Laser Hair Removal in West Hampstead, London

Laser hair removal is permanent reduction, not permanent removal, and the difference between a good result and a burn is the wavelength chosen for your skin. I explain both before anyone is treated.

Laser hair removal uses a pulse of light absorbed by the melanin in the hair shaft, which heats the follicle enough to disable it while the surrounding skin is cooled and spared. Only hairs in their growing phase are vulnerable, so a course of six to eight sessions, four to six weeks apart, is needed to catch each follicle in turn; after that, most patients have a permanent reduction of the large majority of hair in the treated area, with a maintenance session every six to twelve months for the regrowth that hormones drive. The clinic’s laser combines three wavelengths, alexandrite at 755 nanometres for lighter skin and fine hair, diode at 810 for most skin and coarse hair, and Nd:YAG at 1064, which passes through the pigment of darker skin and treats skin types V and VI safely. It works on dark hair and not on white, grey or true blonde hair, which have no melanin to absorb the light, and it is a medical procedure with a medical assessment, because the same energy that disables a follicle will burn or pigment skin if the wrong wavelength is chosen.

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GMC

Registered Doctor

MRCS

Royal College of Surgeons

All skin types
I to VI

ABOUT LASER HAIR REMOVAL

How laser hair removal works, and why it takes a course

The principle is selective photothermolysis: a wavelength of light chosen to be absorbed by one target, the melanin in the hair, delivered in a pulse short enough to heat that target before the heat spreads to the tissue around it. The hair shaft conducts the heat down to the bulb and the stem cells in the bulge of the follicle, and at sufficient temperature those cells are destroyed and the follicle cannot regrow a hair. Skin contains melanin too, which is why the skin is cooled before, during and after each pulse and why the wavelength is chosen to favour the hair over the skin: the longer the wavelength, the less it is absorbed by the epidermis and the deeper it reaches, which is why 1064 nanometres is the wavelength for darker skin.

Hair grows in cycles. At any moment only a proportion of the follicles in an area, around a fifth on the body and up to two-thirds on the face, are in the anagen, or growing, phase, with the hair connected to the bulb and the stem cells active; the rest are resting or shedding and are not affected by the laser. Each session disables the follicles that are in anagen that day, and the next session, four to six weeks later on the face and six to eight on the body, catches the next group. That is why a course is six to eight sessions and why a single session reduces hair by only a fraction.

What laser hair removal does not do: it does not remove every hair permanently, because some follicles survive and hormones recruit new ones, so the honest term is permanent reduction with maintenance; it does not work on white, grey, red or true blonde hair, which lack the pigment the light needs; and it does not treat hair driven by an untreated hormonal condition without that condition being addressed, which as a GP I look for. Where hair growth is new, coarse and in a male pattern in a woman, a blood test for polycystic ovary syndrome and other causes comes before a course.

AREAS I TREAT

From the upper lip to the full body

Any area with dark hair can be treated. The wavelength and settings are chosen for the skin type and the hair in each area.

Face: upper lip, chin, sideburns, full face

The commonest areas in women, often hormonal; four to six weeks apart. Chin and lip take minutes.

Underarms, bikini and Brazilian

The most satisfying areas for most patients; coarse hair responds fastest.

Legs, arms and back

Larger areas, six to eight weeks apart; the back and chest for men.

Neck and beard shaping for men

Ingrown hairs and shaving rash resolve when the follicle is disabled; a common reason men come.

THE TREATMENT

What happens at the consultation and the session

The consultation takes 20 minutes. I assess your skin type on the Fitzpatrick scale and the colour and coarseness of the hair, ask about sun exposure, tanning, medications that sensitise the skin to light, a history of cold sores, keloid scarring or pigmentation after injury, and, for women with new or coarse facial or body hair, the menstrual and hormonal history that might point to a cause worth testing for. I choose the wavelength and settings and perform a test patch, which is read at 24 to 48 hours in darker skin before any full treatment.

Before a session, shave the area within 24 hours and do not wax, pluck or thread for four weeks, because the laser needs the hair in the follicle to conduct the heat. In the room, the skin is cleansed, protective eyewear is worn, and the handpiece is passed over the area, cooling the skin and firing pulses that feel like a warm flick of an elastic band; coarse hair and the bikini line sting more, the legs less. An upper lip takes five minutes, a full leg thirty, a full body about ninety. The skin is cooled and protected with SPF afterwards.

