Laser hair removal vs waxing

Which one, and when.

Waxing removes hair from the follicle, so regrowth takes weeks rather than days. But the follicle is undamaged, so it regrows indefinitely — you are booking that appointment for the rest of your life.

Laser targets the follicle itself. Treated hair stops coming back, which is why a course of sessions has an end and waxing does not.

Waxing still wins on two counts: it works on blonde, grey and red hair that laser struggles with because there is little pigment to absorb the light, and it costs less up front.

The one thing you cannot do is both at once. Waxing removes the follicle the laser needs to find, so you shave — not wax — between laser sessions.

Medically reviewed by Robert Santa-Cruz, MD, Medical Director, LaserTique Med Spa. This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a consultation.

Read about each.