A Brown Girl’s Honest Experience with Laser Hair Removal

If there’s one thing that South Asian women (honestly, probably women of all ethnicities) can bond over, it’s hair removal. Hair removal has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember, and laser hair removal is probably the feat of modern technology that I’m most grateful for (running water is a close second, though). I’ve been getting it done for a LONG time, on and off, but I’ve done so much Internet research on the topic and have spoken with so many technicians who perform the procedure that I feel like an expert in the subject. Before I go into all the Q&As that I surveyed you all for, I’ll share my honest experience over the years.

My Experience

I started getting laser hair removal performed in college or high school. If you have no clue what laser hair removal is, this is a good article on the subject. The results I achieved back then were pretty decent, but I think that the success of the treatments was limited because I didn’t get them on the recommended schedule. I used to go for treatments whenever I came home from university, but that wasn’t every 4-5 weeks the way you’re supposed to get it done. I did experience reduction in hair growth (legs, face, underarms, etc.), but not 100%. That said, even the imperfect results made a BIG difference, especially on the legs, where the hair is coarser. I didn’t need to shave for weeks at a time, and the hair growth was also MUCH finer/thinner.

I continued this intermittent hair removal schedule until more recently, when I purchased treatments from an NYC clinic and was able to get the treatments done on a more regular basis. Since then, I feel that the growth has decreased, but it’s not completely gone anywhere. It’s probably a 70% decrease, which is close to what clinics say you should expect. At this point, I think I’ve refocused my expectations, and I know that I probably won’t ever achieve 100% hair removal, especially since the hairs are now thin enough that it can be hard for machines to detect them. I’m still satisfied with the reduction I’ve seen, obviously, but I do think I’ll be on the look out for new technology that becomes available to target finer hairs.

Okay, now for your Qs and my As.

Q: How many treatments do you really need?

A: This is the one thing I wish I’d been more realistic about in the beginning. I honestly think that you need at least 10 treatments on a consistent schedule to see a level of reduction where you’d be really satisfied. That said, even after 10 treatments, I don’t think most people see 100% hair reduction. It will still probably be closer to 80% or 90%, but for me (and probably most South Asian women), that is amazing! I think most people still get touch up treatments every year or so, as well. It’s now been 7 or 8 months since my last treatment and I do feel there’s a slight increase in hair growth, so touch ups are definitely necessary.

Q: Does it work well for brown skin?

A: Only certain machines are good for brown skin, and that is something your laser technician should speak to you about. I know Candela makes lasers like the Yag Gentle Max Pro, which is really good for brown skin. If you have darker skin, you should really only be going to a clinic that services a lot of darker skinned people because they will have more experience with your skin type (i.e. they will know what they need to do in order to make sure you don’t get burned). That said, my understanding is that people with hair that’s coarse and a lot darker than their skin tend to see the best results. Maybe those people even see 100% hair reduction. I recommend asking your clinic/salon what machine they will be using on you, and then reading up on the machine online and making sure it’s good for darker skin. You can never be too safe with this stuff. I actually got burned very badly once on my face and it took a long time to heal. It was a physician who performed the treatment, but she definitely was inexperienced because she hadn’t treated many people. The machine she was using also looked really old and different from what I’ve seen recently.

Q: What’s a good price?

A: This varies widely from one city to the next, but here’s my advice. If you look on Groupon, you will see tons of promotions that make it VERY affordable to get laser hair removal. However, you need to make sure the place you go to is safe, clean, has doctors on staff, etc. Do your research and visit salons before buying a random Groupon. You can certainly find great deals at really nice clinics, though. The Groupons are the lowest prices available, so you can use those as a marker for what you could consider a “good deal”. The one thing you want to beware of, though, is what different Groupons include. Sometimes they’ll say ‘full body’ but it only includes legs, arms, underarms, and upper lip. Call the clinics and get all of the information on what’s included before buying.

Q: Does it help ingrown hair and hyperpigmentation around follicles?

A: In my experience, it does help with both of these things a lot, but ingrown hairs more than hyperpigmentation (aka strawberry legs). I barely get ingrown hairs anymore, so that’s a MAJOR plus. Additionally, I’m not sure if the hyperpigmentation around follicles was just due to the hair being so dark that it was visible from under the surface after you shave or if it was true hyperpigmentation. I think it’s the former, which is why so many people feel that laser hair removal helps with that ‘strawberry legs’ look. For true hyperpigmentation, see a dermatologist so they can actually treat the issue!

Thank you so much for reading, and please let me know any questions below! Again, I’m just sharing my experiences and none of this is medical advice in any way.