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24 May 2011

Jade Hurst takes us into the trenches on the path to permanent hair removal.

Winter. Its blatant lack of sunshine and bikini wearing weather means it’s the perfect time to take care of something…It’s high time my bikini line was lasered. A treatment not recommended tackling during the summer months, due largely to the sunshine’s ability to heat up and unnecessarily irritate the skin.

After doing my research, trawling the net for what was considered to be the very best and most effective hair removal clinic, I settled on Prescription Skin Care in Remuera.

They mostly offer the same results, worded as ‘laser hair reduction’, that was good enough for me. It’s widely promoted that the procedure doesn’t hurt and that it feels like a rubber band flicking against your skin, or a bee sting. Now, that all sounds cute but the harsh reality of the situation is far from buzzy bees and rubber bands.

Obviously everyone’s threshold for pain varies, so I must stress this is my own experience and isn’t intended to put you off the procedure. Quite the opposite, I’m all for it!  But if I can prepare you, well armed with knowledge and a brave face, then we’re winning. Job done.

With a promise of minimal discomfort thanks to a clever cooling hand-piece, perhaps an exercise in instilling false hope? I can definitely say that I experienced discomfort, likely aided by the crackling sound as the laser penetrated deep into the hair follicles. Over the humming of the machine, I recalled memories of the James Bond film, Goldfinger, where Bond finds himself strapped to a table, legs spread with a laser slowly heading for…well, you know where. Not the best visual by any stretch.

Gladly I can now report, however, that there are options available to ease the pain to a hair free existence. My stern recommendation is the use of Emla cream prior to your treatment. You’ll find this at any good pharmacy. It’s a dermal anesthesia cream used to numb the skin for various procedures. In my case it was pain-free-heaven in a tube! Emla cream is now part of my routine. I arrive at my appointment 30 minutes early, accommodate a private room where I liberally apply that cream like my life depends on it.

The cost for a bikini line treatment starts at $150, while a full leg treatment will set you back a casual $700. But if you take into account both the ongoing cost and the pain of a bikini wax, well, you do the math. It’s a sound investment. Don’t break up with your waxer entirely though, it’s just that you’ll need to have an open relationship, see other people. You’ll see what I mean.