I think most ladies can relate to the constant struggle of shaving. Being hair-free after a fresh shave is one of the best feelings, but I honestly dread taking that extra time in the shower to de-fuzz the legs, the pits and your ‘galpal’ down there. If you’re one of those people that embrace the body hair, then all the power to you!! For me however, it’s more comfortable to generally be as smooth as I can.
Kristie from Essentials Beauty Lounge in Penticton, BC reached out to me a while back to do a collaboration for her Laser Hair Removal services! You know how much we love working with local woman- run businesses, so this collab was a no brainer! She provides a lot of other amazing services as well like Facials, Laser Skin Treatments and Rejuvenations, Waxing, Brows & Lashes and even more! I have already taken her up on her Facial services and it is absolutely wonderful!
A little about Essentials…
Kristie has been an esthetician since 2003 and she is absolutely obsessed with skincare (girl after my own heart)! She opened up a Spa in Vancouver in 2005 before moving back to Penticton in 2011 to start a family and open up Essentials Beauty Lounge. She is the definition of a hardworking mom on the go; I don’t know how she does it! Her goal was to create a space with relaxing but results driven treatments. She uses technology from SharpLight that is safe and as pain free as you can get! She is so educated and passionate about her line of work that you know you’re going to get a treatment that is completely personalized to your skin type and skin issues.
The Consult
The journey starts like any other: a consultation appointment. We used this time to determine the type, thickness and colour my body hair was. We also determined what part of the body we would be doing the laser hair removal! We thought the legs would be the best option to really showcase the results to all of you!
The Process – Is it painful?
I was super stoked to start the actual laser hair removal process! She sets you up with a very detailed ‘pre’ and ‘post’ care list. One thing I didn’t know about that was interesting to learn, is that you arrive to the appointment with fully shaved legs EXCEPT one patch of hair on each leg. She uses this to determine the strength needed for the SharpLight machine. Once that is determined, she shaves the remaining hair, gives you a pair of protective eyewear and you’re off to the races. The most common question people have been asking me is regarding the amount of pain. Personally for me, I WOULD NOT CALL THIS A PAINFUL PROCESS! It almost felt like little pinches, and is a little more painful around boney areas (like your ankles). Overall; however, I would call the process slightly uncomfortable at best.
Sessions need to be booked about 6 weeks apart from each other, and Kristie says it takes between 2-3 sessions before you really start to see results; however, I was absolutely astonished at the results I was seeing just after one session! It took a couple of weeks for me to notice, as I was regularly still shaving my legs in the shower out of habit; however, the amount of hair I was still regularly shaving was way less than it would have been pre-hair removal. When it got down to my fourth and final appointment, I don’t think I had shaved in over a month. The hair that had grown on my legs in that time span was very minimal- light in colour and soft in texture.
A couple of DONT’S
I made a couple mistakes during my third appointment that you can learn from so you don’t make the same mistakes! For my third session I was introduced to Danielle – another hardworking mother who is just as sweet and knowledgeable on all things skincare! Her and Kristie make such a dynamic team! I arrived to that appointment without leaving the patch of hair on my leg to determine the strength needed for the SharpLight machine. You have to make sure you leave a patch of hair for every appointment!! Something else I didn’t think about was that the changing of the season meant the changing of my skintone. I had started this process early in the year but it had made its way in the Summer before I finished, so I was getting more tanned. That is why Autumn is the perfect time to start the laser process; you’ll come into Summer finished with the process and have amazingly smooth legs to prove it!
I could not be happier with the results from Essentials Beauty Lounge. I would recommend Kristie to anyone who is interested in getting laser hair removal. The Fall and Winter season is the best time to go in and start the process! I’m already planning my next visit back for some more laser treatments!
If you’re in the Okanagan, make sure to stop by Essentials Beauty Lounge new studio!
Grand Opening Open House
Saturday October 9th
9:30am-1pm
There will be incredible One Day Only deals so make sure you RSVP!!
Photography: @colinchristmas
