I will offer you a brief list of things I feel are important for laser.
Don’t treat tanned skin if at all possible. The lighter the skin the more power they can use to kill the hair. So in short stay out of the sun. If a laser place says sure we will treat you with a tan, they do not have your best interests in mind.
Places with both laser and electrolysis options can offer you the ability to do the whole treatment plan with consistent service. What I mean is that you will need electrolysis to finish off after the laser treatments have done all they can for you if you truly want all of the hair gone.
I would not pay for multiple treatments up front only because you do not know if laser is going to be the best option for you. Ask for a package price for one round of treatments for the areas you are interested in. If the service or treatment turns out not to your likeing then you do not have to worry about trying to get any money back or finishing out a contract.
Try and find a place that has a doctor or dermatologist on staff.
Avoid places that propose treatment spacings closer then 6 or 8 weeks apart. Since laser targets the whole surface area unlike electrolysis it is most efficient to wait till most of the hair that is going to regrow comes in before treating an area, keeping in mind that you do not want to wait too long between appointments (16 weeks would be too long).
Avoid places that will not give you a free sit down consult and laser spot tests. You will potentialy be paying thousands of dollars for treatments and if they can’t offer a free consult it makes one wonder what other areas they will skimp on.
Avoid places that will not treat you at high enough levels to be effective. Every one is different on what a good level of energy is but if you feel little to nothing and notice no hair burning it is safe to say the levels are to low. Laser hair removal is not comfortable if it is to be effective, you are trying to burn the hair growth cells after all and that hurts.
Be warry of places that treat blonde or very light haired clients with laser. They are not offering those customers the best chance for hair reduction or removal.
All in all after a consult if you do not feel comfortable with a place do not go there no matter how well they rate or how flashy there business is.
Cleanliness is also important. If you see dirty towels or reuse of consumable supplies (electrolysis probes, towels with out cleaning, razors, etc) between clients then I would avoid such a place.
Also if you can find a place that will provide you with fully documented (date, time, cost, location, area treated and by whom, taxes paid) receipts just in case you want to try and get a portion of the treatments covered by insurance or if possible based on your tax code applied against your taxes owed.
As to laser types I have only had experience with the LightSheer diode but others are reported to be effective if used properly. Look through these message boards for peoples results based on the different lasers and try and form an opinion of the ones you most likely would have results with.
Hope this helps you somewhat. The best single advice I can give you is to try a fair number of places before making a decision, and follow your instincts.
Chris
Oh well still relevant!