Hi Im looking for a laser center in NYC, I live in Brooklyn. The amount of centers in NYC are overwhelming when I run a google search, so I don’t even know where to begin. Can anyone recommend a laser center other than Romeo and Juliette(I already have them on my consult list)? Thanks!
I have never been to Romeo & Juliette, but I have heard good things about them here. Also in the rare instance someone here is not satisfied with them, I’ve seen the owner come to the forums and try to make things right.
That speaks volumes to me, and I really respect the clinic for that. If they were in Cali, I would use them in a heartbeat.
I have a friend that goes to Laser Soho. They have a GentleLASE I believe and it’s a dermatologist office. You can also check reviews on sites like Yelp.com for other clinics. Of course, use your judgement when deciding whether the reviews are reliable (I tend to dismiss reviews by posters with less than 10 reviews on the site).
Thanks for the help!
Lagirl is that lasertouch soho? I actually called them for a consultation as well. I hope it"s the one your friend goes to.
Yeah, that’s the one. I don’t know much about them though in terms of whether they use high enough settings. My friend doesn’t know what they’re using on her. So you’ll have to figure that out for yourself. I just know what laser they use.
It looks like the place is not owned by a dermatologist. I assumed because this friend gets a Botox injection while she’s there as well.
Well it’s at least nice to know that your friend goes there. At least they are not burning her or anything. They have really affordable prices though which makes me question them. Im all for cheap prices but it makes me wonder. They quoted $150-200 for lower legs. Is that too low a price? I don’t know anything about settings other than what I read from you. Im a type IV with really thick (think pubic hair lol) hair on my lower leg. what settings should I be looking for?
That price is ok for lower legs. It’s not so low that I would be concerned. I think my friend said she’s paying $450 for full legs and bikini and I think she’s had 2 treatments so far, but she doesn’t know the settings. Guess she doesn’t want my expertise and I don’t want to push 
I wouldn’t judge on prices at all.
As mentioned above, you need to go in for a consultation and ask what settings they would use. Then post them here. They can do test spots too. You need to figure out the highest your skin can handle. With your skin type, which is in between, you may be light enough for good settings on an alex machine like GentleLASE or you may need a Yag. So testing is especially important in your case (and for them to see you in person to judge).
I pay $120 per treatment for my lower legs (a package of 5 treatments for $600).
$200 per treatment is a great deal more than that, so I wouldn’t be worrying that it’s too low. It’s a little on the high end of the quotes I got when shopping around or maybe in the middle. Definitely not “cheap”.
Prices in NYC tend to be somewhat higher. I was paying $250 in LA too.
Ok so I got a consultation at lasertouch soho for this Friday. I’m super excited! I will probably go to Romeo and Juliette next week as well.
I need some advice though. When I’m at the consultation how should I push for good settings? Do I just ask what settings will they use and then suggest I would like the highest saftest settings possible.
I’m hoping they do a test spot but I don’t want to wait 3 weeks for shedding because summer is here and I don’t want to risk getting darker. After the test spot how will I know it’s okay to go ahead with my first treatment?
You can ask them to test your skin at various settings to see what you can handle. I would wait at least 2 weeks though, for shedding. Though if you know the settings are good, you don’t have to.
Ok thanks! I will update on Friday.
I don’t have to work till late today so I got a chance to go to LaserTouch Soho and Romeo and Juliette today. I was going to split the consults and do LaserTouch soho today and R&J next week but the receptionist at R&J was nice enough to book me a last minute consultation.Okay so here is my experience…
I went to LaserTouch Soho first. The staff there greeted me nicely and had me fill out paperwork. The place was clean and nicely decorated. I was called into the room and was briefly given info on the laser they were going to use on me; GentleYag, and how laser treatment schedule works. They told me I was a IV-V skin type and gave me some quotes for lower leg. They didnt mention test spots though I asked them over the phone if they would do it. So I went ahead and asked for a test spot. I think it kind of surprised the technician. So he went ahead and outline a patch with white eyeliner and trimmed the hair in that area. Then he went ahead and shot the laser throughout the patch. He used one setting throughout the entire test patch and it didnt even hurt at all. Then he rubbed some aloe vera on my skin and told me that’s it and to call if i wanted an appointment. He was very nice but every time I asked about the settings he was reluctant to tell me. He kept saying I didn’t have to worry about settings, that it was up to the technician. I kept insisting and he asked me if I read something about the laser and why did I want to know. I told him I wanted to be an informed consumer and then he kept saying it was 18. Im assuming he meant 18spot size with maybe 18j.I dont know. Lol. Even though the clinic was nice and the people were nice I left feeling unsure and dissatisfied. I felt rushed and they made me feel like I was stupid or something for wanting to know about settings. As if I wouldn’t understand.
