If you get stubble on your legs the day after shaving, you probably wish there was a way to have silky, smooth legs all the time. Shaving makes your legs look and feel great, but it just doesn't last very long, and shaving every single day is time consuming and annoying. You should consider laser hair removal. It's an effective option, especially when you have dark, coarse hair. Here are a few things to know about getting laser treatments on your legs.

Start Early

If you want smooth legs for a particular occasion, such as a romantic beach vacation or honeymoon, then you want to start laser treatments months in advance. It takes several treatments that are spaced about a month apart to get results. That's because your hair goes through a growing cycle, and each hair is in it's own cycle. Your first laser treatment destroys dark, mature hairs, but it won't have any effect on hairs waiting to erupt in a few days or weeks. By having multiple treatments spaced weeks apart, all your leg hairs will have a chance to complete their cycles and grow out so they can be zapped by the laser.

Expect Discomfort

While your legs are less sensitive than some other body areas, you should expect some discomfort during your treatment. It may feel like someone is snapping your skin with a rubber band. If you don't have a very high pain tolerance, you may find the sensation bothersome, especially since the practitioner has a lot of area to cover on your legs. Your doctor may provide numbing gel or ice that can help dull the sensation to make it more bearable. You may want to take along an MP3 player with music or relaxation scripts to distract you during the treatment.

Don't Wax during Treatment Period

While preparing for laser hair removal on your legs, and while you go through the months-long process, you want to leave the roots of your hair intact. That's because the laser attacks the roots. If you wax or pluck the hairs, the root will be gone and the laser won't be able to remove the hair until it grows back. Therefore, you'll need to keep shaving your legs until you've lost enough hair through your laser treatments that you can stop. Shaving cuts hair off at skin level and leaves the root behind, which is the perfect condition for laser treatments.

After you've had a laser treatment, your legs may be a little red and look like they've been sunburned. You should protect them from the sun during this time and apply an ice pack if you need to relieve the discomfort. While laser hair removal is a long treatment process and a little uncomfortable at times, you'll probably think it's a small price to pay for smooth skin on your legs. Consider getting in touch with a business like The De Pieri Clinic for more information.