At Epilia, you will be offered the first consultation before you start your final hair removal. It aims to inform you about all aspects related to the laser, to give you the treatment protocol and to provide you with all the necessary recommendations for the smooth running of your permanent laser hair removal sessions.

Instructions before each session

• No exposure to the sun or sunbeds during the entire treatment. If the area to be treated is tanned, the treatment cannot be carried out, as the risk of burns in this case is high. If this is the case, be sure to cancel your next Epilia session. To cancel an appointment, you must inform us via our desk, or via the appointment confirmation email you received at least 48 hours before the scheduled appointment.
• Tanning activators and self-tanning lotions are also prohibited.
• Please inform our staff of any drug treatment.
• The hair in the area of your laser hair removal should not be discoloured or waxed (no wax, electric hair removal epilator, tweezers, depilatory cream) in the 4 weeks before the treatment (2 weeks for the face).
• Shaving is not recommended between sessions.
• It is necessary to shave or trim the hair before the session so that it is short (maximum 1 mm), no shaving on facial hair for women and on downy areas.
• The skin must be free from any cosmetic product.
• The use of new, unwashed clothing should also be avoided if it comes in contact with the treated area.

Unlike a pulsed light treatment, permanent laser hair removal is safe and effective if performed by a professional and specialised team. In our Epilia centres, we have the necessary skills and a medical technical platform from the last generation to ensure you will be treated with optimal care.

Contraindications are limited but must be respected for a safe and effective laser treatment:

• No exposure to the sun or sunbeds during the entire treatment. If the area to be treated is tanned, the treatment cannot be carried out, as the risk of burns in this case is high. If this is the case, be sure to cancel your next Epilia session. To cancel an appointment, you must inform us via our desk, or via the appointment confirmation email you received at least 48 hours before the scheduled appointment.
• No treatment on a pregnant woman can be considered.
• A body area affected by inflammation at an infectious stage cannot be treated.
• Tattooed areas (or with permanent make-up) cannot be treated. The treatment can only be done around the tattooed area, which will still be hairy.

Would you like to feel completely at ease and at your best next summer?
Autumn is the best season in which to start a laser hair removal treatment at Epilia, when your skin is completely unbronzed.

In autumn and winter, the schedules fill up quickly with patients wanting to restart their treatments after the summer and with people wanting to begin new treatments. We therefore recommend that you plan your free initial consultation during the less busy summer months (between May and August). You’ll have ample time to plan, together with your laser assistant, the most convenient time to start your treatment, depending on the area(s) that you wish to treat.

Good to know: armpits and the bikini line are areas that are rarely exposed to the sun. They can easily be treated all through the year, even in summer.

It is, however, not ideal to start a treatment on your legs or face (frequently exposed areas) during the summer, as you will have to pause your treatment protocol very quickly.

Permanent laser hair removal has been practised worldwide since 1995. Since then, many scientific studies were carried out. Today, we have sufficient hindsight to state with certainty that the laser has no impact on health. Because the laser targets the melanin, the surrounding tissues cannot be affected by the light beam. Moreover, its wavelength is very selective and does not go over the dermis.

Permanent laser hair removal can be performed on minors from the age of 15, provided that one of the parents agrees and signs the consent form. The presence of the latter is also required during the first consultation (free of charge).

However, we recommend waiting for hormonal stability before starting laser treatment.

If not, then we are talking more about a comfort treatment than a definitive treatment.

The hair’s life cycle consists of three phases. The laser only has an impact on hairs that are in the active growth phase (anagen phase). During the resting phase (catagen phase) and the ejection of the hair (telogen phase), the hair is no longer bound to its hair follicle. The laser, therefore, does not affect these last two phases.

Since not all the hairs in the treated area are in the active phase at the same time, it is necessary to schedule several sessions to obtain an optimal result.

The number of laser hair removal sessions varies according to different factors:

• The age
• The sex
• The skin phototype
• The pigmentation and hair structure
• The treated area

Since the physiology of each person is taken into consideration, it is impossible to accurately predict in advance the number of sessions that will be required to achieve the expected result.

Depending on the situation, but also on everyone’s expectations, it may be considered to do a yearly laser session to maintain an optimal result. However, it is not systematic.

During your first free consultation, our teams of specialists study the feasibility of the treatment and take the time to inform you about all aspects of the laser and protocol.

During this meeting, a personalised quote is drawn up and given to you in person.

The results of permanent laser hair removal are impressive and very satisfactory in most cases. This technique, although recognised as the most effective one, does not allow total hair removal. However, the remaining hair will be thinner, sparse and with no pigment.

Finally, it should be noted that laser hair removal cannot prevent the appearance of new hair bulbs linked to hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause, hormonal imbalance). In these cases, sessions to maintain the results will need to be scheduled.

Laser hair removal can be performed on all body areas except on the periocular region (eyebrows and between the eyebrows).

The Alexandrite laser is THE reference regarding hair removal for light to medium skin phototypes. For matt skin phototypes, the Nd Yag laser is more suitable.

So far, Epilia centres are only equipped with Alexandrite lasers. If your skin phototype does not allow us to give you an optimal treatment, we will refer you to another centre, more adapted to your needs.

Good to know: the laser targets the hair pigment, so it has no impact on hair with no pigment (blond vellus hair, white hair and some red hair).

During the first free consultation, a diagnosis will be made regarding the feasibility of the treatment.

Permanent laser hair removal gives excellent results on areas with ingrown hairs. Indeed, as the hair is gradually destroyed, they will naturally disappear over the sessions.

No! Tanned skin is the enemy of the laser.

At Epilia, we ask you to always come with your skin totally free of tanning.

Read this to know why.

Click on the following link to find out what you need to know before getting laser hair removal.