Laser hair removal: your questions, answered.

At Whistles Laser Clinic a single session is £42 for a small area, £72 for a medium area and £120 for a large area. A course of six sessions is £170, £335 or £575, and two areas of the same size are £290, £540 or £880. Full body is £1,499 and top to toe is £1,799. See the price list. Terms and conditions apply.

Most people describe a quick snap or a warm pinprick, a little like the flick of an elastic band. How strong it feels varies between people and between areas: finer skin such as the upper lip, underarms and bikini line tends to feel stronger than the legs. Tell Mel how you are feeling and she adjusts the pace to suit you. More in does laser hair removal hurt?

Laser hair removal gives a long-lasting reduction in unwanted hair rather than a promise that every hair will never return. It works on hairs in their growth phase, so a course of sessions is needed, and many people then have a top-up once or twice a year. Hormonal changes, for example with PCOS, can bring new hair.

If you have never had laser before, 6 to 8 sessions are typically advised. It varies between individuals and between body areas, and Mel sets your plan at your free consultation. Our course prices are for six sessions.

Yes, when it is carried out by a trained technician on the right settings. The laser targets the cells responsible for hair growth in the follicle and, with appropriate settings within safe guidelines, does not travel into the deeper layers of the skin. Our laser offers different settings for different skin types, and a patch test is mandatory with us to confirm the safest, most effective setting for you. More in is laser hair removal safe?

Shave the area, avoid the sun, sunbeds and fake tan, do not wax or pluck, arrive with clean bare skin and have your patch test 24 hours before treatment. Tell us about any medication or skin conditions at your consultation, and always follow the instructions your technician gives you. Full guide: how to prepare for laser hair removal.

Yes, with the right laser and settings. Our laser uses dual wavelengths to treat lighter and darker skin types, it offers different settings, and a mandatory patch test confirms the safest setting for you before a larger area is treated. See laser hair removal for dark skin.

Once your course is complete, the goal is often just a maintenance top-up once or twice a year. How long results last varies between people and body areas, and hormonal changes can bring hair back sooner.

Our full body course of six sessions is £1,499 and covers any six body parts. Top to toe is £1,799 and covers unlimited body parts. Both include a patch test 24 hours before treatment and a free consultation. More in full body laser hair removal: what it costs.

Small areas: upper lip, chin, cheeks, sideburns, navel, fingers, toes, jaw, nipples and peri anal. Medium areas: neck, shoulders, buttocks, bikini (standard or extended), half arms and underarms. Large areas: full face including neck, upper or lower back, chest, abdomen, Brazilian or Hollywood, full arms, and lower or upper legs. See the price list.

Yes. Six single sessions would cost £252 for a small area, £432 for a medium area and £720 for a large area, against £170, £335 and £575 for a course of six. Most people need a course rather than one session.

It depends on your hair and skin, how much you spend now on shaving, waxing or threading, and how much hair you want gone. Laser works best on dark hair. A free consultation tells you honestly what to expect before you pay anything, and we will say so if laser is not right for you.

The size of the area, how many areas you choose, how many sessions your hair and skin need, and what the price includes, such as the consultation, the patch test and who carries out the treatment. When you compare clinics, ask for the total cost of a whole course, not just the price per session. More in what affects the cost.

Yes. Every course begins with a free, no-obligation consultation at the clinic. We talk through what you would like to achieve, assess your skin and hair, plan your course and give you the exact price for it. More in what happens at a consultation.

Sessions are spaced several weeks apart, commonly about four to six weeks, and your technician sets the gap that suits your area and hair. Facial areas are often treated at shorter intervals than the legs or back. Coming sooner does not speed things up. More in how long between sessions.

Treated hairs usually shed over the following one to two weeks, which can look as though the hair is still growing. Many people then notice hair coming back finer and more slowly as the course goes on, but it varies between individuals and body areas.

Some hair may come back, especially finer hairs or hairs that were not in their growth phase during treatment, which is why a course of sessions is used. Hormonal changes can also bring new hair. A top-up once or twice a year helps to maintain results.

The most common effects are redness and mild swelling around the treated hairs, a little like mild sunburn, which usually settle within hours to a couple of days. Less commonly the skin can blister or change colour, which is why a patch test is mandatory, a recent tan matters and aftercare is important. Tell Mel about any medication and skin conditions at your consultation.

There is no good evidence that laser hair removal causes cancer. It uses light energy, not ionising radiation such as X-rays, and it is aimed at the hair follicle rather than deeper tissue. A patch test and appropriate settings keep treatment within safe guidelines.

Both use light to heat the hair root. Laser uses a single focused wavelength, while IPL uses a broad spectrum of light, which is why laser is generally considered more precise and effective. We use a medical-grade laser, the Cynosure Elite+, rather than the less effective IPL offered by many others.