So then I headed over to Romeo and Juliette. I didn’t know how to get there from the first clinic so the receptionist at R&J was nice enough to give me detailed directions over the phone. When I arrived I was kindly greeted and given some paper work to fill out.The waiting room was very elegant and nicely decorated. I didn’t have to wait long before Chris came out and greeted me. He took me to the treatment room and discussed my skin type and the lasers that will safety treat my hair.He said I was definetly a IV. He also looked at my hair and explained more about laser hair removal. He showed me the Elite MPX Yag laser that he was going to be using on me. Chris also did some test spots on my lower leg. He tested more than 1 setting unlike LaserTouch Soho. The laser also had a cooling system which was great to reduce the pain. I did feel pain but it was manageable and expected. The pain made me feel like good settings were used. Chris tested me at 18,15,and 12 spot size with 27-45 Joules. He even wrote down the setting for me to take home.he was very caring and informative. I was very happy to have went to R&J and will definitely go there for my first treatment.
I don’t know what the best settings are on that machine, but I definitely have a personal issue with clinics that refuse to disclose the settings they use. It almost seems insulting (not to mention sneaky) that they think you are not capable of having that information before making an informed decision. They may be trying to avoid people who push for risky settings, but that can be solved by just being firm with the client about the settings that are safe for them. There’s no reason to HIDE the information regarding an expensive medical procedure, ever.
So yeah, the first clinic may be amazing, but I would not use them unless they agree to give you the settings from now on.
Yea that’s exactly how I feel. I felt like they were being sneaky at Lasertouch soho. The consult also felt rushed. It’s a nice place look- wise but I would not call it amazing.
I’m glad you did this. That’s why we always recommend to check out several clinics so you can easily figure out which one is the better choice for you. In the end, in this business, it really matters whether the clinic cares about you and your results and not just money and getting you in and out.
Hi again everyone! So after my test spot treatment I went back to R&J for my first treatment on my lower leg on june 30. The staff was extremely nice and tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible. I was really nervous lol. I arrived early for my appointment, but i didn’t even have to wait long. Chris came out quickly to get me started.
Once again I am a type IV, and was treated with GentleMax on yag settings. I was so nervous I forgot to ask for settings but Chris said he set me up with low pulse and high settings. I think that’s what he said lol, but I trust that he chose good settings. I think the joules were 28, not sure. All I know is that it hurt alot,lol, especially around my ankles. I was expecting the pain though because I have super course dense hair on my lower legs. After the treatment my skin was hot and little red, but after they applied a thick white cream(sorry dont know name)on the area everything cooled down a bit. My follicles were raised/swollen and my skin felt a little tender, but after a few days my skin was back to normal.
My hair was growing in so I had to shave only a few days after my treatment, and I noticed that after i shaved it seemed like i still had stubble. Now I know what some of you talk about when you mentioned this.
Its been a week since my treatment and already some hairs are shedding and I’m losing the stubbly look. I have a touch-up scheduled for 3 weeks after my first treatment. I am extremely happy with R&J, and soo excited to have started my laser journey.
It’s not hair growing in, it’s more like the hair is shedding. It kinda feels different from normal hair. Anyway you can shave it if you want to, but you can also try plucking them out to see how easily they will come out. If you shave them you don’t really know if anything hasn’t been lasered and needs a touch up.
I usually just exfoliate rather than shave. My underarms were clear after a week.
Remember to let it grow out before the touch up so you know what bits need it
Sorry I didn’t mean to say growing in as in new hair. I had to shave that day because I was wearing a dress, but I have not and will not shave anymore. I already tried plucking some hairs out and was surprised at how quickly they just came out. I have been exfoliating also but just wanted to see what happened if I plucked a few hairs lol.