Question
Yesterday I went for an informational session re. laser hair removal. This clinic in denver has many different types of lasers. The Dr. recommended the nd:yag for my skin type. I am type IV--middle eastern origin and have had hair related issues for my whole life. I am now 39 and decided to take action! He said that I would see great results on underarms and bikini area, legs would take longer, and he could help a little bit with the coarser facial hairs but that even though I have a ton of facial hair, it it fine and doesn't have the dark root needed to attract the laser. He recommended coming in every 4 weeks for the first 4 months then wait 3 months, then 6 months and then see what was needed. What shocked me was the price. For underarms and bikini he quoted $600 for the first treatment, $300 for the second, $150 for the third, and $75 for each additional. The legs he said were charged at 25 cents per flash. I thought he was very knowledgable but am unsure about shelling out that knid of money. Any ideas?

Answer
Yesterday I went for an informational session re. laser hair removal. This clinic in denver has many different types of lasers. The Dr. recommended the nd:yag for my skin type. I am type IV--middle eastern origin and have had hair related issues for my whole life. I am now 39 and decided to take action! He said that I would see great results on underarms and bikini area, legs would take longer, and he could help a little bit with the coarser facial hairs but that even though I have a ton of facial hair, it it fine and doesn't have the dark root needed to attract the laser. He recommended coming in every 4 weeks for the first 4 months then wait 3 months, then 6 months and then see what was needed. What shocked me was the price. For underarms and bikini he quoted $600 for the first treatment, $300 for the second, $150 for the third, and $75 for each additional. The legs he said were charged at 25 cents per flash. I thought he was very knowledgable but am unsure about shelling out that knid of money. Any ideas?

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the price does sound a bit expensive. Yag is a good laser for your skin. And he's right, Yags aren't as good on fine hairs, but all coarse hair areas should get good results. underarms and bikini are some of the easiest areas to treat because of that. having treatments every 4 weeks is too often. hair doesn't shed until 2-3 weeks after the treatment and then you have a considerable hairfree period for about 3-5 weeks before a new batch of hair comes in and you need your next treatment. so if you do go with it, follow this schedule instead.
I recommend shopping around to get a few more price quotes. I suspect this doctor might drop down the price if you present him with competitors' quotes. On the other hand, you might find someone else who is even better in the process.

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Usually 4-week sessions are for ppl getting LHR on their faces. 6-8 is the average. I'm getting underarms and bikini done and I go every 6 wks, which, I've noticed, is just enough time to shed, be hair-free for a bit, then it starts growing back again. I pay $140 CDN a treatment for a package of 4. In USD that is $118.
Your clinic is asking:
Session 1 = $600
Session 2 = $350
Session 4 = $150
Session 5/6/7... = $75
Say you get 7 treatments, which is APPROXIMATELY what you'll need to clear your underarms and bikini. Add up the prices and divide by your 7 treatments, and PER TREATMENT it works out to $189. It's not a crazy high price, but I guarantee you other clinics can do it for cheaper, and maybe even throw in a deal at the same time. That clinic is on the high end of average.
I guess for legs it depends how many flashes you'd need...you'd need a lot. Full legs costs several hundred, so be prepared to pay up!

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Thanks for the great input. Does anyone know of a reputable technician in Denver who uses a Yag laser? I have called several offices and have been really disheartened to find that each office tries to convince me that their laser is perfect for me!

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Me again!I just spoke to another laser tech who made me question whether or not I really need a YAG. What is the general consensus for those of us of middle eastern descent with olive complexions? Must we use a YAG or will another type of laser work? This woman has a Candela light sheer and her prices are much more reasonable.

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LightSheer is a diode. It's not a Candela laser.
Look up the Fitzpatrick chart online. If you're type darker than a type IV, you should be using a Yag. Darker skin tones would have to be treated with very low settings on a diode or an alexandrite laser, which normally are not high enough to kill the hair. so technically, everyone will tell you that they CAN treat you, but I would highly doubt any success with those treatments. a lot of people out there just want your money and others are just not knowledgeable enough (you read about horror stories of skin burns here from those), so go with a safe option and use a Yag and hopefully with an experienced tech if you're dark.
check out the other LHR forums for recommendations as well.
I looked up providers for you on the Candela website. This showed up for Candela GentleYag laser providers:
DERMATOLOGY & LASER CENTER AT
Denver, CO
Dermatology & Laser Center
Denver, CO
303.744.2704x118
The Cutera website (Coolglide manufacturer) is You can do a provider search there.
Also, look for Sciton laser providers on google etc.

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one of the training centers for LHR is in denver. I think this is the site. They can probably help you find a good tech if they don't provide the services themselves


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You both are terrific! Interestingly the laserlaser training center is where I went and the harvard park center doctor is also affiliated with the training center. I am thinking that I might just have to pay what they are asking to get this level of expertise.
Do you think that one should start with an unobtrusive area--underarm or bikini line to start and then move on to legs and face? After finally making the decision to do this, I am anxious to do everything!

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personally, i wanted to take it slow and see the results first before jumping into paying a lot of money that's required for a lot of areas. i started with bikini, which bothered me the most, first. after 1 treatment, the results were very good with 95% shedding. So, next time I added underarms and abdomen area as well. I'm planning to finish all these first and possibly considering doing lower legs sometime next year. they don't bother me as much.

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I am a graduate of Rocky Mountain Laser. I can't speak highly enough about them. At RMLC you will receive expert level treatments. Lorenzo Kunze, the owner, is considered by everyone in the profession to be one of the top laser trainers. His uncles invented blend electrolysis. He's been in the hair removal profession all his life. He trains his staff to be top notch technicians.

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You should get a patch test first. This is the perfect way to decide if the YAG is effective on you. If you know you definitely have olive skin and you're middle-eastern, then I would really think you're a YAG for sure. Have the doctor/tech treat a small area for free. If it sheds and everything goes fine, then buy a package. 95% of clinics will give a free patch test. A clinic that doesn't is being unreasonable. My clinic didn't charge me for my package until my 2nd session, in case the first session didn't work. In essence, I got a whole treatment-test, not just a patch.
The problem with taking a chance on a laser like the diode or alexandrite is that either the settings will be turned down so low it'll do nothing at all, or you'll get burns/blisters/hyperpigmentation, all of which will suck. Don't take the chance.

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Luckily both centers offered a free patch test and did quite a big area. The first one was set at 40 joules, the second at 45, they each did a large section (4 inches by 2 inches) on my ankle/lower leg--now I am just going to wait and see what happens!

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Luckily both centers offered a free patch test and did quite a big area. The first one was set at 40 joules, the second at 45, they each did a large section (4 inches by 2 inches) on my ankle/lower leg--now I am just going to wait and see what happens!