How much does laser hair removal cost?

While assessing laser hair removal costs, it’s always a good idea to compare them to the total costs of all the alternative forms of hair removal, as well as consider the other associated factors, such as time involved and potential problems.

Waxing

In her lifetime, it’s estimated that the average woman spends around £23,000 on waxing unwanted hair. The main problem with waxing is that you need a certain amount of hair growth before the treatment can take effect, with any shorter hairs being left behind. This means you’ll always have hairs at various stages of growth at any given time, although there will be a short period where you’ll look and feel hair-free. The downsides of waxing is that sometimes the top layers of skin can be pulled off during the treatment, and many people experience ingrown hairs as a result of it.

Shaving

Shaving is a quick and easy way to get rid of unwanted hair, but it still costs money – for a woman, it’s a lifetime average of £6,500, which is compounded by the amount of time she will spend on the task during her lifetime – around eight weeks. Even so, this is only around half the estimated four months that men spend staying clean-shaven.

One of the downsides of shaving, which is not necessarily something that can be monetised but is definitely something you need to take into account, is the potential for small injuries. One of the main downsides of shaving for both women and men is that it’s so easy to cut the skin, cause a rash or end up with ingrown hairs which cause red, itchy spots that can sometimes become infected. Even though they are minor, any of these injuries will be painful or irritating, require time to heal and sometimes, in the case of ingrown hairs, may even require medical attention. And quite apart from being uncomfortable, rashes and cuts will also be unsightly.

Men, in particular, are at risk of ingrown hairs developing into pseudofolliculitis barbae, which is an inflammation of the skin in the beard area around ingrown hairs. In such cases, it is best to stop shaving immediately in order to give the area a chance to heal, and using alternative methods of hair removal will help prevent the condition from recurring.

Plucking

A lot of people will pluck hairs out with tweezers. Not only is this a very intensive way of removing hair, but it also risks scarring because they’re constantly picking and tugging at the hairs.

Laser hair removal

The difference between laser hair removal and IPL is that the laser only targets the hair. IPL targets the pigmentation which means it is also used to reduce age spots and skin redness as well as hair. Laser hair removal technology has improved tremendously in the past few decades. Indeed, our MD, Jane, remembers that when laser hair removal first became available, it would take a whole day to treat a client’s legs! The Soprano ICE can treat hair of any colour (though not white hairs) and any skin type. The number of treatments you would need to remove hair completely depends on the colour of the hair and your skin colour, but generally, we would advise that eight sessions are usually enough.

Costs of laser hair removal will vary depending on the size of the affected area and the number of treatments you will need. However, the results often last years, if not decades, with the added bonus that you will save time on shaving or waxing, as well as avoid the possibility of causing cuts or rashes.

Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.