What laser hair removal actually does

The laser looks for pigment. It finds the dark hair sitting in the follicle, heats it, and the heat travels down and disables the follicle that grew it. That is the whole mechanism, and understanding it explains everything else about how this works, including who it is not for.

Because only hair that is actively growing has anything in the follicle to target, and because your hair is never all growing at once, no single session can reach all of it. That is not a limitation of the machine. It is how hair works, and it is why this is a series rather than an appointment.

We use Sciton for laser hair removal, the same manufacturer behind the rest of our laser work.

The honest version

This is hair reduction, not hair removal, and we would rather say that plainly than let you find out over six appointments.

What a full series does is take you from managing hair constantly to barely thinking about it. Most people finish with a fraction of what they started with, and what does come back tends to be finer and slower. What it does not do is guarantee you will never pick up a razor again, and anyone promising that is selling you something.

We will tell you at your consultation what we honestly expect for your hair, your coloring, and the area you want treated. If we do not think you will be happy with the result, we will say so before you spend the money.

Nashville Skin Company is physician owned and has been treating clients in the Nashville area since 2013. Your treatment will be performed by one of our licensed medical estheticians, each with years of hands-on experience on this exact platform.

Pricing

These are the two areas people book most.

Brazilian: $350
Underarms: $250

We treat any area of the body. Face, legs, arms, back, chest, stomach, bikini, and everything smaller. Give us a call or a text at (615) 997-3330 and we will tell you what your area costs.

Already finished a series? If you have had laser hair removal before, here or anywhere else, and you are starting to see hair come back, we do touch-up sessions rather than making you start over. We will price yours at your consultation once we have seen what you are working with.

One note on Brazilians: we offer this treatment for female clients only. We are glad to treat male clients on any other area of the body.

How many sessions

With our device, twelve treatments is what we recommend for the best outcome. That is more than most places will tell you, and it is the number that actually gets people to the result they came in picturing rather than most of the way there.

We also offer packages of six, which is a reasonable place to start if you want to see how your hair responds before committing further. We will go through the options at your consultation.

Sessions are spaced four to six weeks apart on every area. That is roughly how long it takes for the next group of follicles to enter the growth phase where the laser can reach them. Coming in early does not speed anything up. It just treats hair that is not ready yet.

Who it works for, and who it does not

The laser needs pigment to find. That single fact decides most of it, in both directions.

It works well on dark, coarse hair. The darker and thicker the hair, the more energy it absorbs and the better the result.

It does not work on white, gray, blonde, or red hair, because there is no pigment for the laser to aim at. No laser can treat those, ours included, and we will tell you that at your consultation rather than take your money for a series that cannot succeed. If that is your hair, waxing is the answer, and we do that too.

Skin tone, and where we draw the line

Because our laser targets pigment, it cannot distinguish between the pigment in your hair and the pigment in your skin. On deeper skin tones the skin competes for that energy, and the risk stops being about a disappointing result and starts being about your skin.

So we do not perform laser hair removal on higher Fitzpatrick skin types. There are devices built specifically for deeper skin tones, and we do not own one. Rather than treat you anyway or send you away with nothing, we will refer you to a practice here in Nashville that has the right laser for your skin.

We would rather lose the booking than give you a burn or a patch of pigment that takes a year to fade.

Before every session

Shave the area within about 24 hours of your appointment. The laser wants the hair in the follicle, not above the skin, and hair left on the surface burns rather than helps.
Do not wax, pluck, thread, or use epilating creams at any point once your series has started. Not before your first session, and not between sessions either. Every one of those pulls the hair out of the follicle, which removes the exact thing the laser is looking for, and it sets your progress back rather than helping it along. Shaving is the only hair removal that works alongside a laser series.
No tanning, spray tan, or self-tanner, and stay out of significant sun on the area
Come with the area clean, with no deodorant, lotion, or makeup on it

About tanning, specifically

A tan changes the pigment in your skin, which changes what the laser does when it meets it. Treating tanned skin is not a small risk we are willing to take.

If you arrive tan, we will reschedule you, and that will incur a fee. We are not trying to catch anyone out. We are trying to make sure nobody talks us into treating skin that should not be treated. If your plans change or you have caught more sun than you meant to, call or text us at least 24 hours ahead and we will move your appointment with no issue at all.

When we will say no

Accutane in the past six months
A fresh tan, a spray tan, or sunburn on the area
Waxing, plucking, or threading during your series
Open wounds, active infection, or current irritation in the area

Tell us what medications you are taking as well. Some make skin far more sensitive to light than usual, and that changes what we do.

What it feels like

Quick and hot, most often described as a rubber band snapped against the skin, with cooling running alongside it. Each pulse is over immediately. Underarms take a few minutes. Larger areas take longer, but the sensation is the same.

Afterward

Expect redness and small raised bumps around the follicles for a few hours. That is the follicle responding and it is a good sign.

For 24 to 48 hours, skip hot tubs, saunas, steam, and heavy sweating
Stay out of direct sun and wear a broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher on anything exposed
Keep shaving between sessions as much as you like. Just nothing that pulls from the root

Over the following week or two the treated hair works its way out. It looks like regrowth and it is not, so leave it alone and let it shed.

Booking

Laser hair reduction starts with a consultation so we can look at your hair and your skin and tell you honestly what to expect. Give us a call or a text at (615) 997-3330.

Ask about our memberships. Members receive 10% to 20% off. Member pricing applies to single treatments and isn’t combined with packages or promotional offers.

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Smooth & Effortless

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Duration:

15 - 90 min

Schedule:

Tue - Fri

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hours

Tues, Wed, Fri:

9:00AM - 5:30PM

Thursday:

9:00AM - 8:00PM

Sat, Sun, Mon:

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Laser Hair Removal