Medical Laser · Kensington Church St, London

Laser Hair Removal in London for Fewer, Finer Hairs

Laser hair removal is a course of light treatments that reduces how much hair grows back and how coarse it is. Pigment in the hair absorbs the light, converts it to heat, and the heat damages the follicle, so regrowth comes through finer and sparser. It reduces hair; it does not remove it for good, and the degree of reduction differs from person to person. At Faciem the treatment is delivered inside a doctor-led dermatology clinic on Kensington Church St.

Every course starts with a medical history and a patch test, which shows how your skin responds and which energies suit it. Sessions are carried out by the clinic’s laser therapist, medical indications are treated by the doctor, and any complication is reviewed by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor with 20 years’ experience in dermatology and laser.

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Patient satisfaction

This page sets out how laser hair removal is assessed, patch tested and delivered at Faciem, and is checked for clinical accuracy.
Last reviewed: 14 July 2026.
Patient information only. Laser hair removal reduces hair growth; it does not remove hair for good, results differ between individuals, and suitability is assessed face to face before a patch test.

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TL;DR

Laser hair removal directs light at the pigment in the hair, heating the follicle so that regrowth becomes finer and sparser across a course of sessions. At Faciem the course opens with a medical history and a patch test, sessions are carried out by the clinic’s laser therapist, and any complication is reviewed by Dr Prasad. Most people need 3 to 6 sessions plus 1 to 2 top-ups, with hair becoming finer after the first 1 to 2 and the exact number confirmed once the patch test is done. Prices start at £50 an area, downtime is minimal redness, and you can go back to work the same day.

Treatment at a Glance

What to Expect from Laser Hair Removal

Procedure time

45–60 minutes

Larger areas take longer than small ones.

Treatment price

From £50 per area

Single sessions, or courses of six or nine at a lower price per session.

Results visible

After 1–2 sessions

Hair usually becomes finer and less dense at this point.

Results last

Years, then top-ups

Follicles regenerate over a period of years, so a few top-ups are usually needed later.

Downtime

Minimal redness

The treated area may look pink and feel warm for a short time.

Back to work

Same day

No recovery period is normally needed.

Prices are per treatment area and the four main bands are listed in full below. A course usually runs to 3 to 6 sessions, and the number that applies to you is confirmed after your patch test, because it depends on your skin type, hair colour and the area treated. The order is fixed: face-to-face assessment, then patch test, then your first full treatment.

About the Treatment

What Is Laser Hair Removal and How Does It Work?

Light absorbed by the pigment in the hair heats the follicle, so less hair grows back and what does grow back is finer.

Laser hair removal is a medical light treatment that directs a focused wavelength at the pigment inside the hair. The pigment absorbs that light, converts it to heat, and the heat damages the follicle that produces the hair. Only follicles in their active growing phase hold enough pigment at the root to respond, which is why the treatment is planned as a course of sessions and not a single appointment.

Why laser hair removal needs a course of sessions

Hair does not grow all at once. Every follicle cycles through growing, resting and shedding phases, and only the follicles actively growing on the day hold enough pigment at the root to absorb the laser energy properly. Each session therefore catches a different share of the follicles, which is the whole reason laser hair removal is sold as a course.

At Faciem the expected course is 3 to 6 sessions followed by 1 to 2 top-ups, and hair generally becomes finer and less dense after the first 1 to 2. Most people see a 70 to 90 per cent reduction once a full course is completed, though how much reduction any individual gets varies. Where you fall in that range, and how far apart your sessions sit, is confirmed after your patch test, because both depend on your skin type, hair colour and the area being treated. Follicles regenerate over a period of years, so maintenance sessions are usually needed at some point.

Hair colour and skin tone decide what laser can achieve

Laser hair removal targets pigment, so it works best where hair is dark and skin is comparatively light — that contrast is what lets the energy go where it is meant to. White, grey and very fine fair hair hold little or no pigment, so they respond poorly, and extra sessions do not change that. A clinic that promises a result on white or grey hair is promising something the physics does not support.

