Tips From an ExpertI'm not an esthetician. I haven't had any formal training in performing laser hair removal (LHR). But I have been on the receiving end of LHR treatments many, many times. I've had most of my body lasered to some extent - face, neck, underarms, bikini, legs, and feet. I've received treatments from several different types of laser at several different spas. So from a consumer standpoint, I feel like I'm pretty close to an expert, and would like to share some advice.
There's no doubt for me that laser hair removal can be life changing. Yes, that sounds a little dramatic. But its true. For a woman like me - light skinned and dark haired, shaving was a huge part of my life. If I wanted to wear shorts during the day and a dress at night, I'd have to shave my legs in the morning and again in the evening. No joke. The hair was so dark that you could see it under my skin, even right after I shaved, and grew so fast that I literally got a five o'clock shadow. I never wore sleeveless blouses because of the dark shadow. I spent a half hour every singe day just shaving myself so I wouldn't look like a yeti.
Then came motherhood, and I started growing hair in new places that I'd never had to deal with before. Suddenly I was having to set my alarm to make sure I was out of bed before my husband so that I'd have time to check my chin and neck for stray hairs before he saw me. I went to the doctor, had my hormone levels checked, and everything was seemingly fine. But the situation, which had been a complete pain before my son was born suddenly became much worse. I knew I had to do something. So 10 years ago I had my first laser hair removal treatment - and my life has been unimaginably better.
#1 - Shop Around for Price
For those considering laser hair removal for the first time, this is by far the most important piece of advice I can impart. Prices vary widely depending on where you go for treatment. And though most spas won't advertise this, the truth is that the price is almost always negotiable, especially if you go in armed with the knowledge of how much it will cost elsewhere. Unfortunately, a lot of places won't quote prices over the phone, but almost all offer a free consultation.
Plus, pricing structures vary as well. While one spa may charge $100 per session for treatment of lower legs, another spa may charge $1,000 for six treatments of lower legs, but offer a guarantee that lets you get as many additional treatments as you need in that area free or at a reduced price for a certain length of time. In the long run, the second option may turn out to be the better price. When I was having my lower legs done, it took fourteen sessions before I was smooth because I started out with extremely coarse, dark hair.
One thing to keep in mind though, if the clinic you've decided on only sells in packages, then there's probably a contract involved, and payment required up front. If you've never had any laser hair removal and are unsure about your tolerance, ask for a free test patch of the area to be treated before signing your contract. If they won't do it, consider another clinic for your treatments, or at the very least, find one that will do a single treatment without the purchase of a package. It will be much better to spend $50 or $100 and find out that you can't tolerate the treatment, than to spend a non-refundable $1,000-1,500 and find out.
#2 - Make Sure Your Clinic is Using the Right Laser(Price is Important but Shouldn't be Your Only Consideration)
It's an unfortunate fact that smaller clinics, or spas that only do LHR as a sidebar to other services may only have one laser machine. Which means that it may very well not be the type of machine that is recommended for your particular skin and hair color.
So before paying anything or signing any contracts, ask about their machines and make sure that what they have is the right one for you. Don't let anyone talk you into having your services performed using the wrong machine. After all, if they have only one type of device, chance are they're going to bill it as good for all skin and hair types, which is extremely unlikely. Women with darker skin or lighter hair must be especially aware of the type of laser that will be used on them.
Keep in mind too, that there's not a laser on the market that will work on pale grey or white hair. So if you're considering laser and starting to go grey in those areas, get your LHR done soon! And if you're already there...electrolysis is really your best bet.
#3 - Check Out the Online Reviews of Your Local Spas/Clinics
Most people who take the time to review a service such as laser hair removal do so because they're unhappy with the service they're received. So when looking at online review sites you're probably only going to see the Bad and the Ugly. Because happy people don't leave reviews as often. So its difficult to get a really good idea of which are the best spas and clinics, when only the worst are being reviewed.
But even bad reviews can be helpful. If you see 10 reviews and each person is complaining about something different, chances are that a lot of them simply make a bad decision about the spa they chose. I was reading a review the other day for a local LHR clinic, and the woman writing the review had just had the area waxed that she planned to have lasered. From her review, it was obvious that she knew laser wouldn't be effective after waxing, but she chose to do it anyway, and then blamed the clinic. To some extent, there's an amount of personal responsibility that needs to be exercised, so that type of review just doesn't worry me.
What sets my radar off is seeing the same recurring theme in complaints, such as repeated use of the wrong laser, or multiple people reporting unsuccessful treatments over an extended period of time.
So do find out as much as you can about your LHR clinic. But read the reviews with an educated eye. And don't be afraid to call the clinic, ask for a manager, and discuss your concerns.
