Can You Have Laser Hair Removal In Summer?
The honest answer most clinics won't give you.
It's one of the questions we get most often this time of year: 'Can I still have laser hair removal in summer?'
The short answer is yes — absolutely yes. The longer answer is the one most clinics don't bother explaining properly, and it's the one that actually matters.
Laser hair removal in summer isn't a problem. Sun exposure is. The two get confused, and that confusion is why people end up either avoiding treatment entirely between May and September, or worse, having it done when they shouldn't.
What's actually going on with laser and the sun Laser hair removal works by targeting melanin — the pigment in your hair. When your skin is tanned, your skin contains more melanin too, which means the laser can no longer cleanly distinguish between hair and skin. The result? A real risk of burns, pigmentation changes and a treatment that doesn't work properly anyway. That's the entire reason for the 'rules' you hear about laser and the sun. It's not that summer is the problem. It's that summer often means tanned skin, and tanned skin is the problem.
The actual rules (the ones we follow)
Here's what you genuinely need to know:
- No sun exposure on the treatment area for 2-4 weeks (dependant on skin type) before your session. That includes sunbathing, sunbed use, walking around with bare legs in strong sunshine — anything that's caused colour change.
- No sun exposure on the treatment area for 2-4 weeks after your session. Your skin is more sensitive after laser, and sun exposure straight afterwards is the fastest way to cause pigmentation issues.
- SPF 50 on treated areas, every day, all summer. Not optional. This is the single biggest thing you can do to protect your results.
- No fake tan in the days leading up to your appointment. We'll cover this in detail in our next blog, but fake tan and laser do not mix.
If you can follow those, you can absolutely have laser hair removal through June, July and August.
What about my holiday?
This is the real question, isn't it. Here's how to plan it properly:
- Have your laser session at least 2-4 weeks before you fly. This gives your skin time to settle and your hair time to start shedding.
- Protect the treated areas religiously while you're away. SPF 50, cover up where you can, and don't deliberately tan the area we've treated.
- Wait 2-4 weeks after you get home before your next session. Even if you've been sensible, give your skin time to return to its baseline tone.
If you're going somewhere very sunny for two weeks, that's effectively a month out of your treatment schedule. Worth planning into your booking diary now rather than discovering on the day of your appointment.
Which areas are best to treat in summer?
Legs and face can absolutely still be treated in summer — you just have to be more disciplined about sun protection.
A word on technology
One reason we're confident treating clients all year round is the Lumiere Elite. At 3000W of total output and three wavelengths (Alexandrite, Diode, Nd:YAG), it lets us tailor every treatment to your specific skin tone and hair type — including the Nd:YAG wavelength, which is the safest option for skin that's seen a bit more sun than ideal. It's one of the reasons we can keep our diary full in summer when other clinics close their books.
So, should you book?
If you've been waiting to start until 'after summer,' you don't need to. A consultation with one of our experts will tell you exactly what's possible based on your skin, your tan history and your holiday plans.
The clients who get the best results aren't the ones who avoid summer. They're the ones who plan around it properly. Every laser journey starts with a consultation — come and speak to one of our experts at our Harrogate or Manchester clinic. We'll build a plan that works around your summer, not against it.
The Laser Base — Harrogate and Manchester. Triple wavelength technology, safe for all skin types, and treating clients all year round!
The Laser Base
5⭐ Laser Hair Removal Clinic
Safe. Effective. For All Skin Types.