Underarm and bikini laser hair removal: sensation, preparation, between sessions

When people think about laser hair removal, the underarms and the bikini area are often at the top of the list. They're the areas where the razor irritates, where waxing makes you wince, where ingrown hairs always seem to come back in the same spot. They're also the ones that raise the most questions before a first appointment: will I feel it more, how do I get ready, and what do I do between sessions?

The ground rules are the same as for the rest of the body. Here's what changes for these two areas, before you come to SHAY Esthétique, in Ahuntsic.

Same laser, same hair rule

Both areas are treated with the Elite iQ™ laser, like the rest of the body. It targets the melanin in the hair to slow regrowth. Its two wavelengths allow different settings depending on your complexion and how thick your hair is, and a patch test confirms the setting on your skin before the first real session.

The rule that shapes the whole course doesn't change either: hair only responds during its growth phase. Since your hairs aren't all in that phase on the same day, several spaced-out sessions are needed. How many depends on your hair and on the area; it's estimated with you at the consultation, never sold upfront. And because the laser aims at pigment, very light or white hair limits how well it works. If that's your case, we tell you before we start.

The sensation: these are the areas you feel the most

Let's be upfront, since it's often the first question: the bikini area and the underarms are felt more than the legs. The sensation stays brief and is generally well tolerated, but it would be dishonest to describe it as the same everywhere. These are more sensitive areas, and anyone who has ever waxed them knows it.

Two things help. First, the laser's handpiece has built-in cooling. Second, the length: a session runs from a few minutes for a small area to about an hour for a large one, and the underarms aren't one of the large areas. For the bikini area, it all depends on what you choose to treat.

It also varies from one person to the next, so we won't promise you'll feel nothing. If you're nervous about it, say so at the start of the appointment: that's useful information, not a fuss.

Before the session: razor yes, wax no

This is the instruction that surprises people most for these two areas, because many have been waxing them for years. For the whole laser course, wax, tweezers and epilators go away. All three pull the hair out at the root — and the root is what the laser is aiming at.

The razor, on the other hand, is allowed any time, before sessions and between them. It cuts the hair flush with the skin and leaves the root in place: exactly what's needed. If you've always waxed your bikini area, going back to a razor may feel like a step backwards. During the course, it's the right move.

Two other points deserve your attention. The sun, first: it's avoided before and after the session, and a session on recently tanned skin is pushed back rather than done. Then, whatever you apply to the area. Most of us put something under our arms every morning without a second thought: if you're unsure about a product, ask. The precise instructions are handed to you in writing at your first appointment, and those are the ones that count.

The bikini area: choosing what you treat

The bikini area isn't a single zone, and that's deliberate: you treat what bothers you, nothing more. The clinic's price list distinguishes the bikini line, the full bikini, the intergluteal area, the full bikini with the intergluteal area, and the buttocks. Each name tells you the essentials; exactly what it covers is confirmed at the consultation, plainly.

If you have both areas in mind, the price list actually includes a combined “bikini and underarms” zone. More broadly, several areas treated on the same day can be bundled into a package set at the consultation. The price of each area is listed on the Prices page before you even talk to us, and you pick your areas online when you book.

Feeling a little self-conscious about this area is completely normal. That's exactly what the consultation is for: asking your questions beforehand, calmly, rather than in the middle of a session.

Between sessions: what happens, what you do

Between appointments, hair keeps growing, and that's normal. The laser only targeted the hairs that were in their growth phase that day; others take over, and the next session is there for them. Hair reduction is progressive, and it varies from person to person.

In practice, upkeep between sessions comes down to very little. You shave if you feel like it. You resist waxing before a weekend at the beach or the cottage. And you keep the area out of the sun: underarms are on show the moment you wear a tank top, the bikini area the moment you hit the beach, and summer goes by fast.

If a sunny trip is coming up, let the clinic know when you book your next session: we adjust the schedule rather than treat tanned skin.

The consultation at the clinic is there to look at your skin and your hair up close, confirm what each zone covers and estimate the number of sessions with you; the patch test then confirms the setting. Prices are listed area by area on the Prices page, and the treatment page details the device, the steps and the instructions you're given at your first appointment.