Laser Hair
Removal
Smooth skin, long-lasting results. Say goodbye to shaving, waxing and ingrown hairs.
Laser Hair Removal
We use medical-grade laser technology suitable for every skin tone, with the settings chosen for your skin, and it delivers long-term results with minimal discomfort.
The laser targets the pigment in each hair follicle and heats it to stop future growth, without harming the skin around it. With each session, hair grows back finer, lighter and slower until it stops.
How many sessions?
We recommend 6–8 sessions, spaced 4–6 weeks apart. Touch-ups may be needed once a year, depending on your hair growth cycle.
What it helps with
In three steps
Light finds the pigment
A pulse of light passes harmlessly through the surface of your skin and is absorbed by the pigment inside the hair follicle.
Heat stops the follicle
That pigment converts the light into gentle heat, which disables the part of the follicle responsible for growing new hair.
Hair sheds and slows
Over the following one to two weeks the treated hairs shed. Each cycle we catch more follicles, so regrowth comes back finer, lighter and slower.
Every skin tone is welcome here
No one is turned away at Permaskin. Whatever your skin tone, there is a way to look after you here — and if laser is not the right answer for a particular concern, we will tell you that honestly at your free consultation rather than sell you a course of treatment.
Why we use a diode system
Our hair removal is carried out with a diode laser. Diode systems are the workhorse of modern hair removal: they cover large areas such as legs, backs and chests quickly, the built-in cooling makes them comfortable, and with the right settings they suit a wide range of skin tones and hair types. It is a well-established technology with a long track record, which is exactly why we chose it.
The settings matter more than the machine
The most important part of a safe laser treatment is not the badge on the equipment — it is the person operating it. Before your first session we assess your skin tone, ask about your medical history, medications and recent sun exposure, and then choose the energy, the pulse length and the cooling to suit your skin. Deeper skin tones are treated with gentler settings over a few more sessions: more patience, better result.
We patch test when it matters
Where skin is sensitive, reactive or deeply pigmented, we do a small test patch before a full treatment and wait to see how the skin responds before going further. If your skin asks us to slow down, we slow down. Nothing about this is a production line — your plan is built around how your skin actually behaves.
When we say not yet
Some situations mean we postpone or suggest something else: pregnancy, certain medications, an active skin infection in the area, or a fresh tan. Saying “not today” is part of doing this properly, and we would always rather have that conversation before a treatment than after one.
No laser treatment is entirely without risk. Temporary redness and mild swelling are normal for a day or so, and occasionally the skin can lighten or darken for a time before settling. Careful assessment, patch testing and conservative settings are how we keep that risk low — for every skin tone.
How laser here compares to the alternatives
Most people arrive having tried something else first. Here is the straight version, side by side — including the cases where another option would suit you better.
Here Permaskin Diode laser, 808 nm · FDA-cleared | Elsewhere Nd:YAG only Laser, 1064 nm | Elsewhere At-home IPL Handset bought online | Elsewhere Waxing & shaving By hand, forever | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it actually is | ✓A laser: one wavelength tuned to the pigment in the hair, on an FDA-cleared system. | ✓A laser, at a longer wavelength. | ✗A lamp, not a laser — broad scattered light. | ✗Hair cut or pulled at the surface. |
| Deeper skin tones | ✓Treated here, with gentler settings over a few more sessions. | ✓The traditional choice for the very deepest skin. | ✗Most handsets are cleared for lighter skin only. | –Works, but can leave dark marks and ingrowns. |
| Fine or lighter hair | ✓Absorbed strongly by hair pigment, so it copes better. | –Weaker: less of the light is absorbed by the hair. | ✗Little effect. | ✓Removes any hair, for a few days. |
| How it feels | ✓Cooled on every pulse — most say a warm snap. | –Needs higher energy, usually the least comfortable. | ✓Mild, because the energy is low. | ✗Waxing hurts every single time. |
| Large areas | ✓A wide head covers legs, back or chest in one appointment. | –Slower over big areas. | ✗Small window, months of weekly passes. | –Quick, but repeated every two to four weeks. |
| Skin check & patch test | ✓Skin tone, medication and sun exposure reviewed first. | ✓Expected at any proper clinic. | ✗Nobody checks your skin or watches for a reaction. | ✗None. |
| What it takes | ✓Six to eight sessions, then occasional top-ups. | ✓Six to eight sessions, then top-ups. | –Weekly at home for months, then keep going. | ✗Never stops, and the cost never stops either. |
| What you end up with | ✓Long-term reduction; what returns is finer and lighter. | ✓Long-term reduction, though hair can come back after a couple of years. | –Partial thinning for most people. | ✗No lasting change to the hair. |
✓ strong point · – depends · ✗ weak point
There is no single best laser, only the right one for your skin and hair, run at sensible settings by someone who checks. An 808 nm diode suits the large majority of people who come to us, whatever their skin tone. Where it does not, we will say so honestly rather than book you in anyway.
The honest detail
Laser hair reduction is the treatment we are asked about more than any other, and the one where expectations most often need adjusting. Here is the honest version.
What the session actually feels like
Cooling gel goes on first. Each pulse feels like a warm flick against the skin, over almost before you register it. An upper lip takes a couple of minutes. Underarms take about five. A full body session runs closer to an hour. Most people find the ankles, the bikini line and the upper lip the sharpest, and the legs and arms barely noticeable. Nobody needs numbing cream, though we will use it if you would feel better with it.
