Working Wives & Bachelorettes: The Brazilian

If you read my last post about my Groupon addiction you would know that I recently purchased a deal for laser hair removal. I bought this deal on sort of a whim. I had been going back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to wax but when I saw this I clicked purchase on an impulse. Yes, it was stupid of me but I heard some of my friends say they got their underarms done and didn’t think much more of it. The deal was for small, medium and large areas, each tiered at different price points. I purchased a medium size area so that I could get a Brazilian. A Brazilian is valued at $1,375 – the Groupon was $249. For laser hair removal you have to get at least 5 to 6 treatments. The Groupon I purchased gives me 6 treatments at the discount cost. I thought it was a great deal. The catch is that all of my treatments must be complete by October 31. The spa is conveniently up the road from where I work so I figured I’d have time during lunch.

Anyway, for those of you questioning if you should get laser hair removal or not, I figured I would tell you about my experience and give you updates. I did my research online after making my purchase and quickly became terrified; I read that it hurt so bad after the first treatment people would not go back. I kept reading other posts, hoping they had better experiences and a common thing I was reading was that it felt like a rubber band snapping your skin. A rubber band, that couldn’t be so bad, right? I was less nervous.

My first appointment was this past Tuesday. I was not really sure what to expect, everyone’s pain threshold is different. When I walked in I felt a mix of emotions, excitement and nervousness. After filling out the paper work, Toni (female) greeted me and said she was ready for my treatment. We went back to the room and she talked to me about the procedure: it would take 10-15 minutes and she wanted to make sure that I had shaved two days prior (that is what they recommend). After the pep talk I took off my clothes from the waist down and laid on the table. Toni put a very cold gel on the area and gave me goggles to wear. They are different than tanning goggles as I could not see out of them. She then said that she looks for three things, 1. A reddish/pink color on my skin 2. The smell of burning hair 3. She will use tweezers on one hair and it should easily come out with very little effort. Toni then said she was going to start – eeeeeeeeekkk!

The first zap was not horrible but it surely didn’t feel good. I would compare it to the feeling of a hot curling iron quickly touching my skin. I know that sounds horrific, it sort of was/is but it is very quick. What the heck was I putting myself through? She said, “is that ok?” I told her yes and to just keep on going. When the laser zaps you it stings for only 1 second and then the sting is gone in that area. Time passed by quickly but with each new zap, it was more uncomfortable and I did let out a couple, “OUCH, ok that hurts!” Some areas were more sensitive than others, I couldn’t wait to be done.

When I was finished I was surprised as it did not feel like she got all of the area. The laser is actually about 2 inches long but the zap is only felt in a small, concentrated area so it actually covers more than you think – thankfully! The area was definitely pink in color. Toni said that I should wait three days until I shave and that I should notice hair growing back in patches. Supposedly your hair “sheds” out. I put my clothing back on and was on my merry way. The best part is that there is no down time and no pain afterwards.

If this laser thing works, it will be the most amazing thing ever! If more Groupon deals come through for this sort of thing, I will more than likely make another purchase. I don’t think I could do a large area though, like my legs. 10-15 minutes was just enough time before I was about to tell her to stop. It really is a strange feeling, I don’t know why anyone would compare it to a rubber band snapping your skin. It is a jolt of heat, almost like you’re going to get a burn. However, I am very excited for my second appointment and look forward to seeing the progression. Have any of you gotten laser hair removal? If so, what did it feel like to you? I will keep you guys updated, hopefully this is worth it!