- What you do in the 2 weeks before your first IPL session sets the foundation for your entire treatment course — skipping prep is the most avoidable reason results underperform.
- The three non-negotiables before every single session: shave the treatment area 12–24 hours before, avoid sun exposure for at least 2 weeks, and remove all products from the skin before treating.
- Do not wax, thread, or epilate at any point during your IPL treatment course — these methods remove the hair root that IPL needs to target.
- A patch test before your very first session is not optional for Pakistani skin — 24 hours of waiting costs nothing and prevents avoidable reactions.
- Preparation isn't just about safety — it directly affects how effective each session is. Prepped skin allows more precise follicle targeting and better energy absorption where it's needed.
The most common reason IPL underperforms isn't the device — it's the prep. People buy a good device, follow the settings guidance, and still see patchy or slow results because of what happened (or didn't happen) in the days before their session. The Lux Skins gives you the complete pre-treatment checklist for every IPL session: what to do, what to stop, when to start preparing, and the specific considerations for Pakistani and brown skin tones.
Why Pre-Treatment Preparation Matters
IPL is a precision technology — it targets melanin in the hair follicle using calibrated light energy. Anything that interferes with how that light energy reaches the follicle, or anything that makes the skin surface more reactive to heat, reduces the effectiveness of the session and increases the risk of side effects. Pre-treatment preparation is simply the process of removing those interference factors before each session.
For Pakistani and brown skin tones specifically, preparation matters even more because the higher melanin concentration in the skin means any additional factor that increases surface light absorption — a tan, product residue, inflamed skin — amplifies the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) that can occur when the skin takes more heat than it should.
2 Weeks Before Your First Session
Stop Waxing, Threading, and Epilating Immediately
If you currently manage hair with waxing, threading, or epilating, stop completely as soon as you decide to start IPL — and don't resume at any point during your treatment course. These methods remove the hair root from the follicle, and IPL needs the root in place to work. Without a root, there is no melanin-rich target for the light energy to travel down to — the session becomes ineffective on any follicle that was recently waxed or threaded.
Switch to shaving as your only hair management method from this point forward. Shaving removes hair above the skin surface while leaving the root intact and ready to be targeted. Our full guide on how to use IPL at home explains the shaving-IPL relationship in more detail.
Avoid Sun Exposure and Tanning
Sun exposure raises the melanin concentration in the skin surface, which means the skin absorbs more light energy than a device's skin tone sensor may have accounted for during calibration. This increases the risk of burns and PIH on treated areas. For Pakistani skin tones — already on the medium-to-deep Fitzpatrick range — this risk is more significant than for lighter skin tones.
Avoid direct sun exposure on the areas you plan to treat for at least 2 weeks before your first session. Wear SPF 30 or higher daily on those areas during this window. Avoid self-tanning products entirely — the DHA in fake tan temporarily darkens the skin in a way that mimics a real tan's effect on light absorption.
Stop Photosensitising Medications if Possible
If you're on any medication that causes photosensitivity — certain antibiotics (doxycycline, tetracycline), oral isotretinoin (Accutane/Roaccutane), or other medications with sun-sensitivity warnings — speak to your doctor about whether it's safe to continue IPL while on that medication. For oral isotretinoin specifically, most guidelines recommend avoiding IPL during the course and for 6 months after completing it.
If changing or pausing medication isn't possible, consult a dermatologist before starting IPL. See our full contraindications guide for the complete medication list.
Check Your Skin Tone Suitability
Before your first session, confirm that your skin tone is within the safe range for at-home IPL. Pakistani skin tones typically fall in Fitzpatrick III–IV, which is safely treatable with a device that has a skin tone sensor. Very deep skin tones (Fitzpatrick V–VI) require more caution and potentially a different treatment approach.
Our guide on IPL safety for Pakistani skin covers the Fitzpatrick scale and what it means for device selection and settings in detail.
48 Hours Before Each Session
Avoid Active Skincare Ingredients on Treatment Areas
In the 48 hours before each IPL session, avoid applying the following to areas you plan to treat:
- Retinoids and retinol — increase skin cell turnover and photosensitivity
- AHAs and BHAs (glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid) — exfoliating acids that thin and sensitise the skin surface
- High-strength vitamin C serums — can increase reactivity to light-based treatments
- Benzoyl peroxide — drying and reactive
Continue using these in your routine on untreated areas. Just avoid applying them to the specific areas you'll be treating in the upcoming session.
Avoid Fake Tan and Body Lotions With DHA
Self-tanning products — including gradual tan moisturisers — should be avoided on treatment areas for at least 48 hours before a session, and ideally throughout your entire treatment course. The DHA in these products doesn't wash off easily and can remain in the outer skin layers, creating a darker surface than your actual skin tone and interfering with the skin tone sensor's reading.
Avoid Perfumed Products on Treatment Areas
Heavy perfumed body lotions, oils, and sprays can leave a residue on the skin that either interferes with the device's window contact or — in the case of alcohol-based products — makes the skin surface slightly more reactive to heat. Stick to plain, unscented moisturiser on treatment areas in the 48 hours before a session.
12–24 Hours Before Each Session: Shave
This is the most important single pre-treatment step and the one most directly tied to how effective each session is.
