The short answer: unpleasant but bearable - and much milder than the stories suggest. The feeling is like a warm rubber band snapping against your skin for a fraction of a second. How much you notice it depends on the area, the thickness of the hair and how sensitive you are that day. At MEDULLA we work with a hybrid laser with contact cooling: the tip chills your skin with every flash. The specialist sets the power for your skin and adjusts it to how it feels, so the first session goes calmly.
What the feeling is like
A flash lasts milliseconds. At the moment of the pulse you feel a brief sting of heat or a snap, as if someone flicked a rubber band against your skin. Between flashes nothing hurts: the specialist moves the tip on and the skin cools under the cold glass.
The pain does not build up. The first minutes are the most noticeable, while you get used to the rhythm. After that most clients chat or simply relax.
Sources: Cleveland Clinic
What it depends on
The area. The closer the bone or mucosa and the thinner the skin, the more sensitive it is: the upper lip, deep bikini and underarms feel sharper, while legs, arms and back are noticeably calmer.
The hair. Dark, coarse hair absorbs more energy, so the first sessions are the most noticeable. With every session the hair grows finer and lighter, and the procedure gets easier.
Your day. Women are more sensitive in the days before and during their period. Lack of sleep and stress add to it too. If you can choose, book for the calmer days of your cycle.
Sources: Pain, 1999 (PubMed)
The most sensitive areas
From our 3500+ sessions: the upper lip and deep bikini feel the sharpest, with underarms next. The consolation is that these are small areas: the lip takes a few flashes and a couple of minutes.
The easiest areas are legs, arms, back and abdomen. The skin there is thicker, and most people describe the feeling simply as warmth.
How we reduce the pain
Contact cooling. The tip chills the skin with every flash - before, during and after the pulse. This is the main difference between a comfortable session and being told to grit your teeth.
A hybrid laser. An alexandrite, a diode and a neodymium in one machine: we set the mode for your skin and hair type, the specialist sets the power for your skin and adjusts it at every visit to how it feels for you.
Dialogue. If it gets uncomfortable, say so - we will adjust the settings or take a break. Suffering in silence is not required and does not improve the result.
What you can do yourself
Shave the area the day before (except the delicate areas - the specialist assesses those on the spot). Stubble on the surface heats up and adds a burning feeling.
Skip sunbathing and tanning beds for two weeks before the session: on tanned skin everything feels noticeably sharper.
Tell the specialist if your pain threshold is low. Ask about numbing cream at the consultation - do not apply anything yourself before you come, not every cream works with a laser.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology
Does it hurt afterwards?
No. After a session the skin can feel slightly warm and turn a little pink, like after mild sun. It settles within a few hours. What to do in the first days is covered in our aftercare article.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology
Reviewed by: MEDULLA team