Skin tone is graded on the Fitzpatrick scale, I to VI, before any laser setting is chosen. Deeper skin tones — Fitzpatrick IV to VI — can be treated, but not on the settings used for Fitzpatrick I to III. Pigment in the surrounding skin competes for the same energy, so a longer wavelength, a lower fluence and a longer pulse width are used to reduce that competition, which is why the Nd:YAG wavelength, delivered at Faciem on a Cutera laser, is the one chosen for Fitzpatrick IV to VI. The risk being managed in deeper skin is post-inflammatory pigmentation — the treated area turning darker or lighter after the session — and it rises when settings are too high or the skin has been tanned within the previous 4 weeks. That is precisely what the patch test is for, and why any treatment record from a previous clinic should come with you.

The lasers used, the cooling, and what a session feels like

Faciem treats with the Candela GentleMax Pro Plus GLX, and with a Cutera Nd:YAG laser for the longer wavelength used on deeper skin tones. Which of them is used on you follows from your skin type and hair colour; there is no single setting applied to everyone. Wavelength, energy and pulse width are the variables, and a longer wavelength paired with a more cautious energy is what makes deeper skin tones treatable. The laser chosen for you, and why it suits you, is explained at your assessment and settled by your patch test.

The skin surface is protected by a burst of cooling spray released with each pulse — Candela calls it the Dynamic Cooling Device — which also makes the pulse easier to tolerate. Most people describe a quick hot flick, gone as soon as it happens, with coarse hair and thin-skinned areas feeling it most. Downtime is minimal redness, and you can go back to work the same day.

Why laser hair removal belongs in a doctor-led clinic

Laser hair removal at Faciem is performed by the clinic’s experienced laser therapist, except where the reason for treatment is medical, in which case Dr Prasad treats you herself. The therapist knows when to involve her, and any complication is reviewed by a doctor on site.

The practical difference shows up in the settings. As a course progresses the remaining hair becomes finer, finer hair holds less pigment, and energies and pulse widths then have to be adjusted; repeating the first session’s numbers stops working. Dr Prasad has 20 years’ experience in dermatology and laser treatment and has been treating with medical hair-removal lasers since 2011, including in Indian and Afro-Caribbean skin and in pseudofolliculitis barbae. Where a course elsewhere has stalled, adjusting pulse width and energy often achieves better results.

The medical reasons people have laser hair removal

Not everyone comes for cosmetic reasons. Hair that grows back into the skin causes ingrowing hairs and razor bumps, and in coarse or curly hair this can become pseudofolliculitis barbae — persistent inflamed bumps in the beard area or at the back of the neck. Reducing the hair reduces the trigger, which is why laser is used medically as well as cosmetically.

Ingrown hair can also drive part of someone’s acne and follicular inflammation, or leave scarring across the beard area and neck. The same lasers treat other indications at Faciem, including pigmented lesions, vascular lesions and thread veins on the face and legs, facial redness, active acne and skin rejuvenation. A medical indication changes who performs the treatment: the doctor does.

Areas & Indications

Where Laser Hair Removal Is Used

Laser hair removal is used across the face, the underarms and bikini area, and smaller detail areas, as well as for medical problems caused by hair growth. Areas differ in hair coarseness, skin thickness and the number of sessions needed, so each one is assessed and priced separately.

ZONE I

Face, neck and beard area

Finer skin, visible results and, in men, a common medical indication.

Full face

Treated as one area where growth is widespread. Facial hair is often hormonally driven, so persistent regrowth is assessed medically as well as cosmetically.

Lower face

Upper lip, chin and jawline treated as a smaller area. Skin here is thin, so it feels the pulse more than body areas do.

Beard area for men

Used both to thin dense growth and to settle the inflammation that shaving coarse, curly hair can cause. Full removal is rarely the aim.

Neck, for ingrowing hair

A common site for ingrowing hairs and the bumps and scarring that follow them.

ZONE II

Underarms and bikini

The two areas most often treated for comfort and shaving irritation.

Underarms

A small area with typically coarse hair, so sessions are short. Deodorant is left off on the day.

Bikini area

Treated to reduce density and the ingrowing hairs and irritation that follow waxing or shaving. Extent is agreed at the assessment.

ZONE III

Detail areas and medical indications

Small areas, and the skin problems that hair growth itself causes.

Fingers and toes

Small, quick areas, often added to another area in the same appointment.

Nipples

A small area where a few coarse hairs are common in both men and women.

