Laser hair removal by body area: face, underarms, legs, back and intimate area
Underarms, legs, upper lip, back or beard line: every body area has its own hair cycle, its own skin and therefore its own number of sessions. Here you will find, for each area, the answers people search for most often: how many sessions are usual, how long does an appointment take, which intervals make sense and what matters on the face, on the body and around the intimate area?
We also name the matching device: the DEWEON 4LD diode laser with four spot sizes, the AlexDUAL UFO with spots from 10 to 40 mm, the VCL DERMALIGHT for fine, light hair on the face and the KYROMASTER for cooling sensitive areas.
How many sessions does laser hair removal take on the underarms?
For the underarms, 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks are usually standard. The area is considered particularly rewarding: the hairs are dark, coarse and dense, and absorb a lot of energy. Many people see markedly less hair and less dark shadowing under the skin after just 2 to 3 appointments. An appointment takes only 5 to 10 minutes. Arrive freshly shaved and without deodorant.
Because the skin of the underarm is thin, you feel the pulse more there than on the leg. The DEWEON 4LD cools through a sapphire at temperatures down to minus 50 °C, and its smallest spot of 15 × 15 mm suits the hollow of the underarm. Additional cold air is provided by the KYROMASTER.
How long does laser hair removal take on the legs, lower legs or full legs?
For the lower legs, allow 20 to 30 minutes, and for both full legs 45 to 60 minutes per appointment. The usual course is 6 to 8 sessions, and because the hair cycle on the legs is long, there are 8 to 10 weeks between them. The whole course of treatment therefore stretches over a good year. Lower legs usually respond faster than thighs, where the hairs are finer and lighter. At the knees and ankles, work is slower because the skin lies directly over the bone.
With this much surface area, the device determines the pace. The DEWEON 4LD works with a spot of 15 × 40 mm and up to 30 Hz, the AlexDUAL UFO with square spots up to 40 mm.
Is laser hair removal worthwhile on the arms, even with fine hair?
It is worthwhile if the arm hairs are visibly darker than the skin. For fine, light hairs the laser is the wrong tool. Forearms often carry coarser, darker hair and respond well, whereas upper arms tend to have vellus hair with little pigment. The usual course is 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks; forearms take about 15 minutes, whole arms around 30. Arms get a lot of sun, so it is best to plan the course of treatment for autumn and winter.
On fair skin, the AlexDUAL UFO with its alexandrite laser also picks up finer, dark blonde to dark hairs. The VCL DERMALIGHT, an LED system at 750 to 890 nm, is intended for blonde, very fine arm hair.
Laser hair removal on the upper lip: how many sessions does upper lip hair in women need?
For dark hairs on the upper lip, 6 to 10 sessions at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks are usually standard. The area is small, and the appointment takes barely 5 minutes. It is, however, hormonally influenced, so occasional top-ups are normal later on. The pulses are clearly noticeable here because the skin is thin and lies directly over the teeth. The vermilion of the lip is left out, and the appointment is postponed in the event of an active cold sore.
Hair colour is the deciding factor. Dark hairs are picked up by the AlexDUAL UFO, whose spot can be reduced to 10 mm. Light vellus hair contains too little pigment for the laser. For this there is the VCL DERMALIGHT, with which 4 to 8 sessions every 2 to 4 weeks are usual.
Why does laser hair removal on the chin and sideburns often need more sessions?
Because the chin, jawline and sideburns react strongly to hormones: dormant follicles that were not yet producing hair at the first sessions are repeatedly activated there. The usual course is 8 to 10 sessions at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks, followed by one or two top-ups a year. Coarse, dark chin hairs respond well. Caution applies to vellus hair on the cheeks and sideburns: it lacks pigment, and energy that is too weak can, in rare cases, even stimulate fine hairs to grow. Plucking between appointments is off limits; shaving is allowed.
For dark hairs on the chin and sideburns, the AlexDUAL UFO is suitable, as it is designed for face and body. The VCL DERMALIGHT is intended for light vellus hair.
Can you laser the neck and nape, for example for a clean neckline?
Yes, the neck and nape are well suited to lasering, and the neckline is one of the popular small areas for men as well as for women with a short haircut. The usual course is 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks, and an appointment takes about 10 minutes. The line to the hairline is marked beforehand and chosen conservatively, because what has once been reduced grows back only sparsely. At the front of the neck, men have dense beard hair, while women often have individual hormone-related hairs. The skin there is thin and reddens more quickly.
The AlexDUAL UFO works with spots from 10 mm, which allow outlines to be followed precisely. With the DEWEON 4LD, the 15 × 15 mm spot does this.
How does laser hair removal on the chest and abdomen work?
The chest and abdomen are shaved the day before, treated lying down in strips, and together are usually done in 20 to 30 minutes. For men with dense hair, 8 to 10 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks are usual. Women mostly have only the line downwards from the navel or individual hairs treated, which takes a few minutes. Tattoos and dark moles are covered and left out. If you do not want to be completely hairless, you stop after a few sessions: the hair is then thinner and finer.
To cover the area, the DEWEON 4LD uses spots up to 15 × 40 mm and the AlexDUAL UFO square spots up to 40 mm. Over the breastbone and ribs, the cold air of the KYROMASTER helps.
