Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
When we left Korea last time, I had just heard about getting laser hair removal here and how inexpensive it is compared to the States. When we got orders to Korea this time, I knew it was going to be a priority for me. I wanted to get Millie into school before making any appointments so that I wouldn’t have to bring her along. Well, she’s been in school for a year now, what better time to start. HA! And to be honest, if there was a clinic right here in the Songtan area, I wouldn’t have waited this long.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve decided to live a life of convenience and will pay extra for what makes my life just a bit easier. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with having hairy legs, or going days/weeks/months between shaving. It’s my least favorite self-care chore. I just don’t care to do it, but I do love the feeling of shaved legs. Paying a bit of money now for convenience in the long run was worth it to me. It’s been almost a month since my last of 5 sessions and I feel like it’s a great time to do a review of my laser hair removal experience.
Laser hair removal room
The Basics
I went with Avenue Clinic only because another friend was going that day for a facial. There are two clinics that most people recommend and the reviews seem to be pretty equal for both. The options were 1 session/3sessions/5sessions and I chose the 5 session package for 720,000won ($552 when it hit my credit card, this is late February 2023.) This clinic uses the GentleMAX Pro laser combined with the Candela’s Dynamic Cooling DeviceTM (DCD) which shoots out cooling bursts of cryogen. This clinic is also walking distance from a train station and several public parking lots.
Laser hair removal, which is really laser hair “reduction,” works best on darker hair on light skin. If you’re a light skinned, light haired gal, you’re going to see the least results. I don’t want to discourage you, but after researching you’ll find this to be true.
What to Expect
Do not wax in between sessions as you’ll be fully removing the follicle you’re trying to shrink. However you do want to shave the part of your body you want lasered 24-48 hours before you go to your consultation. I did not come prepared. After a quick consultation, they gave me a razor, shaving cream, a sink and I proceeded to do a half ass job. Clearly I was all into this. Also, maybe I expected the laser to make the hair that was left just fall off anyway? You should also avoid direct sun exposure. I started my sessions in February knowing that I would be finished with my legs before summer started. And for those interested in underarm laser - the internet says you shouldn’t wear deodorant for 24-48 hours.
Laser and DCD hose
How Long Does It Take
I brought my earbuds to listen to my audiobook so I would have something to concentrate on instead of the pain except the entire session was about 7 minutes long! It took longer to change, get into the room and wait for the doctor than the actual session took. Follow up sessions are every 4-6 weeks.
I have found that there are a few differences between the clinics in Korea and the States. In the States, the overall process seems to be longer, up to a year and most laser hair removal treatments start around $1,000. If you choose a nationwide clinic in the States, you have a “lifetime” guarantee and touch ups. Even if I had a lifetime guarantee, I wouldn’t be able to utilize it that many more years in the future.
Session Review
The first session was practically painless, the second one had some stinging, the third was painless, the fourth hurt the worst - I felt like I had walked through a rose bush - and there was no pain during the fifth session. My sister told me that they “turn the laser up” each session so when my second session was more painful, I was shocked and worried about what was to come after. Thankfully it was over quick enough that it wasn’t a bother. I did not shave regularly in between sessions as I wanted to see what I was paying for. In fact, in between each session, my legs looked patchy due to the hair that was actually growing back. Three weeks of regrowth looks like 3-4 days of regrowth. There are two parts of my legs where the hair grows darker, thicker and faster and I’ve seen the most changes there. While I do still have hair regrowing overall, it’s so much more subtle and it is exactly what I was hoping for. My hair, for the most part, it’s light to medium blonde which is the hardest to get rid of.
Ready for underarm laser hair removal
NOTES
I have noticed that my legs seem to be drier and that’s probably to be expected, so I have to lotion up more often, but I’ll take that side effect instead of having to shave on a regular basis!
I will probably do a yearly session while we live here, for maintenance. They also recommend this.
The pain is minimal and like I said, I timed my sessions at 7 minutes and that’s over the course of both legs.
I started doing laser on my underarms. It’s a more tender area but it’s literally 30 laser clicks per underarm.
I absolutely recommend buying more than 1 session. At minimum a 3 pack to really see a difference.
This is my experience with laser hair removal but I’m not a medical professional. Please do your own research as well. If there’s anything I’ve missed in my review feel free to ask me about it in the comments!
