Month: June 2019

How much does Laser Hair Removal cost?

Exactly how much does laser hair removal cost for men and women? We all know hair growth is one of the most frustrating aspects of adult life. It’s a constant chore to shave or wax, and we often find ourselves stressing out about how we look and cursing hair for growing back so quickly. It’s … Continue reading “How much does Laser Hair Removal cost?”

Exactly how much does laser hair removal cost for men and women?

We all know hair growth is one of the most frustrating aspects of adult life. It’s a constant chore to shave or wax, and we often find ourselves stressing out about how we look and cursing hair for growing back so quickly. It’s for this reason, laser hair removal has become so popular in the last ten years and more and more people are turning to this new technology as a way to manage hair growth and see some long term results.

Once you’ve decided to go through with the treatment the question quickly becomes,

‘where should I go?’

and

‘who offers the best value?’.

Here at Premier Laser we pride ourselves on our ability to not only provide the best service, with the best results but also offer it to you at a generous and affordable price. With our price match guarantee you won’t find a lower priced laser hair removal clinic in London using the same technology

We also offer fantastic finance from only £280 with a 10% deposit.

Below we are going to run through a few procedures, and why choosing the team here, over the competition is the right choice. For the purpose of the price comparison, all these prices are for single sessions. 

(Read our blog on why cheap laser hair removal could end up with you paying more)

laser hair removal prices

Premier Laser and Northwood

Both London Premier Laser and Northwood offer laser hair removal however Premier Laser offers far more affordable costs than its competitor. There are five services that have been compared here:

‘Abdomen & Chest’, ‘Back & Shoulders’, ‘Back, Shoulders, Full Arms’, ‘Back, Shoulders & Upper Arms’ and ‘Full Back, Chest, Abdomen, Shoulders & Half Arms’.

Single Session Premier Laser Northwood
Abdomen & Chest £165 £220.00
Back & Shoulders £244 £420.00
Back, Shoulders & Upper Arms £278 £330.00
Back, Shoulders, Full Arms £329 £530.00
Full Back, Chest, Abdomen, Shoulders & Half Arm £450 £700.00

Northwood doesn’t offer combined packages for a number of these treatments, unlike Premier Laser and as a result, the price of the hair removal is often higher.

This is particularly noticeable for the comprehensive ‘Full Back, Chest, Abdomen, Shoulders & Half Arms’ which is a full £250 cheaper at London Premier Laser. Furthermore, more straight forward sessions such as Abdomen & Chest is over 30% more expensive at Northwood.

Premier Laser and sk:n

Another competitor in the field of laser hair removal in London is sk:n, who has a number of clinics and like Premier Lasier provide an excellent service and yet, just like Northwood also falls short of our excellent value.

Single Session Premier Laser sk:n
Abdomen & Chest £165 £170
Back & Shoulders £244 £320
Back, Shoulders & Upper Arms £278 £515

As you can see Premier Laser comes out on top across the examples here, with a slightly cheaper cost for Abdomen & Chest, and a much cheaper cost for Back, Shoulders & Upper Arms.

Again, Premier Laser offer this as an easy package with great value and is 50% less expensive than sk:n for tremendous quality.

Premier Laser and Pulselight

For women’s hair removal, you can also look at Pulse Light who offer a similar service to London Premier Laser, however, in terms of quality and price, Premier Laser once again come out on top.

Single Session Premier Laser Pulselight
Abdomen & Chest £165 £190
Back, Shoulders, Full Arms £329 £570
Full Body Top to Toe inc. Face £625 £730

The biggest comparison here is that Pulselight also offers a full body service just like Premier Laser. This treatment is always likely to be the most expensive and this is reflected in the price, but unsurprising the value for money is still found at Premier Laser who charge £95 less than their rival.

Review

The price comparison is fairly comprehensive and the facts don’t lie; London Premier Laser is more affordable than any of its rivals as well as having a greater degree of expertise and top of the range technology.

If you are interested in seeing a specialist or booking any of the many services for women and men that are offered, then look no further than Premier Laser for care and cost.

Prices reflective of May 2019.

 

Laser Hair Removal for Brides

With the big day approaching most brides have a huge amount to worry about, from the weather to the food and everything in between. However, how the dress looks, and in particular, how you feel in it is also a key concern in the year leading up to the wedding. One of the elements that … Continue reading “Laser Hair Removal for Brides”

With the big day approaching most brides have a huge amount to worry about, from the weather to the food and everything in between. However, how the dress looks, and in particular, how you feel in it is also a key concern in the year leading up to the wedding.

One of the elements that women fret about is body hair, and whether to shave, wax or in some cases undertake laser hair removal treatment prior to the wedding. In this post, we will provide you with a few pointers about the process ahead of your wedding day.

