What happens during a laser session.
A laser session is quicker and calmer than most people expect. You’ll check in, the area is cleansed and marked, you and the practitioner wear protective glasses, and then the laser is passed over the skin in overlapping pulses — a warm flick with a cool tip. An underarm takes a few minutes; larger areas longer. There’s no downtime; you walk straight back out into the City.
In short
- Arrive shaved, not waxed. The root must be in place but the surface hair gone so the energy targets the follicle.
- Glasses on. Both you and the practitioner wear protective eyewear for every pulse.
- It’s fast. Underarms or lip take minutes; legs or back take longer — the laser covers skin in overlapping shots.
- It feels like a warm flick, softened by a tip that cools the skin to ~5°C.
- No downtime. Mild pinkness settles within hours; you carry on with your day.
Before you arrive
The one thing that makes the biggest difference to your session happens at home the night before.
You need to shave the area 12–24 hours before — not wax, pluck or epilate. Laser targets the pigment in the hair root, so the follicle must still be there, but any hair above the skin would just absorb energy at the surface and waste the pulse (and risk a singe). Come with clean skin, no make-up, deodorant or lotion on the area, and avoid sun or fake tan for a couple of weeks beforehand. If it’s your first visit, you’ll have had a consultation and patch test first.
Check-in to walking out
Check-in & quick review. We confirm how your skin reacted last time and any changes to medication, sun exposure or health.
Cleanse & mark. The area is wiped down and mapped into sections so nothing is missed or double-treated.
Glasses on. You and the practitioner put on protective eyewear before a single pulse is fired.
Overlapping pulses. The cooled tip glides across the skin, firing as it goes. You feel a warm flick with each pulse.
Soothe & aftercare. A cooling gel or aloe goes on, we run through aftercare, and you’re done.
What it actually feels like
Each pulse is a brief, warm snap — most people compare it to a rubber band flicked against the skin, or a spot of heat. Because our laser cools the skin to around 5°C at the point of contact, the heat is buffered and the sensation stays manageable, even on sensitive spots like the upper lip or bikini line. Larger, bonier or more sensitive areas feel a little sharper; fleshy areas barely register. It also gets easier session on session as the hair thins.
Rough session times by area
Times are approximate and set at your consultation. Add a few minutes for prep and aftercare.
Straight afterwards
Mild redness and a little warmth — like light sunburn — is normal and usually settles within a few hours, occasionally a day. There’s no downtime: people routinely come on a lunch break and head back to the office. For 24–48 hours you’ll avoid hot showers, saunas, the gym, sun and fragranced products, and keep the area cool and moisturised. Over the following one to three weeks the treated hairs shed — this is normal and a sign it’s working.
The most common thing new clients say afterwards is “is that it?” It really is that straightforward — the skill is in the settings and the safety, not in any drama.
The bit that matters most
A good session looks calm and simple, but underneath it the practitioner is constantly matching the laser’s energy to your skin tone, hair and how you reacted last time. That judgement is the whole treatment. If you’re in the City of London and want to see the room and meet us first, book a free consultation and patch test at our Aldgate clinic. You may also want to read how to prepare for your appointment.
Common questions.
Do I need to shave before a laser session?
How long does a laser hair removal session take?
Does the laser session hurt?
Is there any downtime after a laser session?
Why does hair fall out after the session?
See the room first.
A free consultation and patch test before anything else — meet us, see the clinic, ask everything. One minute from Aldgate Underground.
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