Two weeks ago, I went for my first laser hair removal treatment at Glo Laser & Beauty Spa in Parkview, Pretoria. I’ve been waxing for years and have heard about laser hair removal but have never really thought of trying it. When Glo offered me 2 treatments for underarm hair removal I jumped at the opportunity to see what it was all about. I have to admit that I had no idea what to expect for the treatment and wasn’t sure how to prepare beforehand.

Once I had made the booking, the staff at Glo were fantastic at giving me all the info I needed beforehand and were happy to answer my questions before the appointment. The day before the appointment they sent me a Whatsapp message to confirm my booking which was extremely thoughtful because my weeks are so hectic that I often lose track of my days.

When I arrived at Glo for my appointment, the first thing I noticed when walking into the spa was the gorgeous decor! How could you not love the bold combination of black and yellow? Anneke took such great care of me from the moment I arrived and made sure I understood the whole treatment before we started, as well as how the Soprano ICE machine works.. She spent some time asking me questions about my skin, how it reacts to the sun etc. and after the evaluation she chose the level of treatment that she would use on me. Because it was my first treatment, she opted for one level lower than the charts specified and did a test patch on the inside of my wrist because this is where your skin is quite sensitive. There are charts in the room which indicate the different levels that should be used, and these levels are determined by the type of skin you have as well as the area you are going to be removing the hair from – so the treatment for your bikini area would be different to your legs.

Once I was ready for the treatment, Anneke measured the area she had to work on under my arms. I had shaved the day before the treatment, but she shaved my under arms briefly to make sure that there wasn’t any hair that would be singed by the laser during the treatment. She applied some clear gel to my underarm, gave me a pair of glasses to put on (these are not cheap glasses, they are special ones to protect your eyes from the light of the machine), and she put a pair of glasses on before she started treating the area.

So being someone who had no idea what to expect, I thought the treatment may feel warm, or sting a bit, or be a little uncomfortable. I was so wrong with all of those assumptions. The gel helps the nozzle of the machine glide easily across the skin, and Anneke used quick motions over the area she had to remove the hair from. The treatment felt like she had a block of ice in her fingers and she was rubbing it under my arm. It was also extremely quick and I couldn’t believe it when she told me it was time to do the other arm. There is honestly no pain at all during this treatment!

Soprano ICE cools the skin with an encircled sapphire tip, preventing surface burns while maintaining heat within the dermis. This high fluency delivery system provides an even more comfortable and faster treatment with improved results for light coloured and thin hair. A lighter and improved ergonomic design also means Soprano ICE is now even easier to use and can be used to treat smaller and difficult to target areas like the eyebrows, nose and ears.

The treatment was complete in no time and Anneke then applied some Nourish Rescue Repair Gel from Lamelle under my arms to soothe the area. I could still see some hairs under the skin as my hair is black, but Anneke assured me I would see a difference in a few days and that I wouldn’t have to shave as frequently as I had before the treatment.

Some questions I had about the treatment, which you may have too:

• Could I shave under my arms before the treatment? Yes, but they advised me to rather shave the day before.
• Could I apply roll-on deodorant the morning of the appointment? Yes.
• Did I have to continue shaving after the treatment? Yes, the hair doesn’t just disappear. The regrowth just slows down and the hair is lighter.
• Which areas could I have laser hair removal on? Legs, arms, face, bikini area or hollywood, nipples, lips, eyebrows, toes, back etc.
• If you have grey or white hair, will the treatment work? No, unfortunately not as the light needs your hair to have colour in it in order to work.
• How often do you need to go for a treatment? It depends on your hair, so for underarms I scheduled another treatment for 4 weeks later.
• How many treatments do you need to have for an area? Generally 6 are recommended, but it all depends on your hair and how your body reacts to the treatment. Some people will need more than 6, and others won’t.
• Does it hurt? No, not at all. To me, it really felt like someone was rubbing a cool piece of ice under my arms.

The picture above was taken directly after the treatment. Note that you can still see some hair under the skin. I didn’t see results immediately, but after 2 weeks I have definitely seen a significant change in the hair growth under my arms. I usually shave under my arms every day, and at the moment I only need to shave every 3 or 4 days. The photo below is what it looks like after not shaving for 3 days which is a huge improvement from what that used to look like! (Sorry for the goosebumps higher up on my arm, but it’s chilly in Jozi at the moment.)

I want to reiterate that this treatment is completely pain free! Laser might sound a little intimidating and painful, but this treatment really isn’t that at all. If you avoid going for waxes (especially bikini or hollywood ones) because of the pain, then I highly recommend that you save up for laser hair removal treatments instead. It may sound like a lot of money initially for 6 treatments, but in the long run the results really are fantastic. I know someone who has had 6 and says she hasn’t shaved under her arms for 2 years! Underarm hair removal costs R550 per session for ladies and R650 per session for men. If you book a course of 5 sessions Glo will give you a 10% discount, and if you book 8 sessions they will give you a 20% discount.

I personally am really excited to have the next treatment at Glo Laser & Beauty so that I can see further results. If you have had laser treatment before, please comment below with your results. I would love to hear if the treatments worked for you.

If you would like to find out more about Glo Laser & Beauty, visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.