Laser Hair Removal FAQ

Yes, and it works in your favor. Every new patient starts with a consultation and a patch test before a series is scheduled. It is how your provider confirms the right settings for your skin, estimates your session count, and gives you a real price. There is no obligation attached to it.

Shave the treatment area about 24 hours beforehand, arrive with clean skin (no lotions, deodorant, or makeup on the area), and avoid tanning or significant sun exposure in the weeks prior. Your provider covers the specifics for your area at the consultation.

Yes. Shaving cuts hair at the surface and leaves the root in place, which is exactly what the laser needs to target. Shave as often as you like between sessions.

No. Waxing, plucking, and threading pull the hair out by the root, and the laser works by targeting pigment in that root. Remove the root and there is nothing for the next session to treat in that follicle. Shaving is the only hair removal to use during a series.

With the right device and settings, yes. Our Candela GentleMax Pro Plus includes a 1064 nm Nd:YAG wavelength, the clinically appropriate modality for Fitzpatrick IV through VI skin, and every plan starts with a patch test that confirms your settings on your skin. No laser treatment carries zero risk, which is exactly why device choice and physician-directed protocols matter.

Tanned or recently sun-exposed skin holds extra pigment that competes with the follicle for the laser's energy, which raises irritation risk and can force your provider to postpone treatment. Avoid tanning beds entirely during a series and protect treated areas with sunscreen. If you have a beach trip planned, tell your provider so your schedule can work around it.

We defer treatment during pregnancy. There is no established safety data for laser hair removal in pregnancy, so the conservative standard is to wait. If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing, bring it up at your consultation and your provider will talk through timing with you.

Some do. Certain antibiotics, acne medications, and other prescriptions increase photosensitivity, which changes how your skin responds to laser energy. Bring a current list of medications and supplements to your consultation; your provider reviews it before any treatment is scheduled.

The honest term is long-term hair reduction, not guaranteed permanence. Most people see a significant, lasting decrease in hair after a full series, and many are effectively done shaving the treated area. Some choose an occasional maintenance session. Anyone promising permanent, total hair elimination for everyone is overpromising.

Most areas take 6 to 8 sessions spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart, because the laser only affects hair in its active growth phase and only a fraction of hair is in that phase at once. Your count depends on the area, your hair color and density, and hormonal factors. Your provider estimates it at your consultation and explains the reasoning.

Yes, with expectations set correctly. PCOS-driven facial hair comes from excess androgens, which means the hormonal signal that stimulates growth continues after treatment, and regrowth over time is part of the biology rather than a treatment failure. Many patients with PCOS get meaningful, life-simplifying reduction with a realistic maintenance plan. This is a conversation our medical team, led by a board-certified OB/GYN, is particularly equipped to have.

Life happens, and one delayed session does not undo your progress. The series works best on its 4 to 8 week rhythm because it tracks your hair's growth cycles, so we will get you back on schedule rather than compressing sessions to catch up. Tell the front desk as early as you can and they will rebook you at the right interval.

Pricing depends on the area's size and your session count. In our booking system, series packages run from $600 to $6,000, with small single areas at the low end and full body at the high end. Your exact series price is confirmed at your consultation, and the full structure is published on our pricing page rather than gated behind a sales call.

Because the clinical plan is a series. One session treats only the hair currently in its active growth phase, so real results take a full course. Packages price that full course below the equivalent per-session rate, which reflects how the treatment actually works rather than how it sells.

An $89 per month facial laser hair removal membership covers facial areas such as lip, chin, and cheeks. It suits hair that is hormonal in origin, where ongoing maintenance is the realistic plan. Treatments still follow the same 4 to 8 week clinical cadence as everything else; a monthly membership is not weekly visits, and we say that before you enroll, not after.

Yes, and you will hear them up front: session cadence, expected session counts, what reduction means for your hair type, and how the membership or package is structured. This category has a reputation for terms disclosed after the sale. Our standard is the opposite. If anything is unclear at your consultation, ask, and keep asking until it is.