As someone who has always had excessive body hair, I recently started to look into laser hair removal as an option to finally get rid of the excess hair that I have been battling for years.
As I started to look into the process of hair removal options I found a variety of price ranges depending on what type of laser hair removal I wanted to get done.
So, How much does laser hair removal cost?
Hair removal costs can be as cheap as $100 for smaller hair removal jobs like anywhere on the face or bikini line, and anywhere from $200 up to $800 for bigger hair removal jobs like a back, legs, or chest.
I checked around the town I live in and the cost of hair removal varies from location to location. It seems like the location of the clinic has a big factor on pricing so if you are looking for the best possible prices you may want to consider going to a dermatology clinic that is on the edges of town if you are in a big city.
Here is a breakdown of the average laser hair removal prices of removing unwanted hair checked:
- Small Hair Removal: Bikini line, neck, face $100-$150
- Medium Surface areas: Arms, Legs, from $150-$300
- Large Surface Areas: Back, from $300-$800
As mentioned above, where you decide to get your laser hair removal done will have a big effect on the total cost you end up paying.
If you are thinking of going to a laser hair removal treatment that is much less than what others offer, make sure you check sites like Yelp and Google reviews to make sure that they have good reviews from a high number of people. If you see very few reviews or less than 3-star reviews it may be a good idea to consider another clinic.
What are the main benefits of laser hair removal?
Saves time
The average person spends between 2-5 minutes per day shaving and it can be even longer if you shave hard-to-reach areas like your back. When you get laser hair removal, you buy yourself time back that really starts to add up if you look at the overall cost over the course of a year.
For instance, 5 minutes a day shaving equals 35 minutes a week, 140 minutes a month, and 1680 minutes a year. That’s nearly 27 hours over the course of a year that you can get back! For people that value their time and are extremely busy, the cost of laser removal should pay itself back in time gained back through productivity hours.
Eliminates cuts from Shaving
For as long as you have shaved there is no real way to eliminate the unfortunate cut you get from your razor blade from time to time. These accidental shaving nicks can be very painful and leave you with blood on your clothing or having to wear a bandaid out in public settings. Keeping a consistent laser hair removal routine is a great way to avoid these painful moments that you can’t prevent from happening.
Not as Painful as other Methods
If you are considering laser hair removal, you know how painful some of the other options like waxing can be. Waxing and shaving in hard-to-reach areas can be very uncomfortable and razors often do have the dexterity to serve as an effective solution.
Fast treatments
Unlike typical doctor appointments, laser hair removal is very quick and you can be in and out in less than 30 minutes. As mentioned above, when you factor in all of the time you spend shaving a laser hair removal treatment can be a great way to buy back your time.
Preciseness
Another big advantage of laser hair removal compared to shaving is the preciseness of the treatments, which target directly at the hair follicle. If you shave with a dull razor you may notice how quickly your hair grows back which is partly due to the inability of the razor to get the hair at the root which is not an issue with laser hair removal.
What are the most common places to get laser hair removal?
Board-certified dermatologists are the best places to get laser hair removal done. While you may see advertisements for laser hair removal at lower costs, it is not worth the risk of potentially getting burns, blisters, or skin darkening by going to a clinic that is performing laser hair removals by anyone except board-certified dermatologists.
Dermatologists often have extensive training on laser hair removal treatments and are experts on how to make sure your skin is protected. For these reasons, it is worth paying a little more to give you the peace of mind that your treatments are being performed by a professional.
What are the average laser hair removal costs per body part?
The average hair removal per body part is typically around $100 for small surface areas like the bikini line or face or neck, $150-$400 for medium surface areas like the arms or lower legs, and between $300-$800 for areas like the chest or back.
The costs of laser hair removal vary depending on the location of the dermatology clinic so you may want to check around to see if you can find the best value at a clinic that has a good reputation.
What is involved in a laser hair removal procedure?
During laser hair removal a laser emits light energy that is absorbed by the pigment In the hair, which in turn damages the underlying hair follicles.
Here is a good video that gives a good overview of what you can expect when you sign up for laser hair removal:
Does laser hair removal remove the hair follicles?
Yes, laser hair removal destroys the hair follicles by using light to transmit heat through the hair shaft down to the follicle.
While it is nearly impossible to remove all hair follicles if you sign up for a series of hair removal treatments you are likely to get more hair follicles eliminated with each treatment.
How often should you get laser hair removal treatments?
According to Mayo Clinic, most people will likely need laser hair removal treatments will vary depending on the location of the body they decide to get treatment for.
While laser hair removal won’t permanently remove hair, it can reduce the frequency of hair growth in particular areas and slow down the pace of growth significantly if you get frequent treatments.
Does laser hair removal permanently remove hair?
Laser hair removal doesn’t typically remove hair permanently, but it does delay hair growth for long periods of time. Typically the process is if you have a few initial treatments to try to remove all of the hair follicles and then you will need maintenance treatments from time to time moving forward.
The amount of initial treatments you need depends on the body part and the frequency of hair growth in that particular area. This may be something you want to ask the clinics you are considering to ensure you don’t get looped into more appointments that you truly need. The best way to avoid this is to call around and speak to several clinics about their initial laser hair removal treatment frequency.
What are the disadvantages of laser hair removal?
One of the big disadvantages of laser hair removal is that you may never be able to grow back your hair like you used to before treatment.
It is important to think about whether you may ever want to have hair in the area you are thinking of having treatment on at some point in the future before you go through an extensive laser hair treatment therapy program.
Here are a few other concerns that people have shared online:
- Swelling around the hair follicles:
- Skin discoloration
- Redness of the skin
- Temporary blistering
- Different skin types react differently to treatments
As mentioned above, it is important to consult with a board-certified dermatologist or board-certified plastic surgeon before you undergo treatments to get a good understanding of the process.
With new laser technologies, the cost of laser hair removal costs has come down in recent years and the safety of treatments is much better than ever before.
Here is a breakdown of how many laser hair treatments you would typically need by each body part:
| Body Part | Number of Treatments Typically Needed |
| Under Arms | 6-8 treatments |
| Arms | 8-12 |
| Legs | Three treatments per leg |
| Back | 2-6 treatments |
| Bikini Line | 8-10 treatments |
| Chest | 5-10 |
Conclusion
Laser hair removal is becoming one of the most popular cosmetic procedures due to advancements in laser hair removal technology and the cost of treatments becoming much more affordable. The price of laser removal is going to vary depending on your geographic location so make sure you call around to a few locations to get a good gauge of the average prices you may be looking at spending.
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