The winter holidays are just about here, and if you’re like most people in Washington, DC, springtime is probably the last thing on your mind.

Happy fact: Warm, sunny weather is just a few months away, and if your spring and summer dreams involve exposing plenty of smooth, sexy skin, that means now is the ideal time to schedule laser hair removal.

Winter offers a few advantages for anyone who wants smooth skin on their arms, legs, or other (ahem) body parts this spring. At Metroderm DC: Medical, Laser, and Aesthetic Dermatology Center, our team offers custom laser hair removal tailored to each patient’s needs and goals.

How laser hair removal works

Lasers use focused beams of energy to gently heat individual hairs in each treatment area. The heat from the laser travels down the hair shaft into the follicle.

That tiny burst of heat doesn’t damage your skin, but it’s just enough to damage the hair-growing mechanism inside the follicle. After treatment, that follicle won’t produce hair or the hair it produces will be very, very fine.

Hair grows in stages, and each hair on your body grows at its own rate. To get the best results, we need to treat each follicle during a specific part of the growth stage — the anagen phase, when hair is actively growing.

As a result, you need to have several treatment sessions to make sure every hair is treated during this important phase.

Why now is the time for laser hair removal

Winter in DC means layering sweaters, jeans, and coats, so it might seem a little odd to be thinking about laser hair removal. But there are some clear benefits to having treatment now.

Treatments take time

As noted above, you need multiple treatment sessions to make sure each hair is treated during its anagen (growth) phase. This is the only phase when laser hair removal is effective.

Each treatment needs to be spaced out to give each hair time to move into that phase. Starting treatment now ensures you have time to complete your initial series of treatments before spring arrives, along with any touch-up treatments for errant hairs that pop up a few months later.

You’ll be out of the sun

During laser hair removal, it’s a good idea to stay out of the sun to avoid irritating and stressing your skin. In fact, we recommend avoiding the sun for two weeks after each treatment to give your skin time to heal.

Avoiding the sun can be difficult during the warm spring weather. But in the winter, most of us do all we can to stay out of the brutal cold (and the winter sun). Plus, winter clothing covers more skin, which also minimizes sun exposure during treatment.

It’s easier to skip shaving (and waxing and plucking)

Lasers work by damaging the hair follicle with targeted heat. To reach each follicle, the laser energy needs to travel down the hair shaft to the root of the hair. If your hair is shaved off, plucked, or waxed, the laser doesn’t have a way to reach the follicle.

In the warmer months of the year, there’s a good chance you expose more of your skin, and that makes it harder to feel comfortable skipping your regular hair removal routine. During winter, no one can see your shaggy look but you.

Get ready for smoother, sexier skin

Laser hair removal is popular for both women and men, and our team makes sure your treatments are optimized for your hair, your skin tone, and other factors. To learn more about laser hair removal at MetroDerm DC, book an appointment online or over the phone today.