Let's talk hair...

... shall we?

Nope, wasn't talking about the kind that's on your head. And while this is not strictly-speaking a bridal topic, it's all the more relevant with a wedding and honeymoon looming in the horizon. Hive, I wanna be baby smooth. But I'm not shaving for the wedding.

No, I'm not planning on au naturel. I don't plan on shaving for the wedding because I hope to no longer HAVE any hair that needs shaving.

That's right, you're all thinking it, now say it with me:

 LASER!

I debated whether or not to write this post, would anybody even want to read it? But then again, I know I would have loved to read some first hand accounts. So, if you're considering laser or just plain curious, read on! If you're not interested, don`t worry, I'll be back talking about centerpieces in no time :)

This is not something I like to admit, but I'm super self-conscious about my body hair, which, thanks to my Cuban genes, I have been blessed with in abundance. To make things worse, I have very dark hair, coupled with very light skin, which makes it so much more noticeable. Oddly enough, this has been a blessing for laser and actually makes me the perfect candidate: the higher contrast between skin tone and hair color, the better the results are. 

I have always hated shaving because no matter how close of a shave I get, you can still see little black dots where the hair follicle is. On the other hand, waxing is painful and expensive. Enter: laser hair removal.

My main deterrent, like most people I imagine, was price. Laser is VERY expensive. Except when you can get your hands on an amazing groupon. I found a local laser clinic that was offering a year's worth of treatments (9 in all) for 6 body parts for 500$ (a 90% savings)! To make things even more convenient for me, they are literally across the street from our apartment! I went in for a free consultation and to check the place out to make sure it was legit and purchased the groupon offer directly through the clinic.

I had my first treatment back in august and was terrified that it would be incredibly painful, or leave my skin blotchy and irritated. Instead, I went home that night wondering if my technician had done anything at all! That's how incredibly painless it was! And I do not consider myself to have a high pain threshold AT ALL. Like, I actually cried tears the first time I got a bikini wax. True story.

The way it works is they adjust the setting based on your skin type and hair type and run this little handheld piece all over the area to be treated.

Lightsheer duet/ image via aesthetic.lumenis.com

The machine basically sucks little sections of skin into the nozzle, which feels kind of like putting your hand on the end of a vacuum cleaner. It doesn't hurt or burn, like I imaged it would, though it did sting a little, like getting pinched, or snapped with a rubber band. Sometimes, you can smell "burning hair", which is perfectly normal, since you are burning the hair follicle at the root. The technician also reduces the intensity for more sensitive areas, like the bikini line. Some sessions, I notice my skin is a bit more sensitive, and the tech lowers the intensity to make it hurt less.

For comparison, here is a closeup of my leg before (left) and after (right) a treatment. The lighting is different, b%ut you can see that there is barely any redness or bumps. 

Both photos personal

 

Finally, the treatments are very quick, about 40 minutes for my entire lower-body, and since there is no discomfort, unlike waxing, you can go about your day normally. It also helps improve the recurrence of ingrown hairs, which I also struggle with, so yay.

It is recommended to wait 6 to 8 weeks in between treatments to allow the follicles time to regenerate. I've only had six treatments so far, but am already noticing great results. I would say I've lost about 90% hair on my legs and buttocks, 75% on my thighs, and 60% on my bikini area, which is a great sign. After a full cycle of 8 or 9 treatments, I should have lost 90% or more of my body hair. 

This means that while I won't be done my treatments, I will have very silky smooth skin for the wedding AND more importantly, for our beachy honeymoon! I will definitely report back and let you know how it turns out after I'm completely done.

I strongly recommend to anyone who might be considering this to at least go have a consultation. And if you're patient and wait for a great deal, you could get smooth skin permanently for a fraction of the cost.

And while I'm aware that this reads like an infomercial, I just happenned to have a great experience, and wanted to share it with you all.

Has anybody else tried laser? How are you taming "the situation" for your big day?