Laser Hair Removal Blog
Please feel free to use the blog below to share information about Laser Hair Removal, or to ask Dr. Ringpfeil a question that might be of interest to others.
The Philadelphia Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery
Call 610.525.5250
rad@ringpfeildermatology.com
Uncompromised quality through
unmatched experience | focus on patient satisfaction | advanced technology
Laser Hair Removal Pricing (per treatment)
Next available appointment
for laser hair removal Thu, Mar 01 1:10PM
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Click here to book it! find other appointments here or call us 610.525.5250
Uncensored Patient Reviews
Last updated: 2012-02-22 10:36
Number of reviews: 3232
Patients recommand us: 99.34%
Head/Face
cheeks -$150 $90
chin & upper lip - $90
ears -$75 $60
neck - $90
Arms (both)
shoulders - $160
underarms -$150 $90
full arms -$450 $200
forearm -$225 $120
hands/fingers -$150 $90
Body
chest -$375 $250
abdomen -$225 $170
areola (nipples) - $65
upper back -$375 $200
lower back -$300 $150
bikini lines -$150 $120
bikini + naval line -$235 $165
Brazilian bikini -$350 $220
Buttocks - $200
Legs (both)
thighs -$500 $230
lower legs -$450 $200
legs & thighs -$950 $330
feet/toes -$150 $100
cheeks -
chin & upper lip - $90
ears -
neck - $90
Arms (both)
shoulders - $160
underarms -
full arms -
forearm -
hands/fingers -
Body
chest -
abdomen -
areola (nipples) - $65
upper back -
lower back -
bikini lines -
bikini + naval line -
Brazilian bikini -
Buttocks - $200
Legs (both)
thighs -
lower legs -
legs & thighs -
feet/toes -
Reliable hair removal of a dermatology practice at a very competitive price
- Experience - Over 10 years experience with laser hair removal.
- Lasers - We invested in multiple lasers specific for each skin type.
- Safety - Certified dermatologist always on site.
- No Risk - We know to avoid conditions that lead to unwanted side effects.
- Ownership - We own, maintain, and operate our own lasers.
- use inexperienced laser technicians to deliver treatments.
- use "one laser fits all".
- use IPL - Intense Pulsed Light.
- charge in advance for a six treatment package when 3-5 treatments might be sufficient.
Web masters: get the code here to embed the movie in your website.
Find what laser most suitable for you
Compare laser efficiency
| Hair Reduction |
alexandrite Laser |
Nd:YAG | Diode Laser |
IPL | Electrolysis |
| Fair Skin | +++ | ++ | ++ | + | ++ |
| Dark or Tan Skin | - | ++ | + | - | + |
| Dark Hair | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Red/Brown Hair | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Blond/White Hair | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| # Treatments | 3-6 | 3-6 | 3-10 | 6-10 | Variable |
| Lasting Effect | Permanent | Permanent | Permanent | Variable | Permanent |
| Cost(*) | $$$ | $$$ | $$$ | $$ | $50/Session |
Treatments: Alexandrite laser, Nd:YAG laser, diode laser, IPL, Electrolysis.
It is safe to say that all of us, some more than others, suffer from unwanted hair on our face, neck and body. This unwanted hair growth can occur due to heredity, hormonal levels, and certain drugs.
Who can benefit from Permanent Hair Removal?
Usually, hair growth is desirable; however, when the hair is on the wrong part of your body i.e. a woman's upper lip or chin as well on your hands or arms then you may be considering the help of permanent hair reduction.
There are several methods of hair reduction available, both temporary and permanent.
Temporary Hair Removal
Temporary methods of hair removal are achieved through depilation (removal of the hair above the skins surface) and epilation (removing the entire hair). Depilation refers to methods such as shaving and creams that chemically dissolve the hair. Epilation refers to methods such as tweezing and waxing. These methods remove unwanted hair for a period of a few weeks.
Permanent Hair Removal - Laser 
Laser hair removal is the most effective method for permanent hair reduction. Laser hair reduction works well on dark hair in people of all skin types. On average, 20-25% of hair follicles are permanently destroyed after each laser treatment, leading to about 50-70% reduction after three treatments and about 80-90% reduction after six treatments. The remainder of the hair then becomes finer and lighter. However the most common misconception about permanent hair reduction is that a series of laser treatments destroys all hair when in reality some hair follicles are dormant at the time of treatment and are able to produce hair at a later stage. For near complete hair removal, periodic maintenance treatments can be performed.
Pre and Post Permanent Hair Removal Instructions
If you are planning to undergo permanent laser hair reduction, the hair must not be plucked or waxed for four weeks prior to treatment. Once the treatment has been administered, you should avoid long periods in direct sunlight for six weeks.
37 Responses to “Laser Hair Removal”
Leave a Comment or a Question
Ringpfeil Advanced Dermatology | 569 W. Lancaster Avenue | Haverford, PA 19041 | rad@ringpfeildermatology.com | 610.525.5250
Copyright 2006-2012 © Ringpfeil Advanced Dermatology | Committed to best dermatology and best cosmetic surgery | All Rights Reserved.
I have had multiple laser treatments on my face and nech area during the last 7 years on and off. for the past almost 2 years, I’ve been getting laser treatments every 2-3 months. I would like to say that the appearance of hair has improved, there has been improvement in the thickness of hair for sure but once it’s past 8 weeks, the hair starts to grow to the point that if i don’t shave my neck and cheek, it shows. I’m almost starting to think i have to keep getting treatments for the rest of my life.
Have you dealt with stubborn hair as such before? is there is any suggestions?
I’m of middle eastern back ground. not dark skinned, just medium, i have dark hair and eyes.
Thank you.
It sounds as if the quality of hair has shifted from coarse to fine and perhaps from dense to not so dense. If hair is extremely fine after many laser treatments, it can sometimes be difficult to remove it by laser. Laser settings can be adjusted to overcome the problem to a certain degree. If this had been done, I am uncertain that I know how to further overcome the difficulty. If it had not been done, your treating or supervising physician should be able to tailor the treatments.
I am an Asian decent female with thick hairs on my chin, even though my skin tone is light. I have done threading/waxing but seems they are spreading out over cheak bones. Is there any way I can get rid of them FOR EVER??
If they are coming back after couple of years, then it useless. I am looking for some permanent solution. Any comments for me.
Thanks
Hair removal by laser is permanent yet the laser does not destroy all hair follicles that will be active during our lifetime. While you go through a series of laser hair removal treatment, some hair follicles are dormant and will only produce a hair later in life. However the laser can only destroys the hair follicles that are active at the time of treatment.
Thanks for reply.
So after one complete series of laser, how much hair reduction I will expect?
After 5-6 laser treatment you should expect about 90 % reduction of hair.
Realistically, most people will have much more than 90% but may grow some hair later when dormant hair follicles go into production.
I work all weekdays. Is there any posssibility to get treatment done on weekends?
Thanks
While we do not provide weekend hours, early morning and late weekday appointments are available.
I have heard that after each treatment, the hair in the treatment area will fall out within the next week or two. Do 1) all the hairs in the area fall out, resulting in total bareness temporarily, with some permanently removed and some to grow back later, or 2) do only the one that are permanently removed fall out, with the rest growing back as normally would after shaving?
Hair grows in three phases. Only hair in the first phase (Anagen) will be affected by the laser and will fall after the treatment. Hair in the other two phases will not be affected by the laser and will grow back when its gets into the growth/Anagen phase. I recommend you to watch the movie above to learn more about how hair grows and how lasers affect the hair.
I am a patient of Jill’s and I have to start off by saying she is great, and trully enjoys what she does! Therefore you are getting a technitian (nurse) that is invested in your results…makes a world of a difference.
I have a unique condition it that I was blessed with very soft supple skin however I was also blessed(??) with coarse, thick, and very curly hair. This combination is a 911 skin emergency b/c it breeds folicuilitis, a condition where your ingrown hairs penetrate and damage the skin leaving behind nasty pus -filled bumps . As a man I love having the ability to grow a beard but working in the business field appearance is everything. Making the decsion to remove my facial hair was a difficult but necessary one.
Prior to Jill I have had some unsuccesfull treatments @ popular national chain that is now famous for their false promises. It was a huge waste of time and money. I have only visited Jill 2x and I have experience more results wither than a year of the national chain. Needless to say Jill put me @ ease with her knowledge and experience. She assured that I will see results and has really done a nice job walking me through the process. Let’s just hope the result continue and that I could give a full positive update when my treatmenst are all complete.
I am a patient who has had several treatments with Jill for hair removal on my cheeks/chin/lip area and have experienced amazing results. I feel more confident than I’ve ever felt since it’s an area that everyone sees. In total, I probably had 8 or 9 treatments, though the last couple were maintenance and not completely necessary. I would really like to be able to get the treatment on my legs and possibly underarms since I am very light-skinned and have very dark, coarse hair. I am a college student, however, and don’t have much money to spend $400 (for the lower legs) per treatment up front. Is there any kind of payment plan that can be set up in order to ease the burden of paying that kind of money?
Ashley, please call the office and ask to speak to our office manager about payment options.
My main concern about the whole treatment is the cost. I see the costs listed are per treatment, but I also see that there may be a few treatments needed to reach success. Since it is a lot of money, does someone have to pay for each treatment as they schedule them, or for the total number of treatments right up front? I’m very interested in doing this for my legs, because it is getting tedious to do them, and I could do this if I had to pay 400 for the first one and then 400 later for when a second treatment is scheduled, but I couldn’t do 800 all at once, if that makes any sense. I hope this makes sense.
Our office only charges per treatment. No upfront payment is necessary.
However, it appears that you are under the impression that 2 treatments will remove the hair. While quite some hair will be gone, most people who embark on laser hair reduction would need 3-6 sessions to be satisfied. Dormant hair is targeted by maintenance treatments thereafter. The frequency of these maintenance treatments is highly variable. Please check our website and the video where we give a detailed description of the process.
Thank you for your response. I do understand it will be more than a couple of treatments, I just used two as an example in explaining my question. I am really very interested in this process. Do you do consultations and if so how much is a consultation? Does having a consultation mean a person has to go forward with a treatment? I did watch the videos which were very informative. Actually the whole website is very informative making me feel confident in your company. Sorry I have a lot of questions lol.
You can book a free consultation to learn about your options. You do not have to book another appointment if you do not wish to go on with the treatment.
You can book the consultation by calling 610.525.5250. Or, book it online simply by clicking on “find other appointments” at the top right of this page; indicate you are a new patient; select “cosmetic consultation” as the purpose of your visit; provide some personal information and… you are set.
I would like to do my upper lip and chin also but cannot go a month without plucking. I have dark hair and a lot of growth. Is it possible to bleach it at least?
Bleaching can certainly be done in preparation for and in between laser hair treatments. Other allowed modalities are shaving and clipping.
Hi,
I have dark nasal hairs and want them permanently removed with Laser .. can this be done? Thank you
I am afraid to say that it appears not feasible at this time as the lasers that are currently available for laser hair reduction do not have a small enough spot size to enter the nares.
Do you offer any form of a guarantee for your treatments?
During a consultation you are expected to learn about options for hair removal for your type of skin and hair. We will recommend a specific treatment regimen for you. Individual circumstances will let us predict your treatment success and we will discuss this with you prior to treatment. As you may have learned from our website, laser hair removal is an effective procedure. In general, it removes about 90% of hair after 6 treatments when regularly spaced every 4-6 weeks. A portion of your hair follicles is dormant at any given time, including at the time of laser hair removal.
Dormant hair follicles do not get destroyed by laser or any other technology available to this date. You may benefit from periodic maintenance treatments as often as every six months or as little as every 3-4 years if there is a little more hair than at the end of your treatment series and if it is bothersome.
I am interested in permanent hair removal on my chin but could not possibly go a month without tweezing. I need to tweeze every day. Are there any options for me?
The short answer is no. However, you could consider a daily appointment for electrolysis (except weekends). This is certainly very costly and inefficient, yet the only way to do it permanently while avoiding the need to pluck. You should be evaluated by our esthetician. Perhaps a slightly more efficient way can be worked out.
I’m a lighter-skinned brunette with hair on my upper lip & chin that runs the gamut from very dark to blond. Also, the hair on my lower arms is unpleasantly long and ashy brown. How do you suggest treating these three areas?