Sessions are four to six weeks apart on the face and six to eight on the body, for six to eight sessions, then maintenance at six to twelve months. Ingrown hairs, shaving rash and the pigmentation they leave improve alongside; where post-inflammatory marks remain, peels and the prescription retinoid programme clear them. Hair that is white or grey is removed by electrolysis, which I can refer for.

“Laser hair removal is safe in every skin type when the wavelength is right for the skin and dangerous when it is wrong. I assess the skin, test patch it, and choose 1064 nanometres for darker skin without exception. And I say permanent reduction, not permanent removal, because that is what the treatment does.”

Dr Chiké Emeagi, MRCGP, GMC 4418489

LASER COMPARED

Laser against the alternatives, and wavelength against skin type

The first rows compare methods; the later rows explain which wavelength I use for which skin. The realistic-result column is what I say in the room.

Option	Best for	How it works	When you see it	Course	Realistic result
Laser, 755 nm alexandrite	Skin types I to III with fine or medium dark hair	Strongly absorbed by melanin; shallow; fast	After 2 to 3 sessions	6 to 8	The most effective wavelength on fine hair in fair skin; unsafe in darker skin
Laser, 810 nm diode	Skin types I to IV with medium to coarse hair; most patients	Balanced absorption and depth	After 2 to 3 sessions	6 to 8	The workhorse; reliable reduction across most skin and hair
Laser, 1064 nm Nd:YAG	Skin types V and VI, tanned skin, coarse hair	Passes through epidermal melanin; reaches deep follicles	After 3 to 4 sessions	8	The only safe wavelength for dark skin; slightly more sessions
IPL (intense pulsed light) for hair	Fair skin, dark hair	Broad-spectrum light filtered to a range	After 3 to 4 sessions	8 to 10	Less selective than laser; not used on darker skin; not what the clinic uses for hair
Home IPL devices	Fair skin, dark hair, patience	Low-energy pulsed light	Months	Weekly, ongoing	Some reduction with consistent use; a fraction of clinic energy; unsafe in dark skin
Electrolysis	White, grey, red or blonde hair; small areas	A probe destroys each follicle individually	Immediately per hair	Many sessions	The only permanent method for unpigmented hair; slow
Waxing and threading	Anyone not wanting a course	Pulls the hair out	Immediately	Every 3 to 6 weeks, forever	No reduction; ingrown hairs and pigmentation in darker skin
Shaving	Everyone, between sessions	Cuts the hair at the surface	Immediately	Daily	What you do during a laser course; it does not make hair coarser
Treating a hormonal cause	Women with new, coarse, male-pattern hair	Blood tests; management of the condition	Months	As required	Laser works better and lasts longer once the driver is treated

The blog posts on how many sessions you really need, laser hair removal for dark skin and whether laser hair removal is permanent answer the three questions I am asked most.

COURSES AND COMBINATIONS

Courses by area, and the spacing

Courses of six are priced below single sessions. Most patients need six to eight, then maintenance.

Plan	For whom	Spacing	Cost
Upper lip or chin, course of 6	Facial hair; often hormonal	Every 4 to 6 weeks	£250
Full face, course of 6	Sideburns, lip, chin and jaw together	Every 4 to 6 weeks	£500
Underarms, course of 6	The fastest-responding area	Every 6 weeks	£400
Brazilian, course of 6	Coarse hair; responds well	Every 6 weeks	£600
Half leg, course of 6	Lower legs	Every 6 to 8 weeks	£600
Full leg, or back, or chest, course of 6	Large areas	Every 6 to 8 weeks	£900
Full body excluding face, course of 6	Everything at once; 90 minutes a session	Every 6 to 8 weeks	£1,750
Maintenance session	After a course; hormonal regrowth	Every 6 to 12 months	Single-session price for the area

Costs are from the clinic price list. Two or more areas in one visit are quoted at consultation.

RESULTS

Results and what to expect

After the first session, treated hairs shed over one to three weeks, which looks like growth and is the opposite. After two or three sessions, regrowth is visibly sparser and finer, and shaving drops from daily to weekly. By six sessions most patients have lost the large majority of hair in the area, and what regrows is fine and pale. Ingrown hairs and shaving rash resolve as the follicles are disabled, which for many men and for women with darker skin is the main benefit.