Ingrowing hair and pseudofolliculitis barbae

Reducing the hair reduces the ingrowing, which may settle the inflamed bumps that follow it. This is treated as a medical indication.

Hair-driven acne and scarring

Where ingrown hair is contributing to acne or leaving scarring on the beard area or neck, laser is used as part of the medical plan.

Choosing the Right Treatment

Laser vs IPL: What’s the Difference?

Laser and IPL are often sold as the same thing, and they are not. A laser produces a single, focused wavelength aimed at one target in the skin. IPL is a broad-spectrum light source covering many wavelengths at once. The practical consequence is precision: the more of the energy that reaches the hair root, the less is scattered into skin that was never the target.

Comparison of laser hair removal and IPL, covering how each works, what it suits, when results appear, how long they last, downtime and the ideal candidate.
 Laser (used at Faciem)IPL
How it worksFocused laser energy at a specific wavelength, delivered accurately to the hair root, with cooling applied at each pulse.Broad-spectrum light across many wavelengths, filtered but not focused, so the energy spreads across more targets.
Best forCoarse and fine dark hair, and skin tones that need a longer wavelength and adjusted settings.Generally most suited to dark hair on lighter skin; suitability across skin tones depends heavily on the device and operator.
Results appearHair usually becomes finer and less dense after 1 to 2 sessions.Change usually builds gradually across a course.
Results lastReduction differs between individuals and follicles regenerate over years, so top-ups are usually needed.Also a reduction, not a one-off removal, with maintenance expected.
DowntimeMinimal redness, back to work the same day.Usually short-lived redness, though this depends on the device and settings used.
Ideal candidateSomeone wanting a planned course with a patch test, medical oversight and settings adjusted as hair becomes finer.Someone with dark hair and lighter skin looking for a lower-cost route, accepting more sessions.

Figures for IPL are left qualitative because they vary by device. Laser energies generally mean fewer appointments and quicker results than intense pulsed light. Results differ between individuals, and where laser is not the right answer for your hair — white and grey hair being the clearest example — you are told so at the assessment.

Transparent Pricing

How Much Does Laser Hair Removal Cost at Faciem?

Laser hair removal at Faciem starts from £50 for a single small area such as the upper lip, eyebrows or ears, and runs to £200 for the largest combinations such as full legs. Pricing is by treatment area, and almost everyone books a course, because a course of six works out considerably cheaper per session than six separate appointments.

A course of three exists for top-ups only, once a full course has been completed. It is not a starting point, and we will say so if you ask for it as one.

Comparing laser prices across London is harder than it looks, because a headline figure rarely says which device is used, how many sessions the course includes, or who is holding the handpiece. A cheap course on an underpowered device that needs twice the sessions is not cheap. At Faciem the lasers are named, sessions are carried out by the clinic’s laser therapist, and any complication is reviewed by Dr Prasad.

Ask those questions before you book anywhere, here included. If your hair is too fair or too grey to respond, you are told that at your assessment, not after paying for a course. To know how unused sessions in a package are handled, ask when you book and we will confirm it in writing.

Treatment Area Single Course of 6 Course of 9 Course of 3 (top ups only)
Eyebrows, ears or upper lip£50£270£325£139
Chin, nipples, navel line (linea), cheeks, sideburns, hairline, feet, hands or buttock crease£60£324£499£169
Lip & chin, classic bikini, neck or underarms£80£450£619£209
Lower face (chin, upper lip, sideburns, cheeks & jawline), thong bikini, shoulders, abdomen, upper arms or lower arms inc hands£100£540£779£259
Beard, Brazilian/Hollywood bikini inc buttock crease, ¾ arms inc hands, chest, upper back, lower back or buttocks£130£702£879£299
Lower leg inc knee, upper legs, full arms inc hands, full face (chin, upper lip, sideburns, cheeks, jawline, hairline, between & above brows) or full back£175£945£1,219£409
Full legs, back & shoulder, or chest & abdomen£200£1,000£1,499£499

Why Faciem

Why Have Laser Hair Removal at a Doctor-Led Clinic?

Laser hair removal is widely available and unevenly delivered. Three things decide how it goes: the assessment beforehand, the settings chosen on the day, and who takes responsibility if skin reacts. At Faciem the treatment sits inside a dermatology clinic, not alongside one.

