Although the prices charged will be different depending on where you live and the clinic you choose, it’s good to have an idea of the average laser hair removal price as a guideline for what you might expect to pay before you start your research. This will help you see if laser hair treatment is within your budget or well out of it.

You will see average laser hair removal prices listed here for most areas of the body which were reported by consumers in the US in 2009. The price depends on the size of the area being treated (which affects how long the sessions need to be). The price quoted is for one treatment. Remember you will typically need 4 to 6 sessions to clear 80% of your hair. (If you are looking for for laser hair removal prices for other countries such as the UK these prices are pretty much the same once converted into pounds although there will be some differences due to fluctuating exchange rates).

If you reckon on needing 6 sessions costing the highest end of the range for the part of your body you want treated you may be pleasantly surprised. On the other hand thinking you need only 4 at the lowest end of the sale may mean you are disappointed.

Also be aware that sometimes clinics will offer savings or discounts for up front payment for a series of treatments. Just don’t be pushed into signing a “special offer today only” deal if you are not ready. Better to go with a laser clinic which doesn’t pressurize you into expensive treatment.

Average Cost of Laser Hair Removal Treatment for Facial Hair Removal

Removal of all facial hair (full face) typical cost is : $150 – $300
Upper lip typically costs : $50 – $150
Removal of hair from chin only costs : $50 – $150

Average Cost For Arm Hair Removal (includes both arms)

Removing hair from underarms costs : $50 – 150
Half arms typical cost : $200 – 400

Average Cost for Body Hair Removal

Removal of hair from buttocks costs : $150 – 300
Back hair removal costs : $200 – 500
Chest hair removal costs : $100 – 300
Removing hair from abdomen Costs : $100 – 300

Average Cost for Leg Hair Removal

Half legs (both) Costs : $200 – 400

Laser Bikini Hair Removal

Regular bikini costs : $100 – 200
Brazilian bikini costs : $200 – 300

If you find that laser treatment is out of the question you may want to think about the more effective home laser hair removal machines available. They are not for everyone as you will see in home laser hair removal but they may be worth considering if you are suitable for treatment with a home laser machine and can’t afford professional treatment.

If you prefer to remove hair yourself you have probably longed for an effective home laser hair removal system to remove your unwanted hair permanently and without fuss. It’s very appealing to zap your hair at home and not to have to make tedious appointments at a hair removal clinic.

As there are several laser systems for home use on the market you may think it’s just a case of choosing one and you’re done. But unfortunately most of them are not great so it’s a case of buyer beware.

We have already talked about a few systems in our reviews such as the Silk’n, the Epila and the Rio hair removal system but you may come across others (and we will eventually get around to reviewing them too – let us know if you have a particular one you would like us to look at). The problem with this kind of product is that you may find reviews online but many of them are from companies selling the systems rather than from those who bought a particular system doing a genuine consumer review. So don’t believe everything you read.

If you want to see genuine reviews of buyers here’s a link that will take you to the range of laser hair removal products available at Amazon. There you can look at the individual systems and get a feel for which are the good ones.

Be aware however that results will vary and opinions differ with EVERY system and that it is often (although not always) as much to do with the person operating the equipment as the laser hair removal system itself.

Remember

1. Results won’t be instantaneous. Yes, the machine should remove hair with each laser pulse but it may come back if it was not at the right stage of growth to be destroyed. You can’t tell if that it the case by looking at your hair so you just have to keep carrying out the treatment so that you catch hair at the right time until it does not return.
2. You need to take care with your skin and start at low levels and less sensitive areas until you are used to the process on YOUR skin. You may see a few reviews from those who have hurt their skin a bit so you need to take care. These machines are not toys. It’s a case of getting the balance right between destroying as much hair as possible and leaving your skin as unaffected as possible so go easy with this until you get the right level for you (although I know how tempting it is to want to zap that hair RIGHT NOW!
3. You also need to have the right type of skin for these machines. Don’t buy a laser hair removal system unless you have the easiest type of hair and skin to treat – fair skin and dark hair. Anything else and you need to go for professional laser treatment instead.

A wax warmer is probably not something you hankered after all your life. For a large part you probably never even knew they existed but if you have decided that waxing is the hair removal method for you then it’s a great idea to buy one.

It’s a great alternative to using cold wax strips or microwave wax if you decide to try waxing at home. Warm wax is more effective than cold and a wax warmer will allow you can carry out hot wax hair removal treatments like the professionals. It heats the wax to a constant temperature (hot enough to adhere well to the skin and open up the hair follicles a bit but not so hot that you burn yourself). This is quite tricky with microwave wax. It also means you can heat the product in the room where you want to carry out the waxing treatment (which is presumably not in the kitchen where your microwave is).

The are many different brands of wax warmers. Most hair removal brands and many small electrical personal grooming brands have them.

