XERF: firming the face without the scalpel
How radiofrequency tightens skin and restarts collagen, who it is really for, and where surgery stays the better answer.
If you are looking for laser hair removal around Montreal, we are right next door: in Sainte-Rose, Laval, a few minutes from the bridge. Many of our patients come from the island.
This guide covers what you need to know before starting: how the laser works, its benefits and limits, the areas treated, how a session goes, what it costs in the region, and how to choose where to have it done.
Understanding laser hair removal
To understand the process, look at three things: the principle, the devices found in the region, and how safety is handled.
What is laser hair removal?
Laser hair removal uses concentrated light that selectively targets the pigment in the hair follicle. Unlike wax or a razor, it goes after the root to prevent regrowth.
The principle is called selective photothermolysis: the light is absorbed by melanin, and the resulting heat destroys the follicle without damaging the surrounding skin. Because hair grows in staggered cycles, several sessions are needed to catch every active follicle.
Over a full series, hair reduction is clear, often beyond 80%, from the face to the legs.
The technologies found in the region
Three families of lasers share the Montreal market: Alexandrite, Nd:YAG and diode. Each has its strengths depending on skin and hair type.
| Technology | Skin types | Strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandrite 755 nm | Fair to medium | Speed, comfort |
| Nd:YAG 1064 nm | Dark, tanned | Reaches deeper, safe on melanin-rich skin |
| Diode | In between | Versatility |
Our Clarity II by Lutronic carries both Alexandrite and Nd:YAG on the same device, which lets us treat phototypes I through VI without switching machines or sending anyone elsewhere. Over a series of 6 to 8 sessions, reduction commonly reaches 90%.
Safety and oversight in Quebec
Choose a place where the person holding the handpiece was trained on that specific device, and where the equipment is serviced. This is not paperwork: it is what separates an ordinary session from a burn.
Risks exist, a superficial burn or passing irritation, but they stay rare when the protocol is followed. The rest is up to you: protect the skin from the sun, report any unusual reaction, and do not hide a photosensitizing medication.
Benefits and drawbacks
Before you start, it is worth weighing the real benefits and the limits, without dressing them up.
The benefits
The first is duration. After a series of sessions, the reduction is permanent on the follicles treated, often beyond 80%. Shaving and waxing become the exception rather than the routine.
The second is comfort: far fewer ingrown hairs and irritations than with traditional methods. Sessions are short and apply to nearly every area of the body.
In short:
- Results that last, visible from the first sessions
- Spending that ends, instead of repeating every month
- Quick sessions, suited to every phototype
- Fewer ingrown hairs and razor irritation
The limits
A full treatment takes 6 to 8 sessions on average, spaced several weeks apart, because the laser only reaches hair in its active growth phase. An annual touch-up is often needed to hold the result.
There are real restrictions too. The laser targets melanin: on very light, white, blond or red hair, there is nothing to aim at. Pregnancy, certain skin conditions and photosensitizing medication are contraindications.
In short:
- Several sessions, not one
- Touch-ups to plan for
- Nothing to be done on hair without pigment
- Instructions to follow before and after, or the risk goes up
What we see at the clinic
The change people notice first is not smooth skin, it is the end of ingrown hairs and razor rash. That arrives before density really drops.
Nd:YAG changed things for darker skin, long turned away from this treatment for lack of a device able to target it without heating the skin itself.
Quick comparison:
| Method | Durability | Pain | Long-term cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser | High | Low | Ends one day |
| Electrolysis | Very high | Variable | Higher, hair by hair |
| Wax, razor, cream | Low | Variable | Repeats for life |
How a session goes
Every step exists for a reason. Here is what happens.
The steps, in order
It starts with an assessment: we look at skin type and hair colour to set the parameters. Before the session, shave the area and skip makeup and sun.
The session itself is quick, 15 to 60 minutes depending on the area. Built-in cooling limits discomfort. Right after, the skin may be slightly red, like a mild sunburn.
Then: moisturizer, strict sun protection, no direct exposure. The next session is planned around the regrowth cycle, generally every 4 to 6 weeks.
