Laser Hair Removal

A couple of weeks ago, Becky brought up my lifelong obsession – hair removal. When I commented that I’d had laser hair removal, I got a question in the comments from Stacie about how it works, so decided to share my experience with all of you!

First of all, to understand why I’d go to the expense of laser hair removal, you have to understand… shaving was outlawed in my house. My mother was convinced that shaving caused your hair to grow thicker, darker, and more brittle; whereas waxing removed the hair follicle from the root, causing your hair to grow back thinner, weaker, and more slowly.

Turns out she was right! So my mom faithfully took her hija de monos (hairy monkey offspring) to get her legs waxed at the local spa just about every month.

Still I experimented with different wax types, bought an epilady to test a faster way to remove hair from the root, resorted to shaving then regretted it, spent $100s on creams and lotions that promised to slow hair growth, everything.

You see, waxing is not the most convenient solution for pre-teens because you have to wait until the hair’s grown about 1/2 inch between waxes… Since I couldn’t hide my legs under pants – my Catholic school uniform consisted of an oxford blouse, pleated culotte, and penny loafers – the boys at school called me “bushy.” I had to find another solution, and fast!

In my teens, my aunt started her own laser hair removal and within a couple of years she never had to shave or wax ever again. I desperately wanted in on laser hair removal, so she started giving me birthday checks that were immediately deposited – along with all my baby-sitting and piano lessons money – in a laser hair removal fund.

Then, when I graduated from college and started earning a real salary, I transferred my laser hair removal fund into a checking account and made a beeline for American Laser Centers.

$2500 and three years later, I no longer spend any time or money on shaving or waxing my legs, bikini line, or underarms. I understand that for many it only takes about 6 sessions to remove unwanted hair. But being the hija de monos that I am, it took a lot more than that (all of three years’ worth of sessions every 8-10 weeks). Luckily all of my sessions were completed within the warranty of about three and a half years so there were no extra charges.

Does it hurt? Yes, but only very briefly. It literally feels like a little pinch on your skin that stings for a second. Of course by the time one area stops stinging, they’ve moved to the next area.

Side effects? Every once in a while, the laser will leave little “burn marks” on my skin that look sort of like a small rug-burn. They don’t hurt at all and go away within a few days. In the three years of sessions, this happened only a very few times.

Is American Laser Centers legit? I hadn’t seen any of the negative criticisms of ALC until after I was well into my treatment sessions. If I had, I probably would’ve gone elsewhere. But my experience was not at all negative. Of course they will try to up-sell you (and I understand that’s a pretty big complaint). What good salesperson wouldn’t? You’ll have to go into your local office and determine if you feel comfortable there yourself. I understand that you can also have laser hair removal done at your local dermatologist’s office as well.

What’s the cost? Having my underarms, lower legs, and bikini line done cost me $2500, but I paid that price over three years ago and I don’t know how prices have changed today. ALC is always running promotions like buy one package (legs, for example) and get another half off (bikini line).

How does it work? I don’t entirely understand, except that the heat kills the hair. And you have to wait 8-10 weeks between sessions so that the hair is available (if it hasn’t grown beyond the hair follicle, the laser will do nothing). So no waxing between sessions or any other method that pulls hair from the root – you have to shave.

If you have any other questions, comment away!