Help with decision-making (in Vancouver)

Hair Removal Methods Laser hair removal
#1

[color:#000099]I am exhausted from trying to google and read every single review, forum, thread, posting, blog, warning, etc. about at-home laser hair removal kits. My eyes are watery and I am cranky :(, so I figure the only way to make an informed decision is to ask you guys LOL :slight_smile:

I hate hair (ugh) but I have very little money, so I very hopefully and excitedly thought I’d go for the do-it-yourself laser treatments (really, I even skipped around the block like a little girl jumping for joy). After my internet research, I gather that the two FDA-certified ones are Tria and Silk’n and everything else pretty much sucks even more - Is this correct?
What about “Rio”? I also gather that, in a nutshell, at-home treatments are temporary, lame, deceiving, disappointing, ineffective, time-consuming, stupid, weak, undetermined, not cost-effective at all, etc. and that seems to be an understatement to many - Is this correct too? :slight_smile:

That being said, I am now highly considering pouring out my hard-earned pennies and getting hair removal done professionally at a clinic (sigh there goes my jumps for joy). In this regard, I need some more info before I decide what to do and whether I can even afford to do it.

I’m 24 (if this matters), female, olive/medium asian skin tone (on the lighter side), black mainly-fine hair, not a whole lot (if that matters). I’ve only used a razor and an epilator on my skin. I primarily want to get my armpits and bikini area done where the hair is much more coarse. Legs would be nice too but I can wait. I am in Vancouver, Canada.

Considering my uh “specs”…
[b]1) Approximately how much would laser hair treatment at a professional clinic cost for this, net total? (for ex, “6 sessions at $200 armpits and $400 bikini = $3600 CAD”)?

  1. Approximately how much would electrolysis at a professional clinic cost for this (net)?

or 3) What’s the approximate price difference between getting laser hair removal versus electrolysis for these areas at a professional clinic?

  1. Which one is better in a nutshell?

  2. Considering the money I could potentially save (I hear some outcries coming), would you recommend I consider the at-home laser hair removal anyway? Both my boyfriend and I would use it (to save on the $$). I have such little hair to get rid of… could it MAYBE just MAYBE work better than most may claim?

  3. Are there any others worth considering aside from Tria/Silk’n?

  4. Any clinic recommendations?[/b]

WOW CONGRATS YOU ACTUALLY REACHED THE END!! SORRY FOR WRITING SO MUCH AND THANKS IN ADVANCE![/color]

1 Like
#2

  • Home laser systems won’t provide permanent removal, only temporary.

  • Laser, home or not, doesn’t work on fine hair. Only coarse hair.

  • Bikini and underarms aren’t that expensive to treat professionally. Underarms are about $50-100 per treatment, bikini is $100-200 depending on how much you want to remove. You need treatments once every 2-3 months and about 6-8 in total to get 95% removal.

  • For all fine hair, the only option that works is electrolysis. It costs about $60-70 per hour and removes 5-10 hairs per minute. You need 12 months of consistent treatments, every 2-4 weeks (less often after 5-6 months of treatments basically).

Please read the FAQs at the link below. For your skin type, you’ll need an ND:Yag laser like GentleYAG or Coolglide most likely.

#3

[quote=“punkalafunk, post:1, topic:35429”]
I am exhausted from trying to google and read every single review, forum, thread, posting, blog, warning, etc. about at-home laser hair removal kits. My eyes are watery and I am cranky :(, so I figure the only way to make an informed decision is to ask you guys LOL :slight_smile:

I hate hair (ugh) but I have very little money, so I very hopefully and excitedly thought I’d go for the do-it-yourself laser treatments (really, I even skipped around the block like a little girl jumping for joy). After my internet research, I gather that the two FDA-certified ones are Tria and Silk’n and everything else pretty much sucks even more - Is this correct?
What about “Rio”? I also gather that, in a nutshell, at-home treatments are temporary, lame, deceiving, disappointing, ineffective, time-consuming, stupid, weak, undetermined, not cost-effective at all, etc. and that seems to be an understatement to many - Is this correct too? :slight_smile:

That being said, I am now highly considering pouring out my hard-earned pennies and getting hair removal done professionally at a clinic (sigh there goes my jumps for joy). In this regard, I need some more info before I decide what to do and whether I can even afford to do it.

I’m 24 (if this matters), female, olive/medium asian skin tone (on the lighter side), black mainly-fine hair, not a whole lot (if that matters). I’ve only used a razor and an epilator on my skin. I primarily want to get my armpits and bikini area done where the hair is much more coarse. Legs would be nice too but I can wait. I am in Vancouver, Canada.

Considering my uh “specs”…
[b]1) Approximately how much would laser hair treatment at a professional clinic cost for this, net total? (for ex, “6 sessions at $200 armpits and $400 bikini = $3600 CAD”)?

  1. Approximately how much would electrolysis at a professional clinic cost for this (net)?

or 3) What’s the approximate price difference between getting laser hair removal versus electrolysis for these areas at a professional clinic?

  1. Which one is better in a nutshell?
  2. Considering the money I could potentially save (I hear some outcries coming), would you recommend I consider the at-home laser hair removal anyway? Both my boyfriend and I would use it (to save on the $$). I have such little hair to get rid of… could it MAYBE just MAYBE work better than most may claim?
  3. Are there any others worth considering aside from Tria/Silk’n?
  4. Any clinic recommendations?[/b]

Hey! I totally get the overwhelm; I went through the same research marathon for at-home lasers. Here’s the scoop:

For at-home kits, Tria and Silk’n are the best-known FDA-cleared options. They’re okay for fine hair but aren’t as powerful as professional treatments. I tried Silk’n and found it only mildly effective, especially on coarser areas.

Professional laser could be a good fit for you with your lighter skin and dark, fine hair. In Vancouver, you’re looking at roughly CAD $900–$1600 for armpits and CAD $1200–$2400 for the bikini area over 6-8 sessions. Electrolysis, while very effective, is more time-intensive and usually costs more in the long run since it’s follicle by follicle.

If you want to try at-home for finer hair, it might work, but for coarser areas like underarms and bikini, I’d say go pro.

I’d recommend checking out Vancouver Laser & Skin Care Centre—they do both laser and electrolysis and can help you decide what’s best!

Good luck! :blush: