Ask the average adult how much time they devote to shaving, waxing, plucking, trimming, or otherwise getting rid of unwanted hair each week, and chances are they’ll respond with a resounding “way too much!”
They’ll probably give the exact same answer when asked how much money they spend every month on new razors, shaving lotion, depilatory creams, in-home wax kits, or professional wax appointments.
If you can relate all too well, it’s time to consider laser hair removal. As one of the most popular aesthetic treatments in the United States, laser hair removal can give you permanently smooth, hair-free skin in just the right places. But that’s not all you stand to gain—find out how ditching your razor for good can also help you save a substantial amount of money as time goes on.
Laser hair removal 101
Before you can appreciate just how much money (and time) laser hair removal can save you, it’s important to understand how the treatment works and exactly what makes it so effective.
To get rid of unwanted hair, the laser disrupts the stability of the hair follicle itself—that’s the part of your skin in which the hair grows. By scanning for the highest concentration of melanin, or color pigments, the laser targets unwanted hair follicles without harming the surrounding skin tissues.
The laser’s ultra-precise energy waves are absorbed by the melanin in each hair root, heating the pigment cells from the inside out and destroying the follicle’s ability to produce hair.
The cost of routine hair removal
You already know that laser hair removal has one major advantage over shaving, waxing, and plucking—once you’ve completed a full treatment cycle, you can enjoy smooth, hair-free skin that you no longer have to do a single thing to maintain.
But while you may assume that no longer having to include razors or expensive wax treatments in your monthly budget will save you money in the long run, you’re probably wondering exactly how much you stand to save when you opt to invest in permanent laser hair removal.
The answer to that question depends on many individual factors. What’s your preferred method of hair removal? How often do you do it, and how much does it cost you on a monthly basis? And just as importantly, how much time do you devote to regular hair removal?
Here’s a typical scenario: A woman who shaves her legs and armpits with a razor blade that costs $5 and needs to be replaced once a week can expect to spend $240 a year on razors alone. If the price of razor blades doesn’t change at all, she can expect to spend $2,400 every 10 years—or more than $10,000 over the course of an average lifetime. All that, just on razors!
Here’s another common scenario: A man who keeps a regular wax appointment to maintain a smooth, hair-free back can expect to spend an average of $60 a month. At that rate, he’ll wind up spending $720 a year, or almost $7,200 over the course of a single decade.
To figure out how much money you spend on routine hair removal, take a hard look at your incremental costs and do the math. Chances are you’re also on track to spend $10,000—or a whole lot more—over the course of your lifetime.
Money well spent is money in the bank
Because laser hair removal is a highly individualized process, your personal cost depends on your aesthetic goals, the overall size of the treatment area, and the number of sessions required to achieve complete results.
To put it another way—you can expect hair-free legs to cost more than a smooth upper lip. Most people require three to six laser hair removal treatments to be fully rid of the hair in a specific area.
Whether you end up spending a few hundred dollars to eliminate unwanted hair in a smaller, highly visible area, or several hundred dollars to permanently get rid of a larger area of undesirable hair, there’s no doubt that laser hair removal is money well-spent—and, as time goes on, money in the bank.
Here at Skin Deep Laser MD, we offer multi-session laser hair removal packages that can help make your investment even more affordable. To learn more, call our Fort Worth, Texas office today, or use the easy online tool to schedule an appointment with Dr. Riehm and her staff at any time.
