If you caught my recent post about laser hair removal with Sk:n Clinic, you will know I am undergoing a course of treatment for the underarms and chin. These will be carried out over the coming months and although I have written about having professional laser hair removal in the past, I’ve never kept an account of the experience from start to finish. However, as it was such a long time ago (seven years to be exact), it feels as if I am having it done for the very first time.
Earlier this week I had my first session on my underarms as well as a patch test on my chin. The reason why I didn’t have that done during my consultation visit two weeks prior was because of not wearing SPF on my face on a particularly sunny day. I know! Bad, bad, bad! I do wear SPF on my face daily, I just forgot to on that day. For my underarms I did not have to worry about sunscreen – I don’t sunbathe with my arms up and I very much doubt many people do.
The reason why it’s imperative to protect the skin with sunscreen is because lasered skin is vulnerable to direct sunlight and may be prone to darkening. When skin becomes dark, it absorbs most of the laser beam’s energy thus making hair removal difficult. Regardless, we should all be wearing SPF all year round especially on our faces.
Moving on! After work I made my way to my nearest Sk:n clinic, rocking up a few minutes ahead of my appointment. I was shortly met by my clinician/nurse Joanna who led me to the treatment room. From the moment she greeted me, I knew I was in safe hands and felt like I had known her for months. Joanna was very polite and super-friendly. I think we spent more time chatting than how long the actual treatment took.
Joanna looked through my form completed at my consultation, checked if anything had changed since my visit with my health and then we were good to go.
I hopped onto the treatment bed and was given a pair of special shades to protect my eyes from the laser, which Joanna also wore to protect our eyes from the flashes of the laser.
The treatment rooms are unsurprisingly clinical looking and that’s important so patients feel comfortable in the sense of hygiene practice and professionalism. I personally trust such a place as Sk:n (and feel safer) over a beauty salon. I mean no offence to beauty spas and salons that offer laser hair removal, I would much rather be treated by clinical staff in a practice that’s medically recognised. In a different respect, I can’t imagine many fellas turning up to a beauty salon for laser hair removal.
My underarms were wiped clean to remove any traces of deodorant (although I had washed before), photos were taken (for the clinic’s records) and then this colossal machine was powered up. It’s a noisy beast largely coming from the ice cold air rapidly blasted to numb the skin.
The first couple of laser shots felt like a sharp sting with the smell of singed hair filling the air. It’s not painful, rather a slight discomfort and it is constant. I admit I gritted my teeth and bit my lip a few times as the feeling was a completely different kind of pain I was not used to. I can sit through a bikini wax and believe me, that hurts 100 times more than laser and it takes longer. Everyone’s pain threshold varies but also the sensation (as with waxing and even tattooing) depends on which part of the body is being treated.
I was told the bikini area and underarms are the most sensitive, probably because they are so tender and the skin so delicate. I would imagine those with tattoos tolerate a lot more and so a laser would almost feel like nothing.
Strangely, the right underarm felt a little worse than the left. Perhaps I had become desensitized at that point or if my body had recognised the feeling. I did ask Joanna to stop for a few seconds, which she duly did before waving more ice cold air to numb the area. The entire treatment lasted about 15 minutes but depending on where on the body you’re having laser hair removal will affect the duration. Regardless, laser is fast like lightning so you could squeeze in a session on a lunch break.
After the ordeal was over, my underarms were wiped down and cooled off with water before applying some of Sk:n’s Aloe Vera. I was then advised not to expose the area to the sun and to avoid heat and warmth for the first 24 hours so that meant no hot showers and no gym. I also didn’t bother with deodorant after. It’s not like I spritz my pits before bed any way.
For the chin, because the laser is so close to the eyes, the specs were swapped for tiny goggles that sit on the eyelids and I was under strict orders to keep my eyes closed. Again I felt a sting but I could tolerate it. That was just a patch test though, I’ve got to be prepared for a lot more on my first session in four weeks.
After my first session was over, I felt completely fine. There were no red patches or skin flaring up, nor did my skin burn after. It was unbelievably fast and one step closer to the finishing line. I will be back in six weeks for my second session on the underarms. To capture hair growth in all the stages of its cycle requires regular treatments for laser to be totally successful.
You are also advised to shave the area at least 24 hours before treatment so the laser is effective. At no time should you resort to waxing or plucking as that will only stimulate the hair follicles to come back.
The next day I noticed the hairs visible started to fall out or just came away when I pulled them gently. Four days later and I still haven’t shaved off the remaining teeny tiny hairs. That’s not because I’m a skank, it’s just the hairs are sparse and almost stubble like.
The difference is astounding after the first treatment and I remember this vividly when I had laser hair removal done on my underarms for the very first time. I am also looking forward to laser eradicated the visibility of the dark skin pigmentation patches that comes from shaving. I suffered with this from waxing too.
Sk:n clinic treats clients from all walks of life – men, women, NHS referrals, even transgender – but they don’t just do laser hair removal but also other skin treatments like removal of tattoos, treating acne and facials. You can be sure of complete privacy and a professional and efficient service from their highly knowledgeable and friendly team.
Laser hair removal seems expensive as it calls for a significant amount of money up front but for an average of six treatments over nine months, you will never, ever have to wax again. It’s also a good idea to have one top-up treatment a year to keep any stubborn hairs threatening to come back but if you can afford to have more, then yes, the more you have done, eventually you will be completely fuzz-free. Don’t forget, Sk:n’s special offer for 40% off laser is still valid until 11th September. For more details, click here.
I will report back on my second underarms session in six weeks and for my chin in four weeks. To ensure you don’t miss out on the updates, follow Just Nice Things on Bloglovin’ or me on Twitter.
Please do ask me anything about my experience as I will be only too happy to answer them.
*I was a guest of Sk:n clinic but all views are entirely my own.
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