LaserAway Review: Every Treatment by a Licensed Clinician - and the Package You Prepay For

This is determined by physics, not by the clinic, and knowing it before a consultation puts you in a much better position. How it works. Selective photothermolysis — laser light is absorbed by melanin in the hair shaft and follicle, converting to heat and damaging the follicle's ability to regrow hair. The pigment is the target. Which produces the central limitation: it needs pigmented hair. Works best on dark hair. Brown and black hair absorbs the energy well. Does not work on white or grey hair. There is no pigment to absorb the light. No laser hair removal device works on white or grey hair, and any clinic suggesting otherwise is wrong. Works poorly on red and very blonde hair, for the same reason — pheomelanin absorbs far less than eumelanin. Results are typically disappointing and honest clinics say so. And skin tone determines which device is safe. The skin also contains melanin, so on darker skin the surrounding tissue competes with the follicle for the laser's energy. That creates a real burn and pigmentation risk if the wrong device or settings are used. The practical rule: longer wavelengths penetrate deeper and are absorbed less by surface melanin. Nd:YAG at 1064 nm is the appropriate choice for darker skin types (Fitzpatrick IV–VI), while alexandrite (755 nm) and diode (800–810 nm) are commonly used on lighter skin. Ask which device will be used on you and why. A clinic that cannot answer that question is one to leave. Realistic expectations, stated properly: It is "permanent hair reduction", not permanent removal. That is the FDA-cleared claim language and it is accurate. Expect a substantial and lasting reduction in density and thickness, not bare skin forever. Multiple sessions are required — commonly six to eight or more, spaced weeks apart — because hair grows in cycles and only follicles in the active growth phase are susceptible. Maintenance sessions are usually needed periodically afterwards. Hormonal conditions change the picture. PCOS and other causes of hirsutism drive continued growth, and results are less durable. If you have unexplained excessive hair growth, that warrants medical assessment — it can indicate an underlying endocrine condition. Safety essentials: avoid sun exposure and self-tanner before treatment — tanned skin raises burn risk. Do not use it over tattoos or moles. Tell the clinic about isotretinoin use, photosensitising medications, a history of keloid scarring, herpes simplex (which laser can trigger), and any active infection. Eye protection is mandatory for you and the operator.

Aesthetic clinics sell packages because the treatment requires multiple sessions, and that structure carries specific financial risk worth understanding before a consultation. How it works. You buy a course of sessions up front — frequently six or more per area — at a per-session price far below the walk-in rate. The discount is real. The commitment is also real, and you are paying in advance for services delivered over many months. The questions to ask before signing anything, in writing: What is the refund policy on unused sessions? This is the most important term. If you move, become pregnant, develop a contraindication, or simply stop, can you get money back for sessions you have not had, and at what rate? Some clinics refund pro rata at the undiscounted rate, which can mean very little back. Do sessions expire? A package with an expiry date is a different product from one without. Are sessions transferable to another person or another treatment area? What happens if a location closes, and are sessions honoured at other locations? Is a touch-up guarantee included, and for how long? What exactly is included in "70% off select packages" — which packages, and what is the resulting per-session price? "Up to 70% off select packages" is doing a lot of work, and the only number that matters is what you will pay in total. On financing. Financing is offered and financing is credit. Read the APR and the total payable, not the monthly figure. Aesthetic treatment financed over years at a meaningful rate costs considerably more than the quoted package. On the free consultation. It is genuinely useful and it is also a sales appointment. Go with your questions written down, and do not decide in the room. A legitimate clinic's offer will still be available tomorrow; a clinic that says otherwise is applying pressure. Ask for the full price list and the terms in writing to take away. And ask the clinical questions while you are there: Which device will be used on my skin type? Who supervises the RN or NP performing my treatment, and how is a complication handled? How many sessions do you estimate for my hair and skin, honestly? What is your policy if I get a burn or pigment change? On the injectables side. Botox®, Xeomin® and Juvéderm® are prescription products. Ask who is prescribing, whether a physician has evaluated you, and what the plan is if a complication occurs — vascular occlusion from filler is a rare but genuine emergency requiring immediate treatment with hyaluronidase, and a clinic offering filler should be able to tell you instantly that they stock it. That single question tells you a great deal.

Laser hair removal is a legitimate and effective treatment for the right candidate, and it is worth knowing what else exists. Electrolysis is the only method that can genuinely be called permanent hair removal, and it is the only option that works on white, grey, red and blonde hair because it destroys the follicle electrically rather than optically. It is slower — each hair treated individually — and therefore more expensive for large areas, but for small areas or unpigmented hair it is the answer laser cannot provide. If a clinic tells you laser will work on your grey hair, this is the treatment they should be recommending instead. At-home IPL devices are cheaper, lower-powered and correspondingly slower, with the same pigment limitations and generally narrower skin-tone suitability. Check the manufacturer's skin tone chart carefully — using one outside its range is a burn risk. Waxing, threading, shaving and depilatory creams remain reasonable for many people, and prescription eflornithine cream can slow facial hair growth in women. And the medical question that matters most: excessive or new hair growth in women — hirsutism — can indicate an underlying condition. PCOS is the most common cause, and others include thyroid disease, adrenal disorders and certain medications. If hair growth is new, rapid, or accompanied by irregular periods, acne, weight change or voice deepening, see a doctor before booking cosmetic treatment. Treating the hair without investigating the cause misses the point — and in PCOS specifically, the associated metabolic and fertility implications matter far more than the hair. On laser tattoo removal, which this clinic also offers: expect many sessions over a long period, with results varying enormously by ink colour — black responds best, green and light blue are the most stubborn — and by ink depth, age and location. Complete clearance is not guaranteed and honest clinics say so. Scarring and pigment change are possible risks. On laser facials and skin treatments: the same pigment considerations apply, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is a real risk in darker skin. Ask about the specific device and its suitability for your skin type, and be cautious of any clinic that treats every skin the same way.

How much does LaserAway cost? Prices are not published and are quoted at a free consultation. A promotion of up to 70% off select packages was running at the time we checked — ask for the total price and per-session cost in writing. Who performs the treatments? The company states every treatment is performed by a licensed medical professional — an RN, NP or PA — who has completed its training programme, backed by a clinical team. Does laser hair removal work on all hair? No. It targets pigment, so it does not work on white or grey hair and works poorly on red and very blonde hair. Electrolysis is the option for unpigmented hair. Is it safe on darker skin? With the right device. Longer wavelengths such as Nd:YAG 1064 nm are appropriate for darker skin types. Ask which device will be used and why. Is it permanent? The accurate description is permanent hair reduction, not permanent removal. Expect substantial lasting reduction plus periodic maintenance. How many sessions? Commonly six to eight or more, spaced weeks apart, because only follicles in the active growth phase respond. What should I ask before prepaying? The refund policy for unused sessions, whether sessions expire, transferability, what happens if a location closes, and the total price in writing. Is financing a good idea? Only on a genuine 0% plan. Read the APR and total payable rather than the monthly figure. What about injectables? Botox, Xeomin and Juvéderm are prescription products. Ask who prescribes, who supervises, and — for filler — whether the clinic stocks hyaluronidase and what its vascular occlusion protocol is. When should I see a doctor instead? If hair growth is new, rapid or accompanied by irregular periods, acne, weight change or voice deepening. Hirsutism can indicate PCOS or other endocrine conditions.