The Basics

First things first, how does laser hair removal work? Simply, you will have a number of sessions with an expertly trained practitioner who uses technology to emit wavelengths (beams of light) to target the hair follicles and prevent hair from growing.

The energy kills the hair follicles on your skin, and from here the hair begins to fall out (this can occur over a few days). Unlike waxing or shaving, the process is built for long term results and consequently, it has become incredibly popular for soon to be brides who don’t want to be waxing or shaving on their honeymoon immediately after the wedding!

The Process

If you are looking to have laser hair removal treatment prior to your wedding you will need between 10 – 12 months to get the process completed. The entire run consists of typically eight treatments which require six weeks between each one and whilst this may seem like a big commitment, the sessions themselves are fairly short and therefore won’t be time-consuming.

Furthermore, it is a small price to pay for having one less thing to worry about on your wedding day and honeymoon.

Moreover, you will want to have the sessions completed a few weeks before your wedding to avoid any complications such as itching or discomfort due to the fact hair is still falling out a few days after the treatment. Please be aware there can be a little pain associated with the treatment, however for any woman who has waxed you need not worry too much as comparatively, it is much easier.

It is also worth knowing what areas to focus on when getting the treatment. Thankfully the lasers used are so advanced that no area is off limits, so you can’t go wrong by focusing on the underarms, lower legs and bikini lines. However, it is worth noting, that the treatment is not suitable if you are either pregnant or have any tattoos (in the treatment area).

There are certain steps you will need to take prior to the appointment however and to ensure you get the best results and these include:

  • Avoid getting a sun tan before the treatment by using a high factor sunscreen
  • Don’t remove hair in other ways such as shaving, waxing or electrolysis during your treatment
  • If you are on blood thinning medication you’ll need to consult with your doctor and they can advise you on whether to suspend usage before the procedure

As ever, we’re always very happy to answer any questions about laser hair removal and you can always pop into any of our clinics for a free, no-obligation patch test and consultation to make sure you’re suitable for laser hair removal.

 

 

 

The Difference Between IPL and Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal and intense pulse light  or IPL has been the ‘go to’ method for long term hair removal for many years. With advanced technology, it is much easier to achieve long-lasting results with laser and IPL than any other treatments. According to the new studies the average woman spends around £23,000 during their … Continue reading “The Difference Between IPL and Laser Hair Removal”

Laser hair removal and intense pulse light  or IPL has been the ‘go to’ method for long term hair removal for many years. With advanced technology, it is much easier to achieve long-lasting results with laser and IPL than any other treatments. According to the new studies the average woman spends around £23,000 during their lifetime for hair removal. While unwanted excess hair is such a problem, many of us are looking for long term.

When it comes to choosing the right treatment the most common questions are:

  • Should I choose IPL or Laser?
  • What is he difference between IPL and laser?
  • What gives the best results and best value for money?
  • Which one is faster?
  • What is safer for my skin type?

Is IPL and laser hair removal the same?

Many people confuse laser hair removal and IPL. IPL is not a laser. They both use light but that is where the similarities end. Not many people know there is any difference between IPL and laser hair removal technologies. Often thought of as similar. However, the difference between laser hair removal and IPL are many. If you are trying to make a decision between or IPL treatments, we’ve prepared you a comparison guide for you to help you make your decision.

Understanding Laser Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is selective photothermolysis (SPTL). The crucial element in laser hair removal is matching specific wavelengths of light and pulse duration to the hair target. The hair target is the melanin found in the hair follicle. Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment in our skin and hair is associated with determining colour. Importantly for safety and comfort, the laser energy is focused and absorbed only into the follicle, thus avoiding the surrounding skin tissue area.

The process works by destroying the hair root. This prevents blood flow to the follicle, disabling the hair growth long-term.

Understanding IPL hair removal

IPL technology, also known as intense pulsed light technology is actually not a laser treatment. Compared to laser hair removal, it uses a broad spectrum of light with multiple wavelengths. This means it has more unfocused energy around the hair and skin area. The light is like the flash from a camera which spreads over a large area against a focused beam of light from a laser. 

That’s why at Premier Laser in London we do not use IPL technology for hair removal treatments, as it is not as efficient or effective.

What’s the difference between Laser Hair Removal and IPL?

Both laser and IPL use light to destroy the hair follicle and prevent further growth. However, the kind of light and the technology used to deliver the light is quite different. Hence the treatments, process, and results are not the same. Let’s see the laser and IPL comparison under most asked segments.

IPL wavelength does not penetrate as deeply as laser

laser hair removal

The technology

As mentioned the main difference between laser and IPL is the type of light.

  • Laser machines provide a very specific type of light wavelength which is targeted and concentrated. The wavelength of light going to one direction creates a strong and highly effective light.
  • IPL machines provide a broad range of wavelengths to create a single flash of light, like a flash on a camera which covers a larger area. This decreases the power of the treatment and causes less effective results.