If your goal is long term hair removal, I would use a combination of laser (darker hair) and electrolysis (lighter hair) on your upper lip. The forearms can be treated by laser if the hair is in fact brown. Other options include a prescription cream for the upper lip, which is used daily but is independent of hair color.
I am curious: Can laser hair removal be combined with Electrolysis? For instance, can one receive a laser treatment and then follow-up the removal process with electrolysis?
Yes these procedures can be combined.
I am interested in knowing the cost for the laser hair removal for the full back.
Laser hair reduction on the back typically takes 5-6 treatments every 4-6 weeks. During this time, 90% of the hair is permanently removed and any remaining hair becomes so fine that it is usually not bothersome.
Maintenance treatments may be needed as often as every 6 months or as little as every 3 years to treat hair follicles that had been dormant at the time of the initial treatment. We currently charge $675 per treatment of the entire back and $400 for the treatment if only the upper back is of concern.
I was told that Laser was not effective on dark skin. I am african American with medium brown skin. I have hairs in my chin and also upper lip, which is very annoying. Please let me know if this is so, and could it be done on a permanent basis. It would also be important if you would let me know the price
The Nd:YAG laser is safely and also effectively used on darker skin (Mediterranean, Indian, African etc.) as long as the hair is not white. Hair cannot be plucked, threaded or waxed four weeks before the laser treatment, but bleaching, clipping or shaving is okay during this time. The day before the treatment the hair should either be shaved or clipped closely. On average, 5-6 treatments are needed to remove hair permanently, and they should be spaced 4-6 weeks apart for best results. Maintenance treatments are sometimes needed between once every 6 months to every 3 years because our body keeps some of our hair follicles in a dormant state. Dormant hair cannot be destroyed by any laser. When dormant hair follicles “awake” and start producing hair again, this hair can be targeted by laser, hence the need for maintenance treatments. In our office we charge $75 for each treatment of chin and upper lip. There is unfortunately no effective laser for white or grey hair on any skin type yet. Those who have just a few stray, white or grey hairs usually chose electrolysis to remove them.
I have had several treatments over the last 6 years and havent had anything in the last 2 I tried 2 doctors and the results were poor i was hair free for only 8 weeks will this laser be stronger it was called cold laser that i had prior.
One of the most efficient lasers for hair reduction is an Alexandrite laser, e.g Gentlelase. It works best on fair skin with dark hair. In individuals with a tan or Mediterranean and darker skin, laser assisted hair reduction is most efficient with an Nd:YAG laser. Other devices used for laser hair reduction include diode lasers and IPL (intensed pulsed light). These are considered less efficient.
The initial process of reducing hair by laser requires typically 3-6 treatments. During the very first treatment, the hair falls out indiscriminately. This primes the hair to be in a vulnerable state at the time of the second treatment 4-6 weeks later. With every subsequent treatment, more hair gets permanently destroyed. Biannual or annual maintenance treatments are performed to address any hair that had been dormant during the initial treatment period. If maintenance treatments are not performed regularly, sometimes 2 treatments may be needed to achieve permanent reduction of hair that occurred since the initial treatment. The first treatment will shed the hair indiscriminately and the second will then destroy the primed vulnerable hair.
Cold lasers as defined by the FDA as low level energy lasers are not typically used for laser assisted hair reduction. Their strengths is in pain reduction and even promotion of hair growth. I believe, that there is a misunderstanding about the type of laser used in your initial treatment.
I’m a very hairy female. My body has hair bumps all over the place. Is there anything i can do about this?
Hair bumps (pseudofolliculitis) are caused by coarse, terminal hair. This type of hair is typically found in the beard area of men and in the genital area of both genders. In some women, excessive hair growth can lead to terminal hair on other body parts.
Pseudofolliculitis can occur spontaneously but more frequently it is associated with shaving.
If a hormonal abnormality leads to excessive hair growth in a woman, medical treatment should be started at time of any hair removal method.
The best method for permanent hair removal of large areas is laser hair reduction. It may not remove 100% of your hair but after several sessions any remaining hair is so fine that pseudofolliculitis does not occur anymore.