I don’t feel like I’m alone here when I say… shaving is SO overrated! I’ve been shaving my legs, my armpits, and my nether regions for more than half of my life and it’s NOT something that I look forward to. At least with my “nether region” I only had to worry about keeping it trim during bathing suit season. But, living in a beautiful beach town like Charleston, “beach season” is more than half of the year! I tried to soothe my bikini line with things like aloe and other creams, but nothing seems to keep those annoying bumps away. I mean, I live at the beach (not literally), I am in a bathing suit multiple times a week during the warm months. There was not enough time in between swimsuit wears to heal those aggravating little bumps.
Ditching the razor for the laser
Last summer, I had had enough! I was no longer pregnant or nursing (it seems like I was one or the other for the past four years), and I felt like I was ready for some pampering. So, I pulled out my Groupon app and started looking for local deals for laser treatments. I found one that would cover my bikini area for about $300 and I was sold! I thought I would share some of my personal experience and the pros and cons of getting laser hair removal.
*This is written based on my personal experience. I am by no means an expert in laser hair removal. This is also NOT an affiliate post.
The pros and cons of laser hair removal
Pros:
- Laser is fast! All of my appointments only lasted about 10-15 minutes to do just my bikini area (razor takes about only a few minutes, but if you do a wax, it could take the same amount of time or even longer. I personally would drag wax’s out because I was so anxious about the pain. Laser was MUCH faster for me).
- Much cheaper than waxing! I was paying about $70/wax for a Brazilian, about every three weeks. Laser is MUCH cheaper in the long run.
- It’s SO much faster to shave now! I do quick touch-ups before bikini wear. I love that it’s so easy!
- You don’t have to stress before you wear a bikini. Whether it’s a trip to the beach during the winter, or your normal summer routine – you don’t have to worry about the stress of scheduling a wax. This is such a huge time and stress saver!
- Less waste. One less area to shave will make your razor last longer, creating less waste. If you wax, think of all the paper/wax/wooden sticks you are saving – whoop whoop!
- I feel SO MUCH CLEANER (and therefore, more confident)!! ‘Nuff said.
Cons:
- It takes time. I had six treatments, every six weeks. I started seeing results right away, but still had to shave in between treatments.
- You have to protect your skin in between treatments. This means remembering to put sunscreen on, which can be hard when you are always outside. However, its worth not getting scars!
- It still hurts. I personally don’t think it hurts as much as a wax, but it is certainly not pain-free.
- After six sessions, I still have some stragglers. However, I just use my razor to go over my bikini line super quickly and I’m finished. They recommend you to come back for maintenance, I just haven’t done that yet.
Although there are a few cons to lasering, I still wish I could laser more hair off of my body. Never having to worry about those little red bumps, and being able to do a quick run through with my razor (not in the shower) and bounce out the door, is an incredible time saver and saves me from being embarrassed and insecure. So if you get the chance to decide to laser or not to laser, I say do it! Treat yo-self, mama! You deserve it!
* I don’t know what the rules/regulations are to being pregnant/nursing during a laser treatment, but I tend to steer on the side of caution. It seems like being pregnant during a treatment would be much riskier, but if you are curious, I recommend further research.