What results actually look like
You will not walk out hairless. For about two weeks after each session the treated hairs sit in the follicle and then push out, which looks exactly like regrowth and is not. After that the area stays smooth for several weeks. By the third session most people have stopped shaving daily. By the sixth, what comes back is fine, sparse and pale. Long-term reduction of around ninety percent is a realistic target for dark hair; it is not zero hair forever, and anyone telling you otherwise is overselling.
Why it takes six to eight sessions
Hair grows in cycles, and the laser only works on follicles that are actively growing at that moment, which is roughly a fifth to a third of them at any time. That is the entire reason for the four to six week gaps and the number of sessions. Coming more often does not speed it up; it just treats the same dormant follicles twice.
How it compares to waxing and shaving
Shaving is free and endless. Waxing costs less per visit but never stops, and it causes the ingrown hairs and folliculitis that bring a lot of people to us in the first place. Electrolysis treats one follicle at a time and suits white, grey and red hair that laser cannot see. Laser is the middle path: a defined course of sessions, a defined cost, and then maintenance once or twice a year.
Hormones, and why some areas come back
Face, chin and neck hair in women is often hormonally driven, by PCOS, thyroid changes, pregnancy or menopause. Laser reduces it well, but hormones keep recruiting new follicles, so these areas usually need a maintenance session once or twice a year. Legs, underarms and back rarely do. We will tell you which category you are in at your consultation rather than after you have bought a package.
Areas we treat
- Face: upper lip, chin, sideburns
- Underarms
- Arms and legs
- Back and chest
- Bikini line and Brazilian
- Stomach
- Toes and fingers
Why Permaskin
- Every skin tone is welcome, with settings chosen for your skin
- Comfortable for most people, with cooling built into the handpiece
- Licensed professionals and certified laser technicians
- Clean, private treatment rooms
- 3 locations: Woodbridge, Sterling and Fredericksburg
Before & after
What you do in the days either side of your appointment makes a real difference to your result. Print this, screenshot it, or ask us for a copy on the day.
- Shave the area 24 hours before your appointment
- Come with clean skin: no lotion, oil, deodorant, makeup or perfume
- No sun, tanning beds or self-tanner for 2 weeks
- No waxing, threading, plucking or hair-removal creams for 4 weeks
- No exfoliants, retinol, acids or active skincare for 5–7 days
- Tell us about medications, pregnancy or skin conditions
- Mild redness or warmth is normal and fades within a few hours
- Apply aloe vera or a soothing gel
- Avoid the sun and wear SPF 30+ every day
- No hot showers, saunas, steam rooms, workouts or swimming for 24–48 hours
- No exfoliants, retinol, acids or scrubs for 5–7 days
- Shave only between sessions, never wax or pluck
- Hair sheds naturally in 7–14 days; do not pick or scrub
- To prevent dark spots: daily SPF, no tanning for 2 weeks, do not scratch or rub the area
What happens afterwards
Careful, every time
Laser hair reduction has been performed for decades and is well tolerated by most people. What makes it go well is the assessment beforehand and the settings used on the day, so this is what we do.
How we keep you safe
- Every client is assessed in a free consultation before a single pulse is delivered
- We record your skin tone on the Fitzpatrick scale and choose settings to match it
- A small test patch is performed first when your skin is sensitive, reactive or deeply pigmented
- Treatment is delivered by licensed professionals and certified laser technicians
- Protective eyewear is worn by you and by your technician for the whole session
- Cooling is applied continuously, which protects the surface of your skin and keeps you comfortable
- Your settings and responses are recorded so each session builds safely on the last
This may not be right for you if
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have an active infection, open wound or rash in the area
- You have tanned, used a sunbed or applied self-tanner in the last 2 weeks
- You have taken isotretinoin (Accutane) in the last 6 months
- You are taking a medication that makes you sensitive to light
- You have a history of keloid scarring in the area
Please tell us about
- Any medication you take, including antibiotics and supplements
- Any skin condition, including eczema, psoriasis or melasma
- Whether you get cold sores, if we are treating the face
- Any previous reaction to laser, waxing or hair-removal creams
- If you are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding
This page is general information, not medical advice. Every treatment at Permaskin begins with a free consultation, where we review your health history and tell you honestly whether this is the right choice for you. Individual results vary.
Good to know
Is laser hair removal safe?
It has been performed for decades and is well tolerated by the great majority of people when it is done properly. What makes it go well is the assessment beforehand and settings matched to your skin tone. Our technicians are licensed and certified, we patch test where skin is sensitive, and we will tell you if you are not a good candidate. See the safety section above for the full detail.
Does it hurt?
Most clients find it very manageable. We apply a cooling gel first and the handpiece is chilled, so it usually feels like a warm flick against the skin. Coarser hair and bony areas are more noticeable than the rest. There is no downtime afterwards.
How many sessions will I need?
6–8 sessions, every 4–6 weeks. Some areas need a touch-up once or twice a year depending on hormones or hair type.
Who is a good candidate?
It works best on dark hair against lighter skin, but our technology is suitable for every skin tone, including deeper skin, with the settings adjusted for you. We check your skin and hair at your consultation and tell you honestly what to expect.
Are the results permanent?
It offers long-term reduction. Most clients see a 90%+ decrease in hair growth, and any regrowth is finer and lighter.
Related treatments
Thirty minutes, no pressure
We look at your skin properly
Your history, your concerns, what you have already tried and what your routine looks like now.
We tell you the truth
What will help, what will not, and what you may not need at all. If something else suits you better, we will say so.
You leave with a plan
Written, with clear pricing and no pressure. Whether you book is entirely up to you.