The most popular machine is the GiGi wax warmer which is the brand favored by professional beauticians (and the brand I have myself) but there are many more – some of them with systems where you roll on the wax for easier application. Take a look at the hair removal wax warmer range here for an idea of the different types of wax warmer you can buy and discounted prices on all brands.

When you’re at the stage of considering a particular treatment center or clinic, be sure to ask questions about which type of laser hair removal equipment they have and which machines you will actually be treated with.

Obviously the more state of the art the better. If their equipment is 20 years old, run a mile because equipment is constantly improving and if a clinic is not reinvesting in new technology then you are not getting the best results that could be achieved for your time and money. While these machines cost tens of thousands of dollars and clinics can’t constantly change them, that is not your problem and you do want to find a clinic which uses the latest and best.

Also remember that different types of equipment are suitable for different skin and hair types. When you go for your initial consultation ask why they recommend a particular piece of equipment for you over others that they may have. If they have only one type of laser equipment ask why they chose it and whether it is the best one for you.

The different types of laser equipment which you might encounter at clinics are:-

• The Ruby Laser is a 694 nm wavelength machine. (Also see brand names Epilaser, Rubystar and Palomar E2000). This was the first laser hair removal system used commercially and has been extensively tested. The light waves are very selectively absorbed by melanin (the pigment in the hair and skin). It causes selective damage to hair follicles, minimising injury to the skin. There is a 2 second period between each laser pulse designed to allow the skin to cool down and cause less injury and pain. This type of laser also only works on light skin colors
• The Alexandrite Laser Machine – This machine has a 755nm wavelength and works in a similar way to the Ruby laser. It is also only suitable for treating very white skin. It appears under the brand names of GentleLASE, Apogee and EpiTouchPlus.
• The Nd: Yag (1064 nm wavelength) laser which appears also under brand names CoolGlide, Medilite IV, Varia, Athos, Lyra and Image is meant to be capable of treating all skin colors however the evidence is still lacking about whether long term hair removal can be achieved for everyone. It was not designed specifically for hair removal and is more often used for removing tattoos. It must be used with a carbon lotion to effect hair removal and there is the difficulty of getting the lotion to penetrate to the follicles. If it doesn’t skin damage can occur according to the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors. It appears this is not the safest option
• The Diode laser (800 nm or 810 nm wavelength). There are lots of brand names for this type of laser including SLP 1000, FI Diode, Light Sheer, MeDioStar, LaserLite, Epistar and Apex 800. This kind of laser penetrates further into the skin than Ruby and Alexandrite lasers and may be used to treat darker skin although tests are still ongoing as to how effective they are at long term hair removal.
• Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser also appears under brand names Ultimate Light, EpilLight, PhotoDerm, Quantum, AcuLight or Vasculight. These type of lasers can safely treat all skin colors as there are many parameters on the machine which can be adjusted by a trained operator to effect hair removal in a more personalized way. See IPL hair removal for more details.

Which laser hair removal equipment will work best for you?

Unfortunately the FDA only approves systems as being safe and does not compare how effective one system is over another. And with most of the machines tests are ongoing regarding how permanent hair removal actually is. So you are left with requesting the evidence from the clinics you are thinking of using about their particular system or researching on the web where you may be fed stories put about by the manufacturers. By the far the best is personal recommendation of laser hair removal equipment from someone who has had success with it and has similar hair and coloring to you. Failing that get as much information about any particular machine as you can from independent medical websites.

When looking at the cost of laser hair removal always ask yourself what is included.

You can get more information on the average cost at Laser Hair Removal Prices, however you will find that clinics often use a different basis for their pricing so it may be difficult to compare costs across the various treatment options you have locally.

When comparing one clinic’s laser hair removal prices with another consider whether the following are included or not and be sure to add the cost of everything up before making your final decision (although this should not be based on price alone).

1. Initial consultation and information provided. This is often free or included in the treatment price.
2. Length and number of sessions included in your treatment package. If the treatment is priced on a per session basis, get an estimate of the number of sessions which will be needed in your case and compare this with the number being offered in a package with other clinics
3. Exact area of the body to be treated. Does the back include the shoulders, for example? Whole leg or half leg?
4. Any pain relief medication or after care lotions and products included or do you have to buy these separately? What do they recommend and how much do they cost?
5. Are the results guaranteed? Or do you have to pay for follow up sessions if the hair is not removed? What is the cost of these sessions?
6. If you require medical help to deal with any (rare) side effects, is this included in the treatment price?
7. Are there any payment plans which help spread the cost of laser treatment? What are the additional costs for these?

As you can see there are a few factors which could influence the cost of laser hair removal considerably and even make it beyond your budget so make sure you get all the information you need from the laser clinics you are considering before signing up for a course of treatment.