Laser hair removal is not generally recommended during pregnancy because there is not enough research on its safety, so most clinics prefer to wait. Tell Mel if you are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding, and she will advise you at your consultation. More in who can and cannot have laser hair removal.

Laser targets the colour in the hair, so dark hair responds best. Blonde, red, light, grey and white hair have little or no pigment, so results are often smaller and some hairs may not respond at all. We assess your hair at your free consultation and tell you honestly what to expect. More in laser on light or grey hair.

A recent tan, sunbed use or fake tan can make treatment less safe, because the laser targets colour. You may be asked to wait until it has faded. Protect treated skin from the sun throughout your course and use sunscreen.

Not directly over a tattoo, because the ink absorbs the energy and the skin could be damaged. Hair growing over or beside a tattoo or a mole is treated with care, and some areas may be avoided. Tell us about any marks, moles or tattoos in the area.

Yes. The upper lip, chin, cheeks, sideburns and jaw are small areas that are quick to treat: £42 for a single session or £170 for a course of six. A full face including neck is a large area. More in laser hair removal for facial hair in women.

Laser treats the hair, not the cause, so with hormonal conditions such as PCOS you may need more top-ups to keep hair away. Speak to your GP if you think a hormonal condition is involved, and mention it at your free consultation.

Laser hair removal can help those with quicker than normal growth, ingrown hairs and folliculitis, which are common where people shave. Fewer hairs means fewer to become ingrown.

Yes. Mel treats both men and women. Common areas for men include the back and shoulders, chest, abdomen, neck and neckline, cheeks, jaw and chin, and arms and legs. See laser hair removal for men.

Yes, you are usually asked to shave the area before your session, because the laser works on the hair beneath the skin. Your technician will tell you exactly what to do. Shaving between sessions is fine.

No. Waxing, plucking, threading and epilating remove the hair root, and the laser needs the root to be there to treat it. Shave if you need to.

A patch test is a small test treatment that confirms the safest, most effective setting for your skin. It is mandatory with us and is carried out 24 hours before treatment. More in why you need a patch test.

Protect treated skin from the sun, sunbeds and fake tan, use sunscreen, wear loose clothing and do not wax, pluck or scrub the area. Many clinics also advise avoiding very hot baths, saunas and heavy exercise for the first day or so. Mel gives you aftercare advice for your own skin, and that takes priority over this general guide.

Yes. Bikini (standard or extended) is a medium area: £72 for a single session or £335 for a course of six. Brazilian or Hollywood is a large area: £120 for a single session or £575 for six. See bikini and Brazilian laser hair removal.

Underarms are a medium area: £72 for a single session or £335 for a course of six sessions. See underarm laser hair removal.

Lower legs and upper legs are each a large area: £120 for a single session or £575 for a course of six. Both together are two large areas, £880 for six sessions. See leg laser hair removal.

The upper lip and chin are small areas: £42 for a single session or £170 for a course of six. Any two different small areas are £60 for a single session or £290 for six. See upper lip and chin laser hair removal.

A laser facial uses short pulses of heat that promote collagen production, tighten the skin and finish with a glow. It is suitable for all skin types with little to no downtime. It is £95, takes 45 minutes and is recommended every 4 to 6 weeks. See laser facials.

Yes, on the body. Our laser vascular treatment is for thread veins, spider naevi and Campbell de Morgan spots, excluding the face. It is non-surgical with no scarring and minimum downtime, and it is priced individually at your free consultation because the sessions needed vary. See thread vein removal.

Mel, our senior technician, carries out every treatment one-to-one, so you see the same person at every visit. She holds the Laser Core of Knowledge and an NVQ Level 4 in Laser & Light treatments and has 12 years of experience with medical-grade lasers.

We use the Cynosure Elite+, a medical-grade laser with dual wavelengths that can safely treat lighter and darker skin types, rather than the less effective IPL offered by many others.

Whistles Laser Clinic is at 25 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, London SE23 1JG. The 122 and 171 buses stop about 30 metres from the door, and Honor Oak Park and Forest Hill stations are each about half a mile away. The clinic is step-free and wheelchair accessible. See the contact page for the map.

We welcome clients from across South and South East London, Kent and Surrey. The clinic is at 25 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, SE23 1JG. By public transport it is about 11 minutes from Honor Oak and Catford, 14 from Brockley and 16 from Sydenham, and 21 to 36 minutes from Peckham, Lewisham, Dulwich, New Cross, Bromley, Crystal Palace and Deptford. See laser hair removal in South London for directions from each area.

Get in touch through the contact page and we will arrange a free, no-obligation consultation at the clinic. Mel assesses your skin and hair, answers your questions and plans your course.