Lasering the back and shoulders on a man: how many sessions and how long does an appointment take?
For the back and shoulders, plan on 8 to 10 sessions and 30 to 45 minutes per appointment. The interval is 8 to 10 weeks, so the course of treatment takes markedly longer than a year. The back is the largest continuous area, and the hairs grow back there in several waves. On the shoulders and upper arms they are often finer and persist the longest. Ask for help with shaving before the appointment, because hairs left standing burn at the surface. Afterwards, one top-up a year is enough for most people.
The DEWEON 4LD covers the area quickly with its spot of 15 × 40 mm and up to 30 Hz. With a square 40 mm spot per pulse, the AlexDUAL UFO also covers a lot of skin.
Lasering the beard: can you define the beard line on the cheeks and neck permanently?
Yes, the line can be lasered so that above the cheek line and below the neck line hardly any touch-up shaving is needed. Permanent here means: markedly fewer hairs in the long term, though individual ones can grow back. Expect 8 to 10 sessions at intervals of 4 to 6 weeks. Beard hairs sit deep and dense, and the pulses are felt more clearly than on the body. The line is marked with some distance from the beard, because a line drawn too tight can hardly be corrected later. Grey beard hairs remain because they lack pigment.
The line calls for small spots and good cooling. The AlexDUAL UFO works from a spot size of 10 mm, and the KYROMASTER cools the skin with cold air down to minus 50 °C before, during and after the pulse.
Can the whole body be lasered in one session and how much time does a studio plan for it?
Yes, a full-body treatment is possible in one appointment and usually takes 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on body size, hair density and device. As a studio, you also plan time for marking, repositioning and post-treatment cooling, and at the first appointment for the initial consultation too. Many therefore split it into two appointments, upper body and lower body. The intervals are based on those for the body, that is, 6 to 10 weeks. The face needs interim appointments because of its shorter hair cycle.
How many full-body appointments fit into a day depends on spot size and pulse repetition rate. The DEWEON 4LD works with 15 × 40 mm and up to 30 Hz, the AlexDUAL UFO with spots up to 40 mm and cooling that needs no external cooling unit.
Is laser hair removal possible on the buttocks and the cleft between them?
Yes, both areas can be lasered and are often booked together with the intimate area or the legs. On the buttocks the hairs are usually fine and rather light, and the result depends strongly on hair colour there. In the cleft they are dark and coarse and respond well. The skin there is, however, more darkly pigmented and sensitive, so adjusted energy and good cooling are used. The usual course is 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks, and an appointment takes 15 to 20 minutes. Mucous membrane is left out.
The DEWEON 4LD selects wavelength and energy automatically via the AI skin analyser and has a 15 × 15 mm spot for narrow areas.
Can you laser away hair on the hands, fingers, feet and toes?
Yes, the backs of the hands, fingers, tops of the feet and toes are among the quickest areas: an appointment takes 5 to 10 minutes, and 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks are usual. The tufts of hair on toes and fingers are mostly dark and coarse and respond well. Because the skin lies directly over bones and tendons, the pulse is more noticeable than on the lower leg. Remove rings beforehand. Hands are almost always exposed to the sun, so apply sunscreen daily during the course of treatment.
For such small, uneven surfaces a small spot is suitable. The AlexDUAL UFO can be set to 10 mm, and the DEWEON 4LD offers 15 × 15 mm as its smallest size.
Yes, dark hairs at the edge of the areola can be lasered, but the area requires less energy than the skin next to it. The areola is more strongly pigmented and absorbs more light, and the nipple itself is left out or covered. Usually only a few coarse hairs are involved, and the appointment takes barely 5 minutes. The usual course is 6 to 8 sessions at intervals of 6 to 8 weeks. The hairs are often hormone-related, and individual ones can come back later. No treatment is carried out during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
On more strongly pigmented skin, longer wavelengths are the gentler choice. In addition to the alexandrite laser, the AlexDUAL UFO has the Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm on board and works with spots from 10 mm.
Why do some body areas need more sessions and different intervals than others?
Because every area has its own hair cycle: how many hairs are growing at any moment and how long a cycle lasts differs markedly between the face and the leg. On the face the cycle is short, and the intervals are 4 to 6 weeks. Underarms, arms and the intimate area follow with 6 to 8 weeks, legs and back with 8 to 10. Areas that react to hormones need more sessions, that is, the chin, upper lip, abdominal line, and the chest and back in men. Deep-seated and fine, light hairs also lengthen the course of treatment.
Part of the adjustment is handled by the device. With the AlexDUAL UFO, the SIA AI sets skin type, body area and energy automatically, and the DEWEON 4LD records the treated areas in its client management system.
Large spots belong on large, flat areas such as legs, back and chest, and small ones on the face, underarms, fingers and outlines. A large spot saves time and delivers more energy at depth, because less light is lost at the edge through scattering. This helps with deep-seated hairs. A small spot follows curves and lines more precisely, for example at the upper lip, beard line or toes.
The DEWEON 4LD comes with four sizes: 15 × 15 mm for small areas, 15 × 26 and 15 × 30 mm for medium-sized areas and 15 × 40 mm for legs and back. With the AlexDUAL UFO, the square spot ranges from 10 to 40 mm. The VCL DERMALIGHT works with 18 × 24 mm.