How to Shave Before IPL
Shave the treatment area 12–24 hours before your session — the night before works well for most people. Shaving removes the hair above the skin surface while leaving the follicle and root in place below the skin. This is essential because:
- Surface hair absorbs light energy before it can reach the follicle — so unshaved hair means your device is heating hair above the skin rather than the root below it
- This surface absorption generates unnecessary heat at the skin level, increasing irritation risk without delivering the follicle-level damage that produces results
Use a clean, sharp razor. A blunt razor drags and causes irritation that makes the skin more reactive going into a session.
How close to shave matters: Aim for a clean, close shave — not so close that you irritate the skin with repeated passes, but close enough that there's minimal visible stubble above the skin surface. If you shave too far in advance (more than 24 hours), stubble can regrow enough to be visible and start absorbing light energy again.
What If You Have Coarse or Fast-Growing Hair?
If your hair grows back quickly (common for people with PCOS-related hair growth or naturally coarse hair), you may need to shave closer to the session — 6–12 hours before rather than 24. The goal is the minimum visible stubble at session time. Shaving is fine to do multiple times between sessions as needed — it doesn't affect IPL results.
On the Day of Your Session
Cleanse the Treatment Area Thoroughly
Before your session, clean the treatment area with a mild, fragrance-free cleanser or micellar water to remove:
- Deodorant or antiperspirant (especially for underarm treatment)
- Sunscreen residue from the morning
- Body lotion or oil applied after showering
- Any makeup on facial treatment areas
The device's treatment window needs clean, dry skin to make proper contact and deliver consistent flashes. Product residue creates a barrier between the window and the skin that affects both the quality of flash delivery and hygiene between sessions.
Dry the Skin Completely
Make sure the treatment area is completely dry before starting. Moisture on the skin surface can affect the consistency of light energy delivery. Pat dry gently with a clean towel after cleansing — don't rub, as friction on pre-session skin can cause mild irritation.
Do a Skin Tone Sensor Check
Place the device against the treatment area and run the skin tone sensor before starting. Even if you've used the device on that area before, your skin tone can vary slightly from session to session depending on sun exposure, seasonal changes, or the specific area being treated. The sensor check takes seconds and provides the safety confirmation that your chosen intensity is still appropriate.
Confirm You Have No Active Contraindications
Before each session — not just the first — do a quick mental check:
- No active skin conditions (eczema flare, open wounds, active acne with open lesions) in the treatment area
- No recent significant sun exposure or fake tan on the area
- Not currently on new photosensitising medication
- Skin is healed from any irritation since the last session
This isn't about paranoia — it's a 10-second confirmation that's worth doing before every session since circumstances change between treatments.
Pre-Treatment Checklist: Quick Reference
2 weeks before first session:
- ☐ Stop waxing, threading, epilating — switch to shaving only
- ☐ Avoid sun exposure on treatment areas; wear daily SPF
- ☐ Stop self-tanning products on treatment areas
- ☐ Check medications for photosensitivity warnings
- ☐ Confirm skin tone suitability
48 hours before each session:
- ☐ Stop active skincare ingredients on treatment areas (retinoids, AHAs, BHAs)
- ☐ Avoid fake tan and DHA products
- ☐ Avoid heavily perfumed products on treatment areas
12–24 hours before each session:
- ☐ Shave the treatment area with a clean, sharp razor
On the day:
- ☐ Cleanse and dry the treatment area thoroughly
- ☐ Remove all products (deodorant, SPF, lotion, makeup)
- ☐ Run the skin tone sensor check
- ☐ Confirm no active contraindications
- ☐ Start at the correct intensity for your skin tone and session number
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use deodorant before an IPL underarm session?
No — remove all deodorant from the underarm area before treating. Deodorant residue affects the quality of window contact and can cause irritation when combined with the heat from IPL. Wash the underarm area with a mild cleanser and dry completely before your session. You can reapply deodorant 24 hours after the session.
What if I forgot to shave before my session?
If you forgot to shave and have visible hair growth, shave immediately and wait at least 2–4 hours before treating if possible, to let any minor shaving irritation settle. If you have very short, barely visible stubble rather than full regrowth, you can proceed — but shaving first is always better for both effectiveness and safety.
Can I apply numbing cream before IPL to reduce discomfort?
Topical numbing creams (containing lidocaine) are sometimes used before professional laser treatments, but they're generally not recommended for at-home IPL. They can affect the skin's surface properties and thermal response, and they're typically unnecessary for at-home devices which operate at lower energy levels than clinic lasers. If discomfort is a concern, using a device with built-in cooling is a more effective and safer solution.
Conclusion: Preparation Is Half the Result
The difference between IPL that works and IPL that disappoints is often not the device, the settings, or even the schedule — it's what happened in the two weeks before the first session and the 24 hours before each one. Stopping waxing and threading, protecting treated areas from sun, shaving correctly, and cleaning the skin before each session are the unglamorous habits that make the visible results possible.
Pair this guide with our aftercare guide and our session schedule guide for the complete picture on how to run a successful IPL treatment course from start to finish. And browse our full range of IPL devices if you're still choosing the right device to begin with.