasered areas to sunlight. This could also cause undue irritation.

When you get laser hair removal, your skin is sensitive for a period afterward. The pulses of laser light that work to remove hair follicles will leave the area irritated for a few days.

If your skin doesn’t appear red or irritated on the surface, that’s great! However, the deeper layers of your skin may be holding some stress from the removal process.

It is best to give your skin a few days to stay as cool and dry as possible to avoiding any further chafing or irritation.

Can I workout 12 hours after laser hair removal

Why Should You Not Sweat After Hair Removal?

The main reason to avoid working out for 48 hours after laser hair removal is to keep from sweating, but why?

Sweat can cause already-delicate skin from laser hair removal to irritate, which may lead to a rash. If there is too much sweat to cause friction in the armpits or near the legs, blisters could form next.

Also, let’s be honest- it just doesn’t feel good to sweat when your skin is already feeling raw. Give yourself some down time to recover.

What Happens If I Sweat After Laser Hair Removal?

Sweat has bacteria which could cause issues with your freshly-lasered skin. Since the lasers remove hair follicles, there are lots of tiny open wounds in your skin that need to heal after this process.

While a rash or blisters are certainly a possibility, there are also more serious consequences of sweating after hair removal.

If the bacterium from sweat gets into the skin, it could cause a skin infection.

So, not only for your comfort but also for your health, try to avoid exerting yourself for those 48 hours.

What Else Can You Not Do After Laser Hair Removal?

Aside from the exercise situation, there are some other things to avoid for 24-48 hours minimum after laser hair removal:

  • Avoid wearing lotions or moisturizers.
    • These, along with makeup of any sort, can add extra irritation to your skin.
  • No deodorant for the first 24 hours at least.
    • This is another great reason to avoid sweating in those 2 days after your laser hair removal!

Remember that, while the 24-48-hour rule is one to abide by, you can always give yourself extra time to heal.

If your body needs some extra time, let that irritation subside before adding any new products onto your skin.

Can I workout 12 hours after laser hair removal

Can I Work Out Before Laser Hair Removal?

Yes, you can work out before receiving laser hair removal. In fact, this is highly recommended.

Since you won’t want to sweat directly following your hair removal, it is favorable to get that gym time in beforehand.

Give yourself some time to cool off between your workout and the laser hair removal session, ideally including a shower in-between. You’ll want your skin to be primed and ready for hair to be removed.

Set yourself up for success by exercising before, and not directly after, your laser hair removal appointment.

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Can I exercise 12 hours after laser hair removal?

Is exercise after laser hair removal prohibited? Patients should avoid hot showers and exercise for at least 24 hours. During sessions, heat is applied to the treated area, resulting in swelling and redness around the hair follicles.

Can I shower 12 hours after laser?

To limit skin irritation after laser hair removal, you shouldn't take a hot shower or a hot bath for 48 hours. If you want to bathe or shower, keep the water at a lukewarm temperature. This is because you want to avoid excess heat on the targeted areas of your laser treatment.