Hair removal is a monthly, if not weekly, activity for girls.
Whenever i ask girlfriends what they’re doing on a Saturday, at least one will answer, “Going threading/waxing,” as one of their errands.
Conversations over dinner sometimes veer towards where one goes for hair removal, efficiency, and cost comparison.
And if a guy is present, we’d usually apologise… then continue yakking.
Besides the typical methods of shaving, waxing or threading; a fairly new procedure some of us have heard about is (IPL) laser hair removal.
And because it’s still strange to most of us, majority of girls haven’t tried it yet neither have i spoken to anyone who has got around to doing it.
I did read up about it online and the more i read, the more intrigued i was by it.
6 treatments and you never have to shave/wax ever again in your life?
Damn.
Calculating the cost (cos its not cheap), i realised that the money i would spend on (IPL) laser hair removal versus the money, time *and* effort i’d save from shaving and waxing the rest of my life was well worth it.
Last month i made my first appointment with Bella to get started on Joyce’s Quest for No Shaving… Forever.
I went to their Mid Valley beauty centre (they also have centres in Avenue K, D.U., Subang and Bangsar Villate II).
They ushered me to wait for a second while arranging for my meet with the consultant.
Glancing to my left, i laughed inwardly catching sight of their banner with SmallSerena on it.
Trust me, her body is as amazing as that cos we were in Bali a few months back and she was prancing around in a very sexy bikini.
I like the interior of the place, not as boringly sterile as i’d envisioned it to be.
Instead, the chandelier and wall motifs gave the place a modern baroque twist.
Lady in picture above is Bella consultant Ann who explained to me in further detail the process i was about to undergo.
Good thing was i’d already read up about it previously so i pretty much got the gist on what was going on. Difference was i could ask many-a silly question without it seeming silly to her.
In short, (IPL) laser hair removal is a treatment that destroys the hair root, preventing future growth.
IPL stands for Intense Pulse Light and it’s not technically a laser (so don’t let it scare you), but emits full spectrum light instead.
What this light does is target on dark matter to heat it up without doing so to the skin.
In this case, the dark matter is the melanin (i hope you guys remember your science!), which is what gives your hair colour.
In theory IPL works extremely well on people with dark hair (Asians!) because the melanin is darker, thus easier to detect and destroy.
Hence, blondes prove to be more difficult to treat.
Anne said it’d only take about 15 minutes for each session, and i’ll be required to return monthly for five more months for the treatment to run its full course.
So six 15-minute sessions to get rid of hair once and for all is not too bad.
She took me upstairs to one of their rooms, where i changed into a gown and lay down on the bed.
During the whole time, Anne chatted away and for a moment, i felt like i was in therapy – lying down on a bed after work, soothing music, air-conditioning, soft pillow…
Not that i’ve been in therapy before, i’m just saying -_-
With an assistant in tow, they proceeded to start the IPL treatment.
They shaved the area before covering my eyes to protect it from the light.
The light itself was emitted from a small hand-held rod which she placed against my skin, counting to three each time she zapped it.
I’m just going to use the word ‘zap’ cos i have no clue what the proper term is.
And the pain?
Okay.
It was very brief but it was painful.
Brief meaning a nanosecond per zap.
Painful to the point where… i found it more painful than a tattoo. (But i love getting tattooed. I don’t know, maybe my gauge of the pain is different from others).
After two zaps, i told Anne, “I think it’s better if you don’t count..!”
She stopped counting down to the zaps after that, and simply talked to me as she went about getting it done.
I found it much better too, i feel it’s worse when i’m anticipating the pain.
It was very quick though, much to my surprise.
The whole thing took about five zaps.
0_o
Very, very quick.
When Anne said she was done, i was like, “Oh?! So fast?”
Cooling gel was applied to the area and it felt great.
Super smooth.
Imagine that for life! 
It’s been a month since i’ve been and until now, hair still hasn’t grown back in the areas she zapped!
I can see a pattern where hair has grown back in a thin line at the places she missed (i’m guessing you’re not supposed to zap the same area twice in a row so they’re being careful).
I’ll be going for my second appointment again soon and i’ll let you know how the next scene goes on – Joyce’s Quest for No Shaving… Forever.
This post is brought to you by:
WAH BESTNYAAAAA!
how much is it for the whole treatment?
i been thinking about doing it for months! but doesnt have the guts to do it.
anyway, do you need to keep ur hair at certain length before they can ‘zap’? and mind to share to price range? =) am interested.
IPL works?? awesome. i have always wanted to know whether it works or if there were any side effects since no one i know undergoes the treatment. yippee, cheers to no hair-free days (not on the head of course!)
Hey there.. it sure looks really tempting.. mind if i ask how much does the whole thing cost? hehe..
Hey Joyce,
Just thought I’d let you know here that I’ve uploaded a photo of us onto my blog and some photos of you onto Facebook. Nice meeting you at Hennessy Artistry.
Cheers,
Michael
wonder why IPL didnt work on me…
my armpit hair grew back in 6 mths time after 6 treatments..
and my armpit didnt become any whiter -_-’
wasted RM2xxx just to look good in 6 mths…cheh
Where did you get ‘zapped’? Just like the others, I’d like to know how much it cost you? Waxing sounds so much of a hassle now that someone who has actually experienced IPL said it’s worth the money!
Fuck the zaps hurt. I did it before I went overseas but it wasn’t permanent so now I’m back to shaving.
Was it pubic hair that you trying to get rid off?
It is not permanent, I had my arms done for rm38XX and now, the hair grew back. A waste of money I say.
I’m flying to Malaysia next week. How much is it there???????
=(
I’m fed up of waxing. ergh!
1st trial
Underarms = RM258
Bikini lines = RM129
Extended bikini lines = RM399
Package (5 sessions + 1 year free maintenance)
Underarms = RM2999
Bikini lines = RM3799
Extended bikini lines = RM4299
ive shaved my whole private part before and i still cant manage with my itchyness and the kind of feelings after shave.im thinking of permenant hair removal so that i wont feel the itchyness anymore, any idea?
Just read an article about the after-effects of certain beauty treatments. There’s something about laser hair removal: “If you thought laser hair removal was the answer to your prayers, you may want to listen up. Side effects of laser hair removal can include blistering, skin discoloration, swelling, redness and scarring. In fact, improper use has resulted in reports of serious and life-threatening side effects. Laser hair removal involves using lasers and a topical anesthetic product, both of which should be used only under the direction of a licensed practitioner.” You might need to put a note in your piece.
http://www.aolhealth.com/healthy-living/beauty-skin-care/beauty-cosmetic-health-risks?icid=100214839×1208557265x1200477665
seriously IPL is working? what machine they used?
I am getting a treatment for my armpit and leg…but comments online say IPL can cause CANCER…I’m curious if there will be any side effects or not? It has been 1year from the time u got your treatment done right? So were you hairy last time? has your hair grown back?
Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
damn it was expensive! almost RM3000 and i am thinkin how much it will cost for legs?? but if the hair doesn’t permanently gone, it’s such a waste!
I went to Bella center located in Midvalley… I got the package for full legs for rm 8400.00/ 7 sessions … but i still have doubt to do it as im not sure if IPL is fully effective and can be permanent… guys pls advise me if u hv any experience..thaks