Thanks to laser hair removal, men and women can say goodbye to unwanted hair almost anywhere on their body. And that means you can say goodbye to the endless circle of at-home hair removal (i.e. shaving, waxing, smearing on creams) and all the hassle that goes with it. If you’ve had enough of that and are considering laser hair removal instead, naturally you want to know what it will cost.
Well, buzzkill: there is no set fee.
Factors that Affect Cost
Like all skin rejuvenation treatments, laser hair removal is highly personalized for each patient. Your treatment plan won’t be exactly the same as someone else’s, so your cost may vary as well.
Hair & Skin Color
Unfortunately, laser hair removal isn’t for everyone because the laser requires definite contrast to distinguish pigment in hair follicles from pigment in surrounding tissue. Ideal candidates have dark, coarse hair and a light complexion, although people with mid-range skin tone and hair color may still benefit. Our lasers are safe for all skin types, and can even be effective for Fitzpatrick IV, V, and VI skin tones.
Everyone is different, so a personal consultation is the best way to find out if laser hair removal is a good choice for you.
Area(s) to Target
At Image Surgical Arts, we use the latest advanced technology. The laser we use to remove unwanted hair is highly precise and gentle enough for delicate skin, so we can target hair to “clean up” tiny areas and also to “clear up” large expanses. We commonly use laser hair removal for:
- The space between the eyebrows
- Upper lip
- Chin & cheeks
- Chest
- Arms
- Axilla (underarms)
- Back
- Bikini line or Brazilian
- Legs
- Toes
Treatment can take as little as a couple of minutes or up to an hour for a large area such as the back.
Number of Recommended Sessions
It may seem like all your hair keeps growing all the time – especially given how often you have to shave or wax or smear depilatory cream over your skin. But that’s not the case. Hair actually grows in phases, and the timing of those phases differs according to where the hair is located on your body. The phases are:
Active growth – about 90% of your hair is in this stage, which typically lasts 3-5 years for scalp hair (but far shorter for eyebrow and pubic hairs, for example).
Transition – about 5% of your hair is here, a time when growth slows – around 10 days for scalp hair.
Resting – at any given time, about 10-15% of your hair has stopped growing but is still with you. This phase lasts around 3 months for scalp hair.
Shedding – hairs fall away naturally from the follicles, even as new hairs are beginning to form and grow to take their place. For scalp hair, this phase lasts 2-5 months.
Interesting, you say, but so what? Well, laser hair removal only works on actively growing hair follicles. A single treatment won’t do the trick because some of your hair won’t be affected. By scheduling multiple treatments, we are able to eventually target all actively growing follicles. For most of our patients, that may mean as many as six treatment sessions. We schedule them 6-10 weeks apart. You will see some results after each one, but it takes a full course of treatment sessions to achieve maximum, long-term hair removal.
How many treatments you will require depends on your hair and skin type, as well as the areas to be treated.
Laser Hair Removal Cost: the Bottom Line
Because it takes several treatments to achieve optimal results, we combine them into a single package to determine pricing for each patient, based on your personal consultation. Laser hair removal is bound to save you some money, too. Stop buying all of those shaving supplies or paying for waxing appointments every few weeks! And what’s more, you’ll never be annoyed or embarrassed by stubble, ingrown hairs or razor burn again.
Schedule a consultation today and we can give you a detailed plan that will be tailored to your specific goals.