Experience & Expertise

Why Laser Settings Are a Clinical Decision

A laser is only as good as the judgement applied to it. The same device that clears coarse hair comfortably in one skin type can cause burns, blistering or a lasting change in pigment in another if the wavelength, energy and pulse width are wrong. Dr Prasad has 20 years’ experience in dermatology and laser treatment and has been treating with medical hair-removal lasers since 2011, including in Indian and Afro-Caribbean skin.

That experience shows in the unglamorous parts of a course: recognising that the remaining hair has become too fine for the settings being used, deciding when a medical indication such as pseudofolliculitis barbae needs the doctor and not the therapist, and reading a treatment record from another clinic before promising anything. Any complication is reviewed by Dr Prasad herself, which is not the case everywhere laser hair removal is sold.

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Your Journey, Our Promise

How a Course of Laser Hair Removal Runs

A course of laser hair removal at Faciem runs in four stages: an assessment with a medical history, a patch test to establish how your skin responds, the treatment sessions themselves, and review with maintenance as needed. The patch test always comes before the first full treatment.

STEP 01

Consultation

We take a medical history, look at the area and check that nothing rules laser out — medication, light-sensitive epilepsy, pregnancy or breastfeeding among them. Hair colour and skin tone are assessed honestly, including where the hair is too fair to respond well.

STEP 02

Patch test

A patch test is carried out on the area needing treatment, to see how your skin reacts and which energies give the best result without complications. Your first full treatment follows 1 to 2 weeks later, depending on your skin type and case.

STEP 03

Treatment

Sessions run to 45 to 60 minutes depending on the area, with cooling applied at each pulse and eye protection worn throughout. Expect a course of 3 to 6 sessions, the exact number confirmed after your patch test, with settings adjusted as the remaining hair becomes finer.

STEP 04

Aftercare & review

Progress is reviewed through the course, and 1 to 2 top-ups usually follow the main sessions. Follicles regenerate over years, so later maintenance is expected and is not a sign that something has gone wrong. When to come back is agreed with you as the course progresses.

Side Effects & Safety

Is Laser Hair Removal Safe, and What Are the Risks?

Laser hair removal is generally well tolerated when the settings match your skin, and most reactions are mild and short-lived. Safety depends heavily on who assesses you: an energy that is comfortable on one skin tone can burn another, which is why a patch test precedes the first treatment.

Common, temporary effects

Uncommon effects

When laser hair removal is not suitable

Between Your Sessions

Laser Hair Removal Aftercare, and What to Do Between Sessions

Aftercare for laser hair removal matters as much between sessions as on the day itself. Expect pink skin and small raised bumps around the follicles for the first few hours, usually settling within 24 to 48 hours. Treated hairs then work their way out over roughly the following 1 to 3 weeks, which looks like regrowth and is not — leave them to shed. Anything that pulls a root out removes the target the next session needs, so shaving is the only hair removal used for the whole course.

Do

Avoid

This is general guidance and does not replace the personalised advice given on the day, which reflects your skin type and the settings used. If something between sessions is not covered here, ring the clinic on +44 20 7131 3539 before your next appointment.

Laser Hair Removal FAQs

Your Questions, Answered

Twelve questions people ask before booking a course, answered with the figures this clinic can stand behind. Anything specific to your hair, skin or medication is settled at your assessment.

How much does laser hair removal cost in London?

Laser hair removal at Faciem starts from £50 for a single small area such as the upper lip, and reaches £200 for the largest combinations such as full legs. Most people book a course of six or nine, which costs less per session than booking individually — a course of six on a small area is £270. Courses of three are for top-ups after a completed course.

Most people need a course of 3 to 6 laser hair removal sessions followed by 1 to 2 top-ups. Where you fall in that range depends on the area, your hair and your skin type, so the exact number is confirmed after your patch test and not promised at booking. Hair usually becomes finer and less dense after the first 1 to 2 sessions.

No treatment removes hair for good. Laser hair removal produces a reduction in how dense and how coarse the hair is, and how much reduction you get varies between individuals. Most people see a 70 to 90 per cent reduction after a completed course, holding for years before a few top-ups are needed as the follicles regenerate.