The honest expectations: permanent reduction of most hair, not removal of all of it; maintenance sessions every six to twelve months, more often on the face where hormones drive regrowth; no effect on white, grey or blonde hair; slightly more sessions in darker skin, where the safe wavelength is less strongly absorbed; and a result that depends on not tanning during the course. What a well-treated patient can expect is an area that no longer needs thought, and a treatment they wish they had started sooner.

I photograph treated areas before the course and at the sixth session, and record the settings of every session so the next one builds on it.

AFTER THE SESSION

Recovery, side effects and aftercare

Immediately after. Redness and small bumps around the follicles, like goosebumps, for a few hours to a day; the area feels warm. Cool compresses and aloe help. No make-up on treated facial skin for the rest of the day.

The first week. Treated hairs shed. No sun exposure, sunbeds, self-tan, hot baths, saunas or exercise that heats the area for 48 hours; SPF 50 on any exposed area throughout the course. No waxing, plucking or threading between sessions; shaving is fine.

What to report. Blistering, crusting, or darkening or lightening of the skin, which are the signs of too much energy for the skin type and are rare with correct wavelength choice and a test patch; all have my direct number and are treated early.

Laser is not done on tanned skin, over tattoos, on skin with active infection or cold sores, within six months of isotretinoin, on light-sensitising medicines, or in pregnancy as a precaution.

IS THIS FOR ME?

Is laser hair removal right for you?

The hair has to be dark. Beyond that, the wavelength is chosen for the skin, and almost everyone is suitable.

A good candidate

Dark hair in any skin type, including types V and VI on 1064 nm. Ingrown hairs, shaving rash or pigmentation from hair removal. Anyone tired of waxing or shaving an area. Willing to shave rather than wax between sessions and to avoid sun on the area for the course.

Better with a different plan first

Women with new, coarse, male-pattern hair: a blood test for a hormonal cause before the course, because treating it improves the result. A tan: wait until it fades. Very fine, pale facial hair: often better left, because laser can occasionally stimulate fine hair on the face.

Not suitable

White, grey, red or true blonde hair, which needs electrolysis. Pregnancy, as a precaution. Light-sensitising medicines or conditions. Isotretinoin in the past six months. Active infection, cold sores or a tattoo in the area.

PRICING

What laser hair removal costs

Every price includes the assessment, the test patch, protective eyewear and aftercare. The £50 consultation fee is redeemed against treatment. A course of six is priced below six single sessions.

Treatment	What it does	Price
Extra small: upper lip or chin	Single, or course of 6	£50 or £250
Small: underarm, bikini line or neck	Single, or course of 6	£80 or £400
Medium: Brazilian, half leg or lower face	Single, or course of 6	£120 or £600
Large: full leg, back or chest	Single, or course of 6	£180 or £900
Full face	Single, or course of 6	£100 or £500
Full body, excluding face	Single, or course of 6	£350 or £1,750

Prices are from the clinic price list. Combinations of areas are quoted at consultation.

WHY US

Why choose Hampstead Aesthetics for laser hair removal

Laser hair removal is the treatment behind most of the burns and pigment scars I see from other clinics, and nearly all of them are the same mistake: a wavelength chosen for fair skin used on darker skin, or a tanned patient treated at settings for untanned skin. I am a GMC-registered doctor (4418489), a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners and a GP; the clinic’s laser carries all three wavelengths, the assessment is medical, every darker-skinned patient is test-patched and treated on 1064 nanometres, and the women whose hair growth points to a hormonal cause are tested rather than simply lasered.

Every assessment is mine and every session is carried out or supervised by me. The clinic is on West End Lane in West Hampstead, NW6, two minutes from West Hampstead station, and sees patients from Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Kilburn, Primrose Hill and across North London.

BETWEEN SESSIONS

What makes the course work

Shave the area, and only shave it, between sessions; waxing, plucking or threading removes the hair the laser needs. Shave within 24 hours before each session. Keep the area out of the sun and off sunbeds and self-tan for two weeks either side of every session, and wear SPF 50 on exposed areas throughout the course, because a tan is both a burn risk and a reason to lower the energy that would otherwise treat you. Moisturise; dry skin scatters light. Do not skip sessions or stretch the interval beyond eight weeks, because the follicles you needed to catch in growth will have moved on. Book the maintenance session when you see regrowth rather than when it has established. And if you are a woman whose facial hair returned quickly after a course, come back for the blood test rather than another course.

