Aftercare gets less attention than pre-treatment prep, but it matters just as much — both for comfort in the immediate hours after a session and for how your skin looks and feels over the following days.
Immediately After Treatment
Apply a cooling, soothing product. Aloe vera-based gels (like Nood's The Reviver) are specifically formulated to calm the mild redness and warmth that's normal immediately after a session. A cool, damp cloth also works if you don't have a dedicated aftercare product on hand.
Avoid hot showers for the rest of the day. Heat can prolong redness and irritation on freshly treated skin. A lukewarm or cool shower is a better choice on treatment days.
Skip deodorant, perfume, or scented lotions on the treated area for a few hours. Freshly treated skin is more reactive to fragrance and alcohol-based products immediately after a session.
The First 24-48 Hours
Avoid direct sun exposure on treated areas. Skin is more photosensitive immediately after treatment, increasing sunburn risk. If sun exposure is unavoidable, use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ on treated areas.
Skip the gym, sauna, or anything that causes heavy sweating for the first day. Sweat and friction on freshly treated skin can increase irritation.
Don't exfoliate or use active skincare ingredients (retinoids, AHAs/BHAs) on the area for at least 48 hours. Give the skin time to settle before reintroducing anything that increases sensitivity.
Wear loose, breathable clothing over treated areas, especially after bikini line or underarm sessions, to reduce friction-related irritation.
Ongoing Between-Session Care
Moisturize regularly. Well-hydrated skin generally tolerates IPL sessions better and shows less irritation over a full treatment course. A fragrance-free, gentle moisturizer used daily is a reasonable default.
Shave — don't wax or pluck — between sessions. As covered in our prep guide, removing hair at the root between IPL sessions undermines your progress by removing the follicle's hair before its next scheduled treatment.
Gently exfoliate a few days before your next session (not right after this one). This helps prevent ingrown hairs as hair regrows finer and can sometimes curl back into the skin.
Watch for signs that warrant a pause, including persistent redness beyond 24-48 hours, blistering, or unusual pigment changes. These aren't typical and are worth addressing — including a dermatologist consultation if they don't resolve — before continuing treatment.
Bottom Line
Good aftercare is mostly about calming the skin (cool, not hot; soothing products, not fragrance) and protecting it (sun avoidance, no aggressive exfoliation) for the first day or two after each session. Combined with proper prep, this keeps sessions comfortable and your skin looking its best throughout a full treatment course.