Laser hair removal, in plain language.
Legs, underarms, bikini, face, chest, back — and the one stubborn spot on your chin you've been tweezing for a decade. Laser hair removal is the most common non-invasive aesthetic treatment there is, and after twenty-one years it is still the single most satisfying thing we do. People are genuinely delighted.
If any of this sounds like you, it belongs in the conversation.
Face and neck
Upper lip, chin, jawline, the neck — the places you check in the rear-view mirror. Small areas, quick visits.
Underarms and bikini
The two most-asked-for areas, and the two people are happiest to be done with.
Legs, arms, back and chest
Larger areas take longer per visit but the arithmetic is the same: a series, then freedom.
Ingrown hairs and razor bumps
Reducing the hair reduces the bumps. For many people this is the reason, not the vanity.
Darker skin
The GentleMax Pro™ carries an Nd:YAG wavelength precisely so darker skin can be treated safely. Ask; we will tell you honestly.
Trans clients
Since 2018 we have done a lot of this work for the trans community, face and body. There is a page about it.
Three parts. Nobody is rushed through any of them.
We talk first
About an hour, no charge. We look at the hair and the skin, do a test spot if there is any doubt, and give you an honest estimate of how many visits you will need.
The treatment
A small handpiece delivers a beam of light. The skin turns it into heat, the follicle absorbs the heat and stops producing. A cooling spray fires just ahead of every pulse. It feels like a quick snap; small areas take minutes.
Between visits
Shave, but do not wax or pluck — the follicle has to be there for the laser to find it. Stay out of the sun. Hair sheds over the following two weeks, and each visit catches the next cycle of growth.
Our own short film on laser hair removal — the same one that lived on the old site.
GentleMax Pro™
You will never have to ask for it by name.
Two lasers in one machine — an Alexandrite for lighter skin and an Nd:YAG for darker skin — with multiple spot sizes and pulse durations, so the settings fit you rather than the other way around. Designed with sensitive skin in mind; the surface of the skin is never damaged.
Trish has been Candela-certified since 2005, which is to say since the practice opened.
What the GentleMax Pro™ actually is →One visit at a time.
No packages, nothing prepaid. You pay at the visit, for the visit, and you can stop whenever you like.
Small areas from $125 — upper lip, chin, underarms, hands, or the single stubborn patch.
Medium areas from $500 — bikini, lower legs, forearms, full face, shoulders, chest.
Large areas from $750 — full legs, full back, and combinations that cover a lot of ground at once.
Not sure which one you are asking about? Text a description to 781.367.1220 and we will tell you.
Asked in the room, answered here.
Does it hurt?
It feels like a rubber band snapping against the skin, followed by the cooling spray. Most people describe it as tolerable rather than painful, and small areas are over in minutes. Nobody needs numbing for underarms or a lip.
How many sessions will I need?
Six to eight for most people, spaced several weeks apart. Hair grows in cycles and the laser only catches the follicles that are active, which is why one visit can never do it all. You will hear our honest estimate in the first conversation.
Is it permanent?
It is permanent reduction. Most of the hair in a treated area does not come back; some fine, light regrowth can appear years later, especially with hormonal change, and a single touch-up handles it.
Does it work on dark skin, or on light hair?
Dark skin, yes — that is exactly what the Nd:YAG wavelength is for, and we treat all skin types. Gray, white and very blond hair is the honest limit: the laser needs pigment in the hair to find it, and we will tell you so rather than sell you a series.
What should I do before a visit?
Shave the area within a day of your appointment. No waxing, plucking or threading for four weeks before — the root has to be there. No tanning, self-tanner or sunburn on the area, and skip retinoids on the face for a few days.
Ready to start, or not sure yet? Either is fine.
Pick a time straight on the calendar, or book an hour to talk it through first, in person, no charge to talk. You pay at the visit, for the visit.