Laser Hair Removal

The laser targets the pigment in the hair follicle. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why hair colour is the deciding factor rather than skin colour.

If your hair will not respond to laser, Leah will tell you at consultation rather than sell you a course.

Every new client has a consultation and patch test before any treatment. It is a requirement, both for insurance and to establish that laser treatment is safe for you specifically.

Here is what it covers:

1. What you want treated, and what you are hoping for. Your expectations matter as much as the areas, because part of the job is being straight with you about what laser can and cannot do.
2. Medical history and medications. Including anything that interacts with the treatment. HRT and hormonal medication, for example, can increase hair growth, which changes what to expect from a course.
3. Fitzpatrick skin type assessment. So the machine is set correctly for your skin.
4. How the treatment actually works, and why it needs a course rather than a single session.
5. Preparation, covered in full so you know what to do before you come in.
6. The patch test itself. A small test area with the machine on your settings.

The patch test is there to see whether your skin reacts. If there is a reaction, such as blistering, treatment does not go ahead and you are not a suitable candidate. Far better to find that out on a small test patch than after a full area has been treated.

"So when you come in for your free patch test, there's no pressure. When you come in, I'll just look at the area. If you have any questions, I'll answer them honestly and tell you whether I think you're a good candidate for the treatment."

Most people who go ahead say the same thing afterwards.

"Lots of people when they start the treatment say, oh, I wish I would start at this sooner, I was thinking of it months ago. Or it's been life changing, it's been the best thing I've ever done. Like, that's genuinely what people say."

Every appointment follows the same sequence, including the ones part way through a course.

1. Medical history check. Leah goes through your medical history at the start of every session, not just the first one, to make sure nothing has changed since you were last in.
2. Skin check on the treatment area. The area is checked for rashes, redness, soreness or anything else that would affect treatment. If the skin is compromised, that area is not lasered that day.
3. Protective eyewear. Eyewear goes on for both you and Leah before the laser is switched on.
4. Treatment. The area is treated on the settings matched to your Fitzpatrick skin type.
5. Aftercare. Leah talks you through aftercare before you leave.

Most people need a course of six to twelve sessions, then move on to maintenance. It takes that many because the hair has to be caught at the right stage of its growth cycle, and everyone responds differently.

The gaps between sessions depend on where you are being treated:

If the hair has not grown back yet, Leah will wait longer rather than treat you on schedule, because there needs to be a follicle to target.

After the initial course, maintenance appointments keep it in check, usually every three to four months, adjusted to your own regrowth.

It is worth being clear about what laser does. It gives permanent hair reduction, which means significantly less hair, finer and slower growing, rather than a guarantee that no hair will ever return. That is why maintenance appointments exist, and it is why anyone promising permanent removal is overselling it.

Laser is for men as much as women. The machine is the same, the process is the same, and the consultation and patch test work the same way.

Common areas for men include the back, chest, shoulders and beard line. Pricing follows the same area sizes as everything else.

If you would rather not commit to a course yet, men's waxing is the alternative, and plenty of men move across to laser once they get tired of the monthly appointment.