Okay, so let me take you on a wild ride through my laser hair removal experience, because it was definitely an adventure. Picture this: a 23-year-old Asian girl with the dark, stubborn underarm hair thinking, “Hey, let’s try something permanent…and intense.”
Phase 1: Laser Away – The Bold Beginning
I walked into Laser Away at 23 years old ready to rid myself of my underarm hair for good, or so I thought. I signed up for 8 sessions, which they assured me would be enough to say “goodbye forever” to my armpit fuzz. And you know what? The sessions were fast—under 5 minutes for both sides. They didn’t even need to warm up the laser before getting to work. You know those quick-fix beauty treatments that make you wonder, “Is it really working?” Well, spoiler alert: it was, but not entirely.
I had to go back every month or so after each session. After 8 sessions, I could proudly raise my arms without worrying about stubbly underarms. But… cue dramatic music… there were still a few stragglers. Like, maybe 10% of the hair was like, “Nah, we’re not leaving anytime soon, thanks.” But it was 90% successful, which, honestly, I’ll take. Also, something about lasering your armpits made the area much lighter! So overall, I was happy with my initial experience.
Phase 2: South Bay Med Spa – The Sequel
Fast forward a bit, and I’m thinking, “Alright, let’s make this 100%!” I booked another 6 sessions at South Bay Med Spa to finish what Laser Away started. But, oh no, plot twist: my left armpit suddenly became the diva. It started acting up in a way that my right pit just didn’t—it hurt like a mofo. I swear, I have no idea why, but my left armpit became super sensitive. The laser felt SPICY only on my left armpit. Meanwhile, the right side was chill, like, “Hey girl, we got this, let’s go.”
My pain tolerance was usually strong, but I found myself flinching and clutching the table like I was about to go through labor. Who knew my body would decide to start playing favorites with my armpits?
The BO Incident (Don’t Ask, Just… Don’t)
Now, here’s where things get really interesting. A few weeks into my treatment, I noticed something… ahem, “extra.” For the first time in my life, I got some serious BO—and only in my left armpit. I’m thinking, “Oh my god, what is that smell? Is this… me?” Cue the internal panic.
I had never been the type of girl to have smelly pits. Ever. But suddenly, it was like I had a whole new personality: the girl who needs to carry around extra deodorant in her purse. This funky side effect stuck around for about a year. Can you imagine? I went from “fresh as a daisy” to “smells like wet socks.”
Results: Almost Perfect, But Not Quite
After a total of 14 sessions (thanks to that left armpit diva), I was finally mostly free of underarm hair. I would say the treatment was 98% successful, which, to be fair, is pretty great. But after 4 years, I started to notice, like, two hairs or so that were still growing back. Two hairs! Just… why? At that point, I was all, “I can live with that,” but it’s still a little annoying to know those tiny hairs somehow survived the apocalypse.
Would I Do It Again?
It’s a mix of yes and no. Doing the initial treatment to get rid of most of the hairs is great! However, I wouldn’t do it again because now we have these at-home IPL hair removers, and let me tell you, they work, they’re affordable, and they can be used all over your body! I can use it on my legs, arms, and even the bikini area—all in the comfort of my home. And the cost? A fraction of what I paid for those laser sessions. It’s like, why pay for 14 sessions when I can do the same thing for way cheaper? Also, no surprise BO.
The IPL at-home laser that I use is called BoSidin. They’re sold on Amazon and have worked great! I love this device because it has 6 energy levels, 6 different modes (e.g., underarms, bikini area, legs, etc.), a mode for skin rejuvenation (which I have yet to try), a cooling option (to combat the sting from the laser), and an automatic function that will zap lasers continuously for when you’re covering a large surface area. The only downside is that if you have it on for a prolonged period, it’ll need some time to “recharge.” For example, after I go over an entire leg, it won’t be able to zap lasers anymore until I give it some time off. If I invested in a better IPL tool, I don’t think this would be a problem. However, I’m not too impatient, so I’m ok with this delay.
When you first start using the IPL laser, you’ll have to be super consistent to see changes. Using it several times a week will drastically affect the growth rate of the hairs! After being consistent like this for several weeks, hair will eventually stop growing, and you’ll only need to use it for maintenance maybe once a month or so!
So, if you’re thinking about laser hair removal, here’s my advice: Do it if you’re really committed and have the money, but honestly, those at-home IPL devices are a game changer. They’re convenient, cost-effective, and you don’t have to deal with random BO side effects that make you question your life choices.
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