Laser Hair Removal vs. Waxing: Pros and Cons

In certain areas of our bodies, hair serves a valuable purpose. It can protect our eyes from dirt and contaminants, for example. Still, most of us have some areas of our bodies that we would prefer not to have hair, so we look for ways to remove that hair.

There are several hair removal options, and each one has its pros and cons. Our experts at Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center are here to help by comparing two popular hair removal methods: waxing and laser hair removal.

How They Work

Waxing and laser hair removal work in very different ways. Waxing is rather simple: you apply a hot wax that adheres to your hairs but not your skin, so when you pull off the wax, it plucks your hairs out of their follicles.

Laser hair removal, on the other hand, uses a precise type of laser light that travels down your hair into your hair follicle. When the laser light reaches your follicle, it damages the follicle so the follicle is less able to grow hair in the future.

The Results

Waxing and laser hair removal have different goals when it comes to hair removal. Waxing removes the hair immediately, but it’s just meant for temporary hair removal. It doesn’t affect your hair’s ability to regrow in the future. Within a week, you’ll usually see some hair growth returning.

Laser hair removal, on the other hand, is designed for long-term hair removal. In some cases, hairs will fall out after your laser treatment, though you’ll need to shave before your session so you may not notice hairs falling out. The real result is that you’ll see gradually less hair growth in the area.

Because of this, laser hair removal is better if you want to have smooth skin as often as possible. With waxing, you need to wait until the hair has grown at least a quarter of an inch before you can wax again, so if you wait four weeks between waxing sessions, you could have one week of smooth skin and three weeks of stubble.

The Discomfort

This is one of the most common concerns for both waxing and laser treatments. The idea of a laser sounds painful, but in reality, waxing is generally more painful than laser hair removal. You also need to repeat waxing sessions more often than you repeat laser sessions, so you’ll be enduring the discomfort more frequently.

The Treatment Regimen

Because waxing only creates temporary hair removal, you need to frequently get new waxing treatments. Depending on how quickly your hair grows, you’ll need a waxing session every two to four weeks.

With laser hair removal, the treatment regimen is quite different. You’ll start with a series of about six treatments to produce the initial results, and with four to six weeks between treatments. After this, you’ll only need a maintenance treatment once or twice per year. This varies based on how resilient your follicles are.

The Cost

Waxing initially seems inexpensive compared to laser hair removal because the cost for each session is much lower. However, remember that over time, you’ll need many more waxing sessions than laser sessions.

Consider the costs of treating your bikini line. A typical bikini wax can cost around $25. If you get a wax once per month, over the course of five years, this adds up to $1500. The laser hair removal cost for the same area is about $89 per session or $445 for a package of six treatments. If you get a series of six treatments and then you get one maintenance treatment per year, that adds up to just over $800 over the course of five years – about half the cost of waxing.

Choosing Your Hair Removal Method

Everyone has their own preferences for their cosmetic treatments, and there are many pros and cons to consider. For many people, though, laser hair removal is a clear winner over waxing. To find out if laser hair removal is the right choice for you, schedule a complimentary consultation at Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more insights and cosmetic tips.