Winner:

IPL: Not as powerful

LASER : More powerful and effective

 

laser hair removal

Area of target

When the light enters the skin, it is absorbed by the melanin pigment in the hair follicle. The absorption of the light heats the hair follicle and interrupts the hair growth cycle. Concentrated light in laser finds the target and shoots the hair follicle. With the effective direct light, only the hair follicle gets struck by the laser. On the other hand, while IPL shoots with a broader and scattered light, the critical temperature for the hair follicle cannot be reached as easily. The majority of the energy is absorbed by the smaller more superficial targets. 

 

Winner:

IPL: Unfocused wide area targeted

LASER : Pinpoint focus on hair follicle

Safety on skin

IPL using scattered light also causes the surrounding tissue to absorb the light. While the light is not as focused as a laser, in order to heat deeper targets, IPL requires to use higher energy levels. This energy is also absorbed by the surrounding tissue. And it can lead to skin damage such as burning, hyperpigmentation, blistering and scarring.With laser as only one targeted wavelength is used, deeper penetration occurs. The energy directly targets the hair follicle and it is not absorbed by other chromophores in the path of the beam, so the surrounding skin is unaffected.

 

Winner: 

IPL: Hair and surrounding skin damaged

LASER : Only hair damaged

Number of sessions needed

Hair grows in different cycles. And laser and IPL can only treat the hair follicles at a certain stage called the anagen phase.

As the laser cannot determine which hair is at which stage in the growing cycle, the laser can only destroy the 10% of the current hair follicles. Hence, it is advised to have 6-8 sessions of laser hair removal for the best results.

IPL works with weaker and scattered light. It doesn’t provide a precise target shooting as the laser.

Hence, less hair follicle can be destructed at each session, leaving you with need in more sessions.

 

Winner:

IPL: More sessions

LASER: Fewer sessions

 

laser session

Treatment time

As the light beam used in laser treatment is highly concentrated and targeted; one shot with a laser at the area is enough for the results. The IPL devices feature a larger pad for the treatment and it might seem like the session can be completed quicker as the machine’s head is bigger. But because the light is weaker, the practitioner often needs to treat the same area more than once. Which leads your session to take longer than laser.

 

Winner:

IPL: Quicker sessions – longer to notice results

LASER : Longer sessions – quicker to notice results

Cost

Laser requires more advanced technology and the machines are more expensive costing up to £100,000 at 2020 prices. However as we’ve mentioned, IPL usually requires more sessions for good results and you are more likely to end up spending more for IPL in the long run.

 

Winner:

IPL: Cheaper

LASER : More expensive

laser hair removal

Safety

As laser uses a stronger beam of light, you might think the IPL is safer. However laser only targets the hair follicles and unlike IPL, it doesn’t affect the surrounding skin tissue. IPL is not as strong as laser so will need more sessions. This puts your skin under more stress and it will spend more time healing.  One shot over the area might seem to make it safer than laser but as mentioned in order to get the same results you need to treat the same area more than once causing your skin to be exposed more light than laser. At Premier Laser & Skin we use FDA approved Candela lasers which are also being used in Hospitals. So you are definitely in safe hands.

 

Winner:

IPL: Skin more exposed

LASER : Skin less exposed

laser hair removal

Pain level

On the technical level, the more concentrated the light, the stronger you can feel it. Hence IPL machines may seem to cause less pain. However modern laser machines are designed to be as comfortable as possible for the client. They are built-in with a cooling system where it blows constant cool air to the skin where the laser is being processed. So it significantly decreases the pain level. Most clinicians also use wet wipes to clean the area. When your skin is damper, the cooling air works much stronger.

Many of our clients report they don’t feel any pain during their laser treatment. If you have low pain tolerance, you can also always ask your clinician to use numbing cream.

 

Winner:

IPL: Less painful

LASER : more painful

Suitability for skin and hair types

Both laser and IPL machines are highly sensitive to skin colour and melanin. Which means that it is hard to treat dark skin. However our FDA approved medical-grade lasers are suitable for all skin types on the Fitzpatrick skin scale. And can be used on brown and dark skin as well.

 

Winner

IPL: Damage to surrounding skin and pigment on darker skin means avoid IPL

LASER : Nd-Yag lasers are specifically designed to work on darker skin type

 

laser hair removal

IPL vs Laser hair – a clients personal experience of both

If you are thinking about IPL or laser hair removal Premier Laser Client Tihan shared her experience with us when she visited the Soho clinic for laser hair removal. She visited our clinic after experiencing unsatisfying results with IPL elsewhere.

“I came to this Clinic after my disappointing experience with IPL. I had over 10 sessions of IPL and I still have a lot of hair and have to shave. I also have patches and there were no real improvements in my last few sessions so i decided to look into laser hair removal.