What actually changes the result
- Follow the instructions before and after each session.
- Avoid the sun during the protocol and wear sunscreen.
- Shave between sessions rather than waxing, which removes the very hair the laser needs to reach.
- Use the soothing products recommended.
- Call us if a reaction is out of the ordinary, rather than waiting for the next appointment.
How long per area
The face takes about twenty minutes, full legs up to an hour, a classic or full bikini between 30 and 45 minutes.
The settings change from one person to the next: fair skin favours Alexandrite, darker skin Nd:YAG. Same device, different settings.
The areas treated
The most requested
For women: the face (upper lip, chin, cheeks), full or half legs, arms, underarms, classic or full bikini. For men: back, chest, abdomen.
Many people combine several areas, which costs far less than paying for them one at a time.
Adapting to your skin and hair
The result depends on skin type and hair colour. Settings are tuned finely to avoid burns and pigment spots.
It is that tuning, not the brand of the device, that lets us treat the range of phototypes we see in this region, and work on the most sensitive areas.
What has changed in recent years
Male clientele has grown a lot, especially for the back and chest. That is why the offer exists for women and for men, with different areas and rates.
The other change is the shift from per-area packages to a subscription: people want the spending to end, not a bill that returns every season.
What it costs
In this region, the price of a session depends on the area, the device and the place. Small areas like underarms or the upper lip start around $40; large areas, full legs or the back, run to a few hundred dollars per session. Multiply that by 6 to 8 sessions and by the number of areas: that is where the bill surprises people.
How we do it
Rather than selling by the session, we sell the Unlimited Zones plan: $497 per month for women, $697 per month for men, taxes extra. Every area in the same session, one session a month. As many zones as you like in that session; it is the monthly pace that is fixed. What you need to do to qualify is written on each offer page.
It also settles the maintenance question: nobody gets billed again for an annual touch-up.
How to compare an offer
Compare prices, but also what they hide. A serious clinic posts its rates, explains what the package includes and what it does not, and assesses you before selling you anything.
Be wary of a price well below the market: you cannot cut the price of a laser treatment without cutting something else, the device or the training of the person setting it.
The questions we get
- How many sessions does it take? Generally 6 to 8 for lasting reduction, plus maintenance.
- Does it hurt? Most people describe a brief tingle. The cooling does a lot.
- What side effects? Redness and mild irritation, sometimes an ingrown hair in transition. Serious complications stay rare.
- All skin types? Phototypes I through VI, yes, provided the device carries both wavelengths. White or blond hair, no.
- What if it grows back? We adjust. That is exactly what the follow-up is for.
Getting the most from the treatment
- Prepare the skin: no tanning, no scented cream before a session.
- Follow the aftercare, especially the soothing cream and sunscreen.
- Keep the recommended interval, generally 4 to 6 weeks.
- Shave between sessions, do not wax.
- Call us quickly if a reaction is out of the ordinary.
Myths and reality
The laser does not deliver 100% permanent hair removal. It delivers significant permanent reduction, plus maintenance. Anyone promising you zero hair forever is selling something other than what the device does.
No study has established a link between hair-removal lasers and cancer: this light does not touch DNA, unlike ultraviolet. The devices used here are approved and set according to phototype.
Choosing where to have it done
The criteria that matter
- The training of the person holding the handpiece, and their experience with your phototype.
- A device carrying both wavelengths, serviced, not a single model "for everyone".
- Strict hygiene rules, visible to the naked eye.
- Posted prices and explained protocols, before the first payment.
- Reviews you can actually read, not an isolated score.
What good care looks like
A detailed assessment first: your skin type, your expectations, a written protocol. Then a clear price, the device set for your complexion, and follow-up from one session to the next.
Here, laser hair removal is performed by our medical estheticians, and one of our nurses does laser work as well.
Before you book
Prepare your questions: which device, who sets what, what the package includes, the cancellation policy, the payment options.
Then come in for an assessment. We look at your skin and your hair, and tell you plainly what the laser can do for you, for women and for men. If the answer is no, we will tell you that too.
