i went for my third treatment yesterday to zap my underarm hair and it was by far the most painful session ever. as a matter of fact, my underarms are still a little sore. the aestheticians/nurses claim that it’s not that painful and that they’ve gone through the process without numbing cream. lies lies lies. it hurts like hell and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. i guess it just depends on the person’s thresh hold for pain and/or how much they enjoy it just like how people like the pain of tattoos. i know i’m a big chicken but being zapped by what feels like electricity really really hurts. however, i must say that the 15 minutes of pain is well worth it. after my first treatment, i saw results right away. the hair grew back much finer and the time in between shaving was longer. i used to shave every 2-3 days to keep the stubble away but now i can go for about 1-2 weeks. with each session the intensity has been gradually turned up and my results improve. with my third session, i have bald spots (i know it sounds gross but armpit hair is much grosser).

laser hair reduction is not for everyone though. the best candidates are people with a high contrast in hair to skin color because the laser is attracted to the melanin pigment in the hair shaft so if you have less pigmented hair, the laser/light may not be able to pick it up. also, it’s not guaranteed that laser reduction is permanent. electrolysis on the other hand has a higher success rate but can cost substantially more. each session duration is about 15-60 minutes depending on the area that is treated and in a series of 5 treatments, one every 6-8 weeks. during your treatments, you’re not supposed to wax or pluck, only shave. you’re also not supposed to expose the treated area to sun. i recommend the best time to buy a package is during the beginning of summer. i noticed that most of the spas ran laser hair removal promotions at the same time in order to stay competitive. so with a little comparison shopping, you’ll be able to find the best deal. i bought my package around this time and locked in a great deal at $360 bucks for 5 sessions.

i have 2 more treatments to go and i’m not looking forward to the pain, but i am definitely anxious to see my final results.