I Got Laser Hair Removal and Honestly, It’s Freaking Great

I swear to you: It was “painless”.

By Lauren Balsamo

Yes, it’s 2019 and having body hair is no big deal. But I’ve always felt more comfortable with my legs, armpits and bikini area totally bare. The problem? My skin is sensitive as hell and prone to red, angry ingrowns (not cute), so shaving just generally sucks for me. I tried waxing once instead and it was…agony.

TBH, I never even considered laser hair removal because I’ve heard it can be more intense than waxing. But then, a work friend told me about a new, supposedly painless laser called Motus AX. “Supposedly pain-less” is where I eyerolled – the last time I tried a “painless” laser treatment, for the dark spots on my face, I left the appointment and found the nearest stiff drink.

But like a text left on read, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I emailed dermatologist Arash Akhavan, MD, one of the first doctors to use the Motus AX in his practice. “With laser hair removal, energy is attracted to the pigment in hair, heating up and destroying the entire follicle,” he explains. Most traditional lasers deliver all the energy at once, making it pretty wince-inducing experience, but Motus AX breaks down the energy into smaller “packets’“ that repeatedly zap hair follicles in rapid increments – which your skin can barely feel.

It takes about six treatments, each spaced six or so weeks apart, to get the full result. FYI, it’s also pricey, anywhere from $1200 to $2000 total, depending on the area being treated and where you live.

Unlike a lot of the older models, this one is safe for dark skin tones too. “The tiny packets don’t deliver as much heat to the skin, which means there’s less chance of scarring or hyper-pigmentation,” says Dr. Akhavan.

I volunteered to test out this dream laser for myself – and for the people but yeah was mostly for myself – because ingrown hairs are the enemy and I needed to finally take control.

I started with my armpits and bikini line – the areas of my body that are most likely to revolt after shaving. The whole thing took 15 minutes, and guys, I’m not even kidding, it didn’t hurt at all. There was a slight pinching sensation at some points, but for the most part, it just felt like someone was gliding a cold metal spoon over my skin.

My experience was so amazing that I ended up lasering everything down there during the next appointment. And guess what – it was still painless, even so close to my vag.

After each session, my hair grew in finer and more slowly, until after the sixth session when it didn’t grow back at all. Next up: becoming the hairless cat of my dreams.