From the start, my experience with the Clinic has been great  

Alex provided me with all information as well as answered all of the questions I had. Transparency was crucial for me to decide whether to take a treatment with them or not, because of the lack of transparency that I had in another place where I started (but haven’t finished) my IPL package.

I am still doing laser at the Clinic, and I expected some results after one-two sessions, but that is an understatement.

The results are incredible.

I do not know where that is because of my skin type, but I am so happy with the results already, and cannot wait for the final result. So happy with my choice!”

Next steps if you live in London

If you live in London near one of our 9 clinics, why not speak to us today about your laser hair removal needs. We offer a free consultation where you can talk over your goals with us.

 

 

Manzilian, The Top 5 Benefits of Bikini Hair Removal for Men

The Manzilian, aka ‘boyzilian’, ‘guyzilian’ ‘mens bikini’ or ‘manscaping’, whatever you call it is rising in popularity.  Trends suggest laser hair removal in 2019 is no longer a female dominated treatment.  In contrast male hair removal is on the up, so step aside ladies laser hair removal for men is here to stay. increasing popularity … Continue reading “Manzilian, The Top 5 Benefits of Bikini Hair Removal for Men”

The Manzilian, aka ‘boyzilian’, ‘guyzilian’ ‘mens bikini’ or ‘manscaping’, whatever you call it is rising in popularity.  Trends suggest laser hair removal in 2019 is no longer a female dominated treatment.  In contrast male hair removal is on the up, so step aside ladies laser hair removal for men is here to stay.

increasing popularity

We are seeing more men in our clinics every week as they discover the secret of laser hair removal. Something women have known for years. It’s not only backs and chest that are being lasered but sacks and cracks too with the brazilian or manzilian reaching new levels of popularity.

What is a Manzilian?

First things first, just what is a manzilian?  The phrase is a combination of ‘man’ and ‘brazilian’.  The brazilian refers to a style of hair removal that leaves a small strip of pubic hair above the female genital or bikini area.  Thus, manzilian was termed to describe the similar style but with reference to male anatomy.

‘Bikini’ Laser Hair Removal For Men

Historically laser hair removal has long been a beauty treatment linked with women.  However in recent years more men booking appointments to get their own ‘Manzilian’ is rivalling traditional conceptions of the male grooming industry.

First noticed in 2018 (see our male laser hair previous article here about facial hair laser) the trend hasn’t stopped.

Permanent intimate Laser hair removal

Similar to Brazilian laser hair removal for women, the Manzilian effectively and permanently removes hair around the pubic region. The reasoning varies from :

  • aesthetic
  • hygiene
  • prevent side-effects from other hair removal techniques such as ingrown hairs.

Hair removal procedures using a laser has a long-lasting effect in comparison to other methods including shaving, waxing or trimming.  It’s quickly becoming the best option if you want effective results, long-term.

Here are our top 5 benefits of laser hair removal for men.

laser hair removal for menTop 5 Benefits of a Manzilian

1.  It removes ingrown hairs and prevents razor burn

Say goodbye to unsightly, red ingrown hairs or embarrassing ‘razor rash itch’.  Just 6-8 sessions of laser provides long-term, hair free results.  At most people tend to have an annual 30 minute top-up session to keep those hairs away.

2.  It saves time and money

Its thought traditional methods can cost us over £70,000 in a lifetime.  That is 8-10 full weeks of hair removal labour.  Long-term laser hair reduction takes 6-8, 30 minute sessions and results will render over 90% hair reduction.  A single session costs £50, with packages from just £400 here at London Premier Laser.

3.  It is 24/7 hair-free confidence

Planning hair removal prep for holidays is easy to plan, but for those unpredictable life moments, the impromptu skinny dip, strip-poker game or the night you end up without intending to go out-out, whatever life throws your way you have 24/7 hair-free confidence.

4.  Its less painful than alternative methods such as waxing

We all agree waxing can be painful. The hot wax ripped at speed away from our sensitive skin areas, ouch!  While laser hair may be uncomfortable (people describe this as having an elastic band pinged against the skin) it certainly is over quicker, in most areas people describe the hair removal process with lasers as pain-free.

5.  Its kinder to your skin

The benefits also include being kind to the skin.  The laser works by targeting the melanin, or pigment in the hair follicle.  In this manner, the light energy pulses safely destroy the hair follicle at the root, without damaging the surrounding tissue or skin.

laser hair removal for menManzilian prices

Our prices at Premier Laser for mens manzilian is listed below

Brazilian / Manzilian £100 – PAYG £60 – 6 x (per session) £50 – 8 x (per session) 26.66 – Finance

Is it painful?

It is much less painful then waxing or epilation. The sensation has been described as having a rubber band flicked against your skin

Next steps if you live in london

For any question regarding the cost of male bikini laser hair removal packages or sessions please visit our laser hair removal pricing page.  Or to book your free consultation or patch test click here.