Here's Exactly What to Expect When Undergoing Laser Hair Removal

I've spent years telling myself that I'm ready to get laser hair removal. Sure, it can be expensive and uncomfortable, and depending on the area of choice—it involves letting a stranger get up close and personal with your most intimate parts. But, as someone who waxes and shaves often, imagining an end to the inconvenience, time, and ingrown hairs that I experience made that tired beauty-is-pain mantra seem like a worthy reality.

Simply put, there's a lot to discuss when it comes to the social constructs around our beauty choices, and I want to make one thing clear: Body hair is nothing to be ashamed of. Permanent beauty procedures, laser included, are an extremely personal choice and aren't for everyone. That being said, for me, laser treatment was not about ridding myself of hair completely. Instead, it was about simplifying my personal beauty routine and making my life just a little bit easier.

So, sick of the expense of monthly waxes and feeling ready to finally check an item off my to-do list, I decided the time had come to take the plunge. I walked into my first session at top NYC salon Spruce & Bond (which is no longer operating as of October 2019) not sure what to expect (besides pain). Then, I put on a pair of protective sunglasses, ready for what was to come.

Ahead, board-certified dermatologist Rachel Maiman, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Milan Laser Hair Removal, Nathan Haecker, MD, MBA, master aesthetician and founder of Charette Cosmetics, Paul Charette, and esthetician Ashley Taylor (who gently talked me through the step-by-step process during my appointments) explain how laser hair removal works and what to expect from the treatment.

What Is Laser Hair Removal?

Laser hair removal is one of the most effective ways to remove unwanted hair from the body and face. "Laser hair removal works by sending light at a specific wavelength that targets melanin, the pigment that colors hair, at a depth sufficient to act on the hair bulb," says Maiman. "The intended outcome, hair removal, results from thermal injury to the hair bulb produced when the energy in the light is absorbed by the pigment located there."

It is important to have a pre-treatment consultation with a professional to determine what type of wavelength will be used based on the patient's skin color and type. If skin color and laser settings aren't accounted for accurately (i.e. targeted enough), the skin can be burned.

The Benefits

The biggest benefit of laser hair removal is the long-term banishment of unwanted hair. Beyond that, Charette also cites leaving waxing, shaving, and ingrown hairs behind as worthy enough reasons for undergoing the treatment.

Lasers use pulsed light to target, break down, and destroy the dark pigment in hair, which is why they work so well on dark hair. Unfortunately, this also means the lasers will target skin pigments, which can cause discoloration.

Because of this, Maiman says lasers and pulsed lights work best on people with darker hair and lighter skin tones. "The ideal candidates for laser hair removal are patients with light skin and dark hair. In patients with blonde hair, the laser is relatively ineffective because there is minimal pigment present in the hair bulb for it to target, and it relies on this target for its mechanism of action," she says. However, there are devices like the Diode and Nd-Yag, created to give results to people with light hair or dark skin.

For deeper skin tones, using the incorrect type of machine and lasers can cause discoloration. If your skin is dark, you should never subject yourself to an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment. "Those with darker skin are at higher risk of adverse events like potentially permanent hyper or hypopigmentation. This is because they have more pigment surrounding the hair follicle that can be inadvertently hit and destroyed by the laser," says Maiman. "This, of course, does not mean that patients with darker skin tones cannot get laser hair removal. It simply means that going to a board-certified dermatologist is even more important because it is critical that the provider choose the right laser and use the right settings to minimize risk."

Lasers have come a long way, and the technology is continually improving. When you book your appointment, describe your skin tone and hair color and ask the salon what lasers they use (and if they'll provide results with your hair and skin tone). Some businesses specialize in the removal of light hair or lasers for deeper skin tones, making it easier to know what kind of treatment you'd receive there. 

How to Prepare For Laser Hair Removal

Once you decide what type of laser is best for your hair and skin tone, you'll likely be told to shave a day or two before your sessions. Taylor told me to "shave the area to be treated the night before or the morning of the treatment and take a pain reliever at least 30 minutes before if needed." Charette suggests applying a numbing cream to the areas you plan on treating prior to the appointment if you are sensitive.

Haecker says, "Skin needs to be at its natural skin tone in order to be safely treated, so it is important to avoid sun/UV exposure before treatments. Clients should avoid tanning or sunless tanner throughout the course of the treatments." You may also need to stop taking certain medications to avoid adverse effects, so be honest about everything you take.

