Men and women alike have areas with unwanted hair and are looking for ways that are affordable to remove that hair.

There are many forms of hair removal, and the cost varies as much as the options. However, when most people ask about the cost of hair removal, they are referring to the more permanent solutions, such as laser hair removal. So, while we will touch on the cost of various forms of hair removal, the majority of this article will be about the more permanent, or longer lasting hair removal costs.

Shaving: The cost of hair removal via shaving is minimal. Depending on how often you shave, and what type of lathering agent you use, as well as what quality of razor, your cost could be as little as $2-$5 a month, or as much as $15-$20 a month. For most, the cost is closer to $5 a month.

Waxing: Waxing costs more than shaving, and is dependent on the areas you have waxed. For the most part, waxing is going to be done once a month and if you get the basics done, such as eyebrows, legs, and another small area, it will cost you about $150 a month. Most people do not wax every area every month, so this cost may be less.

Creams: Creams should only be used to remove hair in smaller areas, as it would take a lot of hair removal cream to get the hair off your legs, or other large hairy areas. This needs to be done a couple times a week to remain hair free, and thus you can plan on one tube a month, at the cost of about $25-$30 for a quality product.

Laser hair removal:

Before we get into the actual numbers of laser hair removal cost, let's look at whether or not it is worth the cost. Most would say that while not entirely permanent, and while not always 100% successful, the lasting effects, and reduced growth more than makes up for the cost.

The cost of laser hair removal is not as easy to nail down as the cost of other hair removal options, as it really depends on three factors, the area in which hair is being removed, the area where you live, and the physician performing the treatment. In addition to that there may be other factors such as the number of treatments that your particular situation will require, and how good of a candidate you are for laser hair removal.

Because every person is different, and certain hair types, colors, and thickness work better for laser hair removal, it is impossible to say that it will cost "this" much to remove leg hair, "this" much for underarm, "this" much for chest hair, etc. Basically, it depends on you, so if you want to look into the option of laser hair removal, the best way to figure out the cost is to go in for a consultation, and have the physician evaluate your situation, and how many treatments they deem necessary to get you the results you want, and what they charge per session.

In most cases it is going to take three or more treatments to get hair removal, and the treatments must be spread apart by 4-6 weeks. Most clinics that offer laser hair removal will offer package prices, and discounts for multiple treatment sessions, but many do not.

Where you live in the world makes a difference in the cost of your laser hair removal. For example, the following is a basic pricing chart for the regional average cost of one treatment session for hair removal:

Midwest $450
East $425
South $400
West $420

Of course these are just averages, and the fees are going to vary within any given region based on what doctor you go to for the laser hair removal, whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural area, whether or not the facility you go to only does laser hair removal, or if they offer other services and more. In addition to the average cost, in some cases you pay miscellaneous other fees like anesthesia, or fees to help cover their advertising campaign, etc.

While there are a lot of factors that affect the actual cost, the following is a list of averages for one treatment session in various hair removal areas:

Bikini $350 to $500
Back $600 to $900
Lower legs $600 to $850
Upper legs $600 to $850
Arms $350 to $500
Chest $350 to $600
Under arms $250 to $350
Face and neck $600 to $900

In addition to the area being treated and the geographic region you live in, the kind of laser the clinic uses can play a part in the cost. The more advanced the laser is, the fewer treatment sessions that may be necessary, so while the cost per session may be higher, it could be less costly in the long run, so be sure to consider all factors when determining if the cost of laser hair removal is worth it to you.

Other factors that affect the cost of your hair removal is how you choose to pay. Some clinics charge more for using credit cards. Others give discounts if you pay in advance or within a certain time frame after your first session. So, if cost is a deciding factor for you in whether or not you are going to get laser hair removal done, it is a good idea to check out several clinics, and what kinds of discounts, payment options, payment plans, etc. they have available to you. You also want to make sure you are always considering the entire cost, not the per treatment cost. If you do not have a realistic sense of the cost before starting treatment, you may get half of your treatments before realizing it is unaffordable to you. Without all of the treatments laser hair removal does little good. It takes several treatments to kill the follicle and make the hair fall out. If you do not complete the process, you basically get next to nothing.

Most of the time, a laser hair removal clinic will not give you a price quote over the phone or internet. This is not because they are trying to hide their prices, in fact it is simply because all patterns of hair growth are unique, and thus the results of laser hair removal will be unique to you, and so the cost can't be nailed down until your hair growth and situation is evaluated effectively. For example, some men have dense hair growth on their backs, and the hair is thick shafted. Others have sparse hair growth on their back, and thin hair. Would it be fair to have a set price? No! Thus, the variables will affect the cost, and the only way to know it is to go in.

Here are some ways that laser hair removal clinics decide on the cost of laser hair removal:

Flat Fee
Laser hair removal prices are sometimes, although vary rarely, made on a flat fee basis. The flat fee might be on a per treatment basis or a package of treatments basis. This means that the clinic could say that anyone who comes in for leg hair removal will pay $650 per treatment, no matter how much hair they have. Or, they may charge a flat fee rate according to the hair growth patterns that are most common. So, for example they might say, dense and thick back hair is $450 a treatment, whereas sparse, thin hair is $350 a treatment. Then you just have to get evaluated as to what category of hair pattern you fall into.

Time
With electrolysis, where each hair has to be target individually, you pay by the time, which means those with less dense hair growth pay less, etc. Laser hair removal can be charge similarly, where the clinic charges per time segment it takes to remove hair. This would usually be broken down into 15 minute increments. Of course this is not always the best method as it can be highly affected by the speed of the laser technician and the equipment being used.

Fee per pulse
Laser hair removal pricing can be based on the number of pulses that it takes to complete an area of body hair. This means that you would basically pay for the number of times the laser fires. Generally one pulse takes about one second and can remove more or less than a hundred hairs and can range from the area of a dime to the area of a quarter. In some cases you may find this to be the most cost effective way to pay as it means that subsequent sessions cost less because they require fewer pulses. Usually however, if the clinic charges this way, there is a minimum amount charged. For example, you may pay a minimum of $300 for up to 300 pulses, and then an additional dollar per pulse thereafter.

Basically you will pay about the same no matter how they base their fee structure, but again, it is important to understand how you are charged, and a total cost BEFORE starting treatment.