Name: Elise
Age: 33
Procedure: Laser Hair Removal for Bikini and Underarm
Cost: Rates for bikini and underarms start at $300 each, but special pricing programs and series are available that reduce the cost considerably. On average, for each of these areas, four to six treatments
Where it was done: Metamorphosis Day Spa, New York
Describe the procedure:
Originally I only planned on doing my underarms, but during my first visit I knew I wanted to do my bikini too because the procedure was quick and far less painful than I had expected. Shockingly, it only took about 15 minutes for both the underarm and the bikini areas together!
The laser technician, Cleo, was extremely knowledgeable and explained everything I should expect. I was mostly confused on how the process worked, and she explained that the light of the Candela laser she was going to use targets the hair follicle pigment in its growth (anagen) stage and then it damages the hair shaft and root, causing subsequent regrowth to be finer and lighter. This process doesn't actually remove the hair but instead, singes it. The singed (treated) hair falls out in one to two weeks. Since all hair grows in three stages, the targeted hair has some regrowth, but these hairs will be finer and lighter than before. She also instructed that, between treatments, I could only shave the areas being treated. This worried me, but as it turned out, I had so little regrowth after the first visit, shaving was perfectly adequate.