On the day of your appointment, Haecker says that, "The skin should be free of product when arriving for a treatment - no makeup, lotion, or perfume." Be sure to check with your aesthetician about any other things you should and should not do before and after your sessions.

What To Expect

After booking and following the pre-appointment care instructions, you're ready to start your laser hair removal journey. "Milan Providers will greet you and discuss what body areas are being treated during the appointment," Haecker says, "They will ensure safety goggles are in place and you are comfortable for your treatment. Some clients describe the laser pulse sensation as a rubber band snap on the skin. Others will say it feels 'spicy.' Milan uses air-cooling technology to provide a customizable flow of cold air that can be tailored to your needs."

"Following your treatment, your Milan Provider will offer aloe to apply to the treated areas and review post-treatment care," he adds.

There's a common misconception that after laser hair removal, the hair will be completely gone after three to five treatments and never grow again. In reality, "Because hair is in different growth cycles, it takes multiple treatments to see the desired results. Over time, hair will become finer and less visible," Haecker says, "New hair follicles can become active due to age, hormones, and genetics, causing new hair to grow. However, once a follicle is permanently destroyed, it will never reproduce another hair. As life changes and potentially new hair follicles grow, you can return to any of our Milan locations at no additional cost, thanks to Milan’s Unlimited Package."

At-Home Vs. In-Office

While not as effective as in-office treatments, at-home hair removal devices have come a long way. "At-home devices work similarly to professional treatments but use lower energy levels. They are more time-consuming to use, but they can help and are a great option to maintain improvements between professional treatments," says Dr. Maiman. "The majority of at-home hair removal devices don't actually use lasers, but instead use Intense Pulse Light (IPL), a light-based technology that targets melanin to destroy the hair follicle after repeated treatments. Because IPL emits a broad spectrum of light, rather than a single wavelength, it’s safe for a wide variety of skin tones."

Maiman recommends the Silk’n Infinity 400,000 because its design allows for easy and fast treatment of large areas of skin, and it also has five energy levels to customize the treatment. "While extremely safe, it is hard to cover a lot of surface area. These are best used for in-between treatments or small areas such as the upper lip," she adds.

Charette is more skeptical. "While they are more convenient, at-home laser hair removal devices can actually be a waste of time and money because the technology is much weaker, not permanent, and the results don't last as long," he says.

Side Effects

Though unlikely, laser hair removal can cause blistering, crusting, scarring, or other changes in skin texture. Additional side effects may be experienced based on external factors during aftercare, such as excessive sun exposure. "If a laser is used over a body part with recent sun exposure, it would be too much heat on the skin and could cause burning, hyperpigmentation (dark marks), and scarring." So, while it may be tempting to soak up the sun, you'll want to make sure that any tanning is done at least two weeks before or one week after your session. Because of this, our experts recommend considering starting treatments in the fall or winter (especially if you live in a cold climate), so come summertime, sun exposure is no longer a concern.

Also, avoid drinking the night before or the day of laser treatment, according to Taylor. "Often during hangovers, our nervous system goes into an amplified state, experiencing shaking, sweating, and sensitivity to light, touch, and sound, " she says.

Aftercare

Typically, the process of laser hair removal can take around six months, with appointments every four to six weeks. But it's not unusual to see some results from the beginning. For me, after my first session, my hair grew back much sparser than before. Still, it takes weeks for hair to fall out and more sessions to have hair totally eliminated. Exfoliating in the shower with a sugar scrub will help speed up the process.

Costs

This hair-zapping service can come with a hefty price tag and can vary depending on your location and the area you want free of fuzz. If you're treating a small area like the upper lip, expect to pay anywhere between $100-150 per session, but for areas like the legs and arms, you should expect to dish out a couple hundred dollars.

The Final Takeaway

As with makeup and skincare, there are trends in laser hair removal, but what's popular now does not have to be what's right for you. While Taylor notes that underarms, bikini, and lower leg seem to be the most popular areas of treatment in her experience, she's seen shifts in preferences over time. "Women used to get the full Brazilian and remove everything four or more years ago," she notes. "Now they're keeping a larger triangle and removing everything underneath. I've heard this called, 'the full-bush Brazilian.'" So know that as a personal (and mostly permanent) choice, this is a procedure that's entirely up to you.