Most people describe laser hair removal as a quick hot flick with each pulse, over immediately. The skin surface is cooled at each pulse, which makes it easier to tolerate. Coarse hair and thin-skinned areas such as the upper lip and bikini line feel it more, and settings can be adjusted if a session is uncomfortable.

Not well. Laser hair removal targets pigment in the hair, and white, grey and very fine fair hair contain little or none, so there is nothing for the energy to be absorbed by. Darker blonde hair sometimes responds partially. A patch test gives a more honest answer than a promise does.

Laser hair removal can be carried out on deeper skin tones. Your skin is graded on the Fitzpatrick scale first, and for Fitzpatrick IV to VI a longer Nd:YAG wavelength, a lower fluence and a longer pulse width are used, because pigment in the surrounding skin otherwise competes for the same energy. The risk being managed is post-inflammatory pigmentation, and it rises if settings are too high or the skin has been tanned within the previous 4 weeks. A patch test always precedes the first full treatment.

Leave it 48 hours after laser hair removal before the gym, swimming, saunas, steam rooms or hot yoga. Heat, sweat and chlorine on skin that is still slightly inflamed around the follicles prolong the redness and can irritate the area further. Walking and ordinary daily activity are fine straight away, and there is no recovery period beyond that. From 48 hours on, train as usual; if the area still looks pink or feels warm, give it another day.

Yes. The areas men most often have treated are the beard area, the back of the neck, the chest and the back. Many come because shaving coarse or curly hair causes ingrowing hairs, inflamed bumps and scarring, not because they want the hair gone entirely, so treatment is usually planned to thin the growth and settle the skin.

Faciem treats adults, and teenagers depending on their maturity and how they will cope with the treatment. For children, Dr Prasad carries out a consultation first and parental consent is obtained. Hair growth that starts suddenly or is unusually heavy for someone’s age is assessed medically before any laser is considered.

It may. Ingrowing hairs and pseudofolliculitis barbae are caused by hair curling back into the skin, so reducing the hair reduces the trigger, and Dr Prasad has treated the condition with laser in Indian and Afro-Caribbean skin. Where it is contributing to acne or scarring on the beard area or neck, it is treated as a medical indication by the doctor.

Yes, from 24 hours after laser hair removal, but not on the day itself. Perfumed products, exfoliants and deodorant are left off treated skin for the first 24 hours, because the follicles are briefly open and warm and fragranced or occlusive products are what tend to sting or spot the area. If the face has been treated and you need to cover redness the next morning, mineral makeup applied gently is usually well tolerated. Underarms: use an unperfumed deodorant for the first few days.

Ask your current provider for your laser treatment record and the name of the laser used. With those we can see what energies and pulse widths were applied and whether the device suited your hair and skin. Adjusting pulse width and energy often achieves better results than repeating settings that have already stalled.

Laser Hair Removal in Kensington, London

A Doctor-Led Clinic in the Heart of Kensington

Laser hair removal is available at Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic, 7 Kensington Church St, London W8 4LF, United Kingdom, led by Dr Prasad. The clinic is a few minutes’ walk from High Street Kensington station and roughly ten from Notting Hill Gate, which makes it a straightforward journey from Chelsea, South Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park and Fulham.

A course runs over months, so the practical details matter. Sessions take 45 to 60 minutes depending on the area and need no recovery time, the clinic is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm and closed on Sunday, and Kensington council underground parking is nearby. Assessments and patch tests can be booked online or by calling +44 20 7131 3539.

Before booking laser anywhere in London, ask three things: who will hold the handpiece, which laser they will use, and what the whole course costs in writing. A practitioner registered with the GMC, NMC or GDC, a face-to-face assessment and a patch test before any full treatment are what separate a clinic from a shopfront. Here the devices are named — the Candela GentleMax Pro Plus GLX, with a Cutera Nd:YAG for deeper skin tones.

There is no obligation to book a course at your assessment. If your hair will not respond, or the pattern of growth points to something that should be investigated first, you will be told so before six sessions are sold to you.

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Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic · Kensington

Book a Laser Hair Removal Assessment in Kensington

Every course starts with a face-to-face assessment and a patch test. You will hear what laser can and cannot do for your hair colour and skin tone, how many sessions to plan for, and what the whole course costs before anything is booked. If you would like to hear from people treated here first, read our patient reviews.

Prefer to talk? +44 20 7131 3539