PATIENT REVIEWS

What patients say

Google 4.8 ★★★★★

Dr Chike is a skilled injector and always careful not to overdo anything. When I started to notice a bit of volume loss and the first signs of stress on my face he helped restore my confidence.

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Chike, he is professional and knowledgeable and truly skilled in facial anatomy and proportions. My results look natural and beautifully balanced.

Dr Chike is the only person I would trust with my treatments. He has vast experience, is kind and provides holistic care, I cannot recommend him more.

TRUSTED BRANDS

Clinically validated products we use

The clinic uses a CE-marked medical laser platform combining alexandrite 755 nm, diode 810 nm and Nd:YAG 1064 nm wavelengths with integrated skin cooling, maintained and calibrated to the manufacturer’s schedule.

WHO IS YOUR PRACTITIONER

Medical Governance & Practitioner Verification

Dr Chike Emeagi - GMC Registration No. 4418489

At Hampstead Aesthetics, every laser hair removal course is assessed by Dr Chike Emeagi, a fully registered medical doctor and GP whose qualifications and licence to practise are publicly verifiable.

MRCGP - Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
MRCS - Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
MSc Aesthetic Medicine - Postgraduate master's degree in aesthetic clinical practice
GMC Licensed - Full licence to practise, verifiable on the public medical register

You are encouraged to verify Dr Chike’s registration directly on the https://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/4418489 GMC’s online medical register before booking. Any doctor practising without a valid GMC licence is doing so illegally.

DOCTOR LED TREATMENT

Why Doctor Led Matters

A medical laser delivers enough energy to destroy a hair follicle, and the same energy delivered at the wrong wavelength or setting for the skin type causes burns, blistering and permanent pigment change, the commonest serious complication in aesthetic practice. Laser hair removal is no longer regulated by the Care Quality Commission in England, so anyone can offer it after a short course. The assessment of skin type, the choice of wavelength, the test patch and the recognition of a hormonal cause are medical judgements.

At Hampstead Aesthetics I assess every patient, choose the wavelength and settings, test patch darker skin, carry out or supervise every session, and investigate the women whose hair growth suggests a cause.

YOUR SAFETY

Emergency Safety Protocols

Anaphylaxis kit on site — full adrenaline protocol for allergic reaction.
ACE-certified practitioner — I hold emergency complication management certification.
999 escalation protocol — written procedures for emergency hospital transfer.

Every product and device is CE-marked and sourced from authorised UK distributors. The clinic holds full professional indemnity insurance covering all treatments.

CONSENT

Consent, Privacy & Your Rights

Before treatment you have a full written consultation covering medical history, contraindications, realistic outcomes and the specific risks of each treatment in your plan. Treatment only proceeds with informed, documented consent. If you have a concern, raise it with me directly; if it is not resolved, you can escalate to the General Medical Council.

Your consultation, treatment and review are all conducted by the same doctor. There are no hand-offs.

Reviewed September 2026. Dr Chike Emeagi, GMC No. 4418489. Regulatory position correct at date of review; licensing of non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England is subject to change.

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

How many sessions of laser hair removal do I need?

Six to eight, four to six weeks apart on the face and six to eight on the body, then a maintenance session every six to twelve months. Each session disables only the follicles that are in their growing phase that day, which is a minority on the body, so a course is needed to catch each in turn. Darker skin, treated on 1064 nanometres, sometimes needs eight. My blog on how many sessions you really need explains the cycle.

Is laser hair removal permanent?

It is permanent reduction, not permanent removal. After a full course most patients have lost the large majority of hair in the area for good, and what regrows is finer and paler. Some follicles survive, and hormones recruit new ones, especially on the face, so a maintenance session every six to twelve months keeps the result. Any clinic promising permanent removal of every hair is promising something the biology does not allow, and my blog on whether laser hair removal is permanent sets it out.

Is laser hair removal safe for dark skin?

Yes, on the right wavelength. The Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nanometres passes through the melanin of the epidermis and is absorbed by the follicle beneath, which makes it safe in skin types V and VI; the alexandrite at 755 nanometres is not, and it is the cause of most burns in darker skin. I test patch every darker-skinned patient and treat on 1064 without exception. My blog on laser hair removal for dark skin covers the myths.

Does laser hair removal hurt?

It feels like a warm flick of an elastic band with each pulse, with the skin cooled before and after. Coarse hair and the bikini line sting more; legs and arms less. An upper lip is over in five minutes. Most patients find it easier than waxing, and it becomes more comfortable as the hair thins across the course. Numbing cream is available for sensitive areas.

Does laser work on blonde, grey or red hair?

No. The laser is absorbed by melanin, and white, grey, red and true blonde hair have too little for the light to heat the follicle. Electrolysis, which destroys each follicle with a fine probe, is the only permanent method for unpigmented hair, and I refer for it. Dark blonde and light brown hair respond, more slowly than dark hair.

Why does my facial hair keep coming back after laser?

On the face, regrowth is usually hormonal: androgens recruit new follicles that were not there to be treated during the course. In a woman with new, coarse hair on the chin, jaw or neck, a blood test for polycystic ovary syndrome and other causes is worth doing before another course, because treating the driver improves the result. As a GP I arrange it.

Can I shave between laser sessions?

Yes, and you should: shave within 24 hours before each session so the energy goes into the follicle rather than the hair above the skin. Do not wax, pluck, thread or use an epilator between sessions, because they remove the hair the laser needs to conduct heat to the follicle. Shaving does not make hair grow back coarser.

Can I have laser hair removal with a tan?

No. A tan increases the melanin in the epidermis, which absorbs the laser, heats the skin and causes burns and pigment change. Avoid sun, sunbeds and self-tan for two weeks either side of each session and wear SPF on exposed areas throughout the course. On darker skin, and on lightly tanned lighter skin, 1064 nanometres is used.

What are the side effects of laser hair removal?

Redness and small bumps around the follicles for a few hours to a day are expected. Blistering, crusting and darkening or lightening of the skin are the complications, and they follow from the wrong wavelength or settings for the skin type or from treating tanned skin; with a correct assessment and a test patch they are rare. Very rarely, laser on fine facial hair stimulates growth, which is why I do not treat fine, pale facial hair.

Can I have laser hair removal while pregnant?

As a precaution, no; there is no evidence of harm, but there is no evidence of safety and no reason to take the risk. Hair growth changes in pregnancy and often settles afterwards. The course resumes after delivery, and during breastfeeding it is fine.

Does laser help ingrown hairs and shaving rash?

Yes, and for many men and for women with darker skin it is the main reason to have it. Ingrown hairs and the inflamed bumps of shaving rash occur when a cut hair curls back into the skin; once the follicle is disabled there is no hair to curl. The pigmentation the bumps leave in darker skin fades over the months after.

How much does laser hair removal cost?

At Hampstead Aesthetics an upper lip or chin is £50 a session or £250 for six, underarms or bikini £80 or £400, a Brazilian or half leg £120 or £600, a full leg, back or chest £180 or £900, the full face £100 or £500, and the full body excluding the face £350 or £1,750. The £50 consultation fee is redeemed against treatment.

Where in London do you offer laser hair removal?

At Hampstead Aesthetics on West End Lane, West Hampstead, NW6, two minutes from West Hampstead Overground, Thameslink and Jubilee line stations. Patients come from Hampstead, Swiss Cottage, St John’s Wood, Belsize Park, Kilburn, Cricklewood, Primrose Hill and across North London.

Arrange your laser hair removal consultation

If you want an area you no longer have to think about, a 20-minute assessment identifies your skin type, chooses the wavelength that is safe for it, test patches where needed, and sets out a course with a written price. Patients come from West Hampstead, NW6 and across North London. Related: Hyperpigmentation, Acne, Chemical peels.

VISIT US

Our London Clinic

Nearest Tube: West Hampstead (Jubilee Line) · 2 min walk

Overground: West Hampstead Overground · 3 min walk

Parking: Pay & Display on West End Lane

Proudly serving clients from:

West Hampstead · Hampstead · Primrose Hill · St John’s Wood · Belsize Park · Camden · Swiss Cottage · Finchley Road · Maida Vale · Queen’s Park · Highgate · Kentish Town

Reviewed by Dr Chiké Emeagi, MBBS, MRCGP, MRCS, GMC No. 4418489.

Last reviewed September 2026. This page is for information only and does not replace a medical consultation. Laser hair removal produces permanent hair reduction; results vary between individuals and are not guaranteed. All treatments carry potential risks, which are discussed before any procedure. Prices are taken from the clinic price list at the date of review. Hampstead Aesthetics, 269 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 1QS.

Book Your Consultation

Unsure where to start? Schedule a personalised consultation with Dr. Chiké or a member of the team to explore your options