Beam Me Up!

I'm pretty sure I've already told you the story of my first waxing experience, but here's a quick recap.Terrified and unwilling to get out of the car in the parking lot of the salon my mom leveled and shared what has come to serve as my mantra toward all the odd and uncomfortable beauty rituals. She said "It hurts to look beautiful." And with that the excruciating pain from my first underarm wax became the discomfort of a brow threading appointment to the needle pricking sensation of acid peels and who can forget the brow sweating Brazilian appointments? So it was only a matter of time I succumbed to the next beauty summit...the art of laser hair removal.

Again I must sadly admit that it was my mom who told me to buck up, grow up and take the leap...afterall the benefits were well worth the bumpy journey. So over a year later I'm here to report on the in's, out's and inbetween's of professional laser hair removal.

Cost: Yes the initial price tag can be a bit intimidating but if you do the math a $1400 Brazilian treatment will pay itself off in 14 months (assuming you got a monthly Brazilian wax at $100 a pop). In addition most spas will offer a discount if you purchase a package for 2 or more areas so it may be worth adding in a smaller, cheaper area like the upper lip.

Pain Level: Ok I'm not going to lie it hurts. Especially on those areas that are less meaty or are in bony, nerve packed region. To help reduce your discomfort you can ask your spa if they have numbing cream that you can topically apply 30 minutes before your treatment. It definitely helps but my technician has a theory that it actually interferes with the efficacy of the laser so it may take longer to see results. You can be more courageous and just take two Advil an hour before your appointment and work on your deep breathing, relaxation techniques which will come handy mid treatment. Oh and I'm guessing you want to know what kind of pain we are talking about...hmm just imagine being snapped by one of those super big/thick rubber bands.

Timing: When you sign up they will tell you that you only need 8 treatments max! Well they're wrong or just trying to be good salespeople. The reality is the average person will need more like 12+ treatments and even they will need bi-annual touch ups. You see your hair regrowth is very dependent on hormone fluctuations so things like pregnancy or just your natural changes can trigger a regrowth. That's why it's important to ask the spa's policy on number of the number of sessions your package covers. Ideally you should ask for a lifetime guarantee which allows you an unlimited number of sessions! (See the cost isn't looking so bad now!)

Bottom Line: It's worth it if you go into with the right expectations. Yes you will notice that your hair growth will slow down after just two sessions but it will take far more to be completely hair free. On the flip side when you compare it to the time, resources and inconvenience of the the waxing alternative you realize that this is a great bargain on all levels. Just be aware that once you start lasering you can only shave so there will be no more waxing or other barbaric form of hair removal in your future!

Usage tip: Do your research, ask questions (I'm always available to help) and set up an informational meeting with the facility to see if you like the vibe of the place (read: do your due diligence in checking the cleanliness of the place). Most importantly take your time. This is a big investment and you should make sure the rewards outweigh any fears.

The result: Soft, hair-free skin and more importantly no more mothly waxing appointments EVER!