For a long time I had thought that laser hair removal was something out of my reach because I assumed it was very expensive and hard to get done. After years of being on the go and having to dry shave right before my gigs to make sure not one hair was left (the cameras and lights magnify everything), I was left very unhappy with the darker shade of skin in my armpits as a result of shaving with a razor.
It bothered me every time I received pictures back from photographers, to the point where I had to go in and touch up a couple of my favorite photographs to even out the skin tone in my underarms with photoshop.
So about a year and a half ago I signed up for Groupon to see what the heck all the hoopla was about, and last summer while surfing the web I came across a Groupon for laser hair tattoo removal for only $350 for 3 areas and so began my hopes that this whole laser removal thing could actually be a possibility!
After reading reviews, doing research on different types of lasers and seeing what Groupon offers were available at the med spa’s in my area, I finally made the purchase and said “what the heck”.
Now a year later here is the scoop on what it is REALLY like to go through this process:
- 1.it is NOT pain free and all smiles like the ads will make you think, but it is not going to make you scream either. It literally feels like a rubber band smacking you, with some spots being less/more than others. In general you will have one armpit that hurts more than the other, and basically anywhere where your nerves meet in a more concentrated fashion will urt more it seems.
- 2.Do NOT go on or right before/after your period, the pain will be magnified by 10!
- 3.You will see less hair after the first treatment! It is pretty exciting actually, but be patient as about half way through your treatments it will not change as drastically between treatments.
- 4.You will see lighter skin by the second treatment, which was so freaking awesome! I am ¾ of the way through and have nice even toned armpits now.
- 5.Results totally correlate with your consistency and care. Go every 6 weeks, do not skip a treatment…period. When it doesn’t work for people it is because they seriously weren’t consistent, so do not throw your money away and stick to your 6 week plan.
- 6.Your laser specialist and you are going to get to know each other VERY well (if you have had a Brazilian laser package, you know what I mean) so become friends. They will help you laugh through particularly sensitive areas, and make the process more comfortable through conversation.
- 7.This is not a quick process. It takes about 10-15 treatments on average, spread out by 6 weeks and you are looking at over a year of treatments.
- 8.You cannot tan or expose the lasered areas in the sun when you are doing these treatments, so embrace your natural color as you have no choice. I am literally the color now that I was when I was born, but heck, it is not permanent, so follow safety guidelines and accept this now.
- 9.How did I make this affordable after the Groupon treatments were up and I needed to purchase more? Easy. I got one of those 0% for 18month discover credit cards and the awesome staff gave me a great deal on all 3 areas again for this time $880 or $980 (I can’t remember) for 6 more treatments and each month I made my small payment.
- 10. You will not be super read and hideous after your treatment. You may have a little redness and a very light sunburn feeling, but after an hour it goes away. Laser hair removal is nothing compared to tattoo removal in that way (post coming next week).
11. Lastly, the treatment time depends on the area. I have 3 treatments areas so even with yelps of pain and even some laughter it take us about 35-40 minutes for all three. Small areas take about 5 minutes and large areas up to 20, so strike up a good conversation with your laser specialist or bring something to keep you occupied.
So all in all, my experience has been very positive, I followed the “rules” to say and have seen fab results. I am excited to be hair free at the end of the next 4 treatments and hope that this inspires you to give it a try if you are found to be a good candidate after your consultation. It is affordable, and worth the small discomfort when you see your skin lightening and your hair growing back at a slower rate with each treatment.
I no longer have to photoshop my underarms in pictures and shave once a month which is great as a busy bellydancer. If you have any more questions or are curious to know more, just shoot me a message bellydancers or comment below. Enjoy your laser hair removal!