By: Regg Antle, MD

Price-based shopping is generally a bad idea for cosmetic surgery procedures, and I think laser hair removal is just one example of why you can’t “get away with” cheap treatments. There are two main reasons why this is the case:

• Cheaper often means older – A lot of the cost of a laser hair removal treatment goes into maintenance and upgrades for the laser system itself, and some centers are able to charge less because they don’t upgrade as often. Compromising on price can often mean compromising on quality of results at the same time.
• Cheaper can mean less customized – Along with outdated treatment systems, many low-cost laser centers will also offer fixed treatment plans that don’t take into account the differences between patients. Newer, more versatile systems tend to minimize discomfort better, and they also tend to work well for a broader range of people. This means that patients can still get very nice results even if their skin type and hair color make hair removal more difficult. Cheaper systems and centers with less-experienced staff can’t necessarily offer that, so there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself spending extra on more lower-quality treatments than you would have at a higher-quality center.

Bottom line: Laser hair removal in San Diego doesn’t have to be expensive, but it shouldn’t be “cheap,” and quality has to come first. Since the goal is permanent hair reduction, it’s worth getting things right the first time just to